Match Report: Rangers 2-3 Hearts B

by: Craig Vickers

RANGERS B fell to defeat in the Lowland League this evening as Hearts B ran out 3-2 winners at Dumbarton Stadium.

The Light Blues found themselves trailing by a three-goal deficit before the interval through goals from Mackenzie Kirk, Luke Rathie and Bobby McLuckie for the visitors.

Arron Lyall’s second half strike provided a glimmer of hope, before Ross McCausland further reduced the arrears minutes before the game’s conclusion, as the away side inflicted only a fourth league defeat on the Gers this season.

David McCallum named three changes to his side for the visit of the Edinburgh side, with Jack Harkness, Johnly Yfeko and captain Robbie Fraser returning to the side from the goalless draw with East Kilbride on December 6.

It was an even opening period at a rain-soaked Dumbarton, with both teams adopting aggressive defensive lines that compressed play into midfield.

It took the Light Blues 11 minutes to fashion their first opening of the game. Ross McCausland collected the ball on the right of the penalty area before weaving inside and firing off target with his left foot.

A sweeping move from Rangers was curtailed by the offside flag four minutes later, with Fraser centring first-time from the left for Zak Lovelace after a neat turn from McCausland in midfield.

However, the Gers suffered a setback on 17 minutes as the visitors broke the deadlock. Aidan Denholm strode forward from midfield, laying the ball into Mackenzie Kirk who turned and fired an unerring effort into the top corner.

Rangers immediately embarked on their search for an equaliser, with McCausland slipping Robbie Ure through on goal only for Harry Stone to smother the danger in the Hearts B goal.

A further setback was inflicted upon the Light Blues with only 20 minutes having elapsed. An inswinging corner from the left was met by Luke Rathie at the front post, who flicked his finish into the roof of the net to double the away side’s advantage.

Lewis Budinauckas was forced into making a terrific stop from Kirk shortly after, tipping the forward’s effort around his crossbar for a corner as he strode menacingly towards goal.

The home side were forced into an early change when Lovelace was scythed down in the centre of the pitch, requiring treatment before he was replaced by Connor Young.

A third goal arrived for the visitors just beyond the half-hour mark when Bobby McLuckie slid his finish home after being played through by Denholm.

Rangers looked to reduce the arrears on the stroke of the interval. Fraser curled a dangerous delivery across goal where McCausland was unfortunate not to control at the far post after it narrowly evaded Ure.

Fraser sent an effort over the crossbar with his right foot after skipping inside shortly into the second period, before the Gers pulled a goal back in the 50th minute. Young was denied by a smart save from Stone in the Hearts goal, before Lyall turned the ball home following a goalmouth scramble from the resulting corner.

The momentum was certainly with Rangers following the strike as Young fired off target after swivelling intelligently and unleashing an effort at the visiting goal from distance.

Connor Allan then sent a header agonisingly over the top from a wicked Bailey Rice corner, with the Gers growing in confidence as they searched for a second goal in their bid to turn the game around.

A terrific double save from Budinauckas kept Rangers in the contest heading into the final quarter of an hour, with the Gers stopper diving to his left to deny McLuckie before springing back up quickly to thwart Finlay Pollock on the rebound.

Charlie Lindsay was unfortunate not to work Stone in the Hearts goal shortly after, collecting a loose ball at the edge of the danger area before firing off target with his left foot from a narrow angle.

The Jambos goalkeeper was indeed called into actions minutes later, getting down well to deny Young after the substitute had done well to engineer a shot in a congested penalty area.

The Light Blues found their second goal of the evening to make it an interesting final few minutes, with McCausland finishing smartly from a sublime slide rule pass from Rice.

Young lashed a free-kick into the Hearts wall in stoppage time, proving Rangers’ final act of the evening as the referee blew the full-time whistle.

RANGERS: Budinauckas, Harkness, Allan, Yfeko (Allen, 73), Fraser, Strachan (Rice, 45), Lindsay (Pasnik, 80), Lyall, McCausland, Lovelace (Young, 28), Ure

Subs not used: Pazikas, K. Ewen, Webster

HEARTS B: Stone, Tait, Pollock (Ross, 90), Denholm, Kirk, Thomas, Gordon, Forrester, Rathie, McLuckie, Nair

Subs not used: McFarlane, Smutek, Duncan, Crookston, Friel

REFEREE: Ryan Kennedy