RANGERS Under-19s fell to defeat in CAS Elite League Cup group stage action this evening in a 4-2 away reverse against St. Mirren.
Despite responding twice to the hosts going ahead, first through Kyle Glasgow then from a Ben Hutton header, the Paisley side found a way to win as goals from Ruari Duff and Joshua Farquhar delivered all three points.
It leaves the young Gers with six points in the group, with home fixtures against tonight’s opponents and Hibernian to come.
Malky Thomson named three changes to his side from last week’s Glasgow Cup penalty shootout success over Queen’s Park, welcoming Rydnn McGuire back between the posts.
It was initially St. Mirren who started the brighter of the two sides as a Billy Hutchison was glanced inches wide of McGuire’s far post from a corner.
From the subsequent goal-kick, Caiden McMillan stole possession before striking the outside of the post.
It was a frenetic opening period as both sides traded opportunities; Max Cameron’s cross falling invitingly to Glasgow inside the penalty area but the winger’s effort was blocked en route to goal.
Aiden Crilly then done well to pinch possession from a throw-in midway inside the St. Mirren half, but his right-footed effort had the sting taken out of it by a deflection before the hosts’ goalkeeper was able to collect.
Indeed, it was the home side who took the lead moments later when Luke Douglas saw his initial effort cannon back off the post before nodding home on the follow-up.
Parity could have been restored four minutes later when Zebedee Lawson jinked through the heart of St. Mirren, delaying just enough to work a half yard of space for a shot that the St. Mirren goalkeeper was equal to.
The first caution of the evening was shown to Marcello De Barros for a cynical clip on Crilly in midfield, underlining the away side’s superiority in the contest despite the scoreline.
And they soon got their rewards when Glasgow showed tremendous persistence to latch onto Jack Wyllie’s lofted pass, muscle his way through a couple of St. Mirren challenges on the byline before burying a confident finish from a tight angle.
Just before the interval the Gers pieced together a confident move, with Lawson and Aiden McCallion at the centre, as Max Cameron almost provided the final touch with an effort from the edge of the penalty area.
The second period began with Lawson latching onto a threaded pass from McCallion out of midfield, eventually making its way to Glasgow whose effort was gloved by the hosts’ goalkeeper.
However, it was the Paisley side who regained the advantage moments later when Rangers failed to clear their lines and watched Jack Lavery curl into the top corner after the midfielder was teed up by Theo McCormick.
Oliver Hynd ought to have provided an immediate riposte when he met a free-kick delivery on the sidefoot volley but contrived to steer his effort against the crossbar.
It mattered little, though, as the away side forced home a leveller, this time from a wicked Lyle Wark set-piece delivery, when St. Mirren failed to deal with the danger and Hutton was on hand to nod home.
Cormac Christie was then sent through as Rangers sought to go in front, swivelling smartly away from two defenders before lashing just wide of the target on his unfavoured left side.
The back and forth nature of the contest continued as St. Mirren edged back ahead with 20 minutes remaining after a dangerous corner delivery was met by Duff and headed into the bottom corner.
A fourth of the contest was added on the break with just five minutes remaining when the hosts raced down the right and a stood up cross from Douglas was headed beyond McGuire by Farquhar
RANGERS: McGuire, Hutton (Reid, 85), Hynd, Wyllie, Wark, McCallion, Crilly (Young, 85), Glasgow, Lawson (Fergusson, 75), Cameron, Christie (Fernie, 61
Subs not used: Thackray, Owen
ST. MIRREN: Tamosevicius, O’Rourke, De Barros, Clark, Hutchison, Stoddart, McMillan, Hodgkiss, Douglas, Lavery, McCormick
Subs: Innes, Freel, Morrow, Farquhar, Duff, Falconer, Kiely
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