The young Gers advanced into the third round of the competition with a last-gasp triumph at Ochilview Park, courtesy of second half goals from Josh McPake and Zak Lovelace.
Speaking to RangersTV after the win, McCallum commented: “Parts of the match were frantic, while other parts of the match we brought real control through the chaos. I look at how this group of players want to play the game, and it’s important through chaotic moments that we try to find a way to make that happen.
“I was really pleased after a shaky opening 15 minutes that we managed to find our rhythm and make the game about the attacking half of the pitch. For all our play and good moments in the first half, we didn’t get the opportunity to go ahead, but that’s the way that these games often pan out.
“We scored an excellent goal through Josh in the second half, and it was frustrating to lose the goal so soon after that. It was two excellent individual goals from our perspective, off the back of good bits of team play.
“We showed some good moments, but also learning through what was a men’s game as there were situations where we really needed to stand up to difficult moments. I have to say that I thought the boys did well in that regard.
“I heard over the tannoy that Stenhousemuir’s goalkeeper got Man of the Match, which is an indication of some of our attacking play.
“We never quite made good of most of it, but these games are never going to be easy. We’re in this cup for a reason. You want to be challenged against older and more streetwise type teams, and Stenhousemuir are very much like that.”
It was a young Rangers side this evening which featured five players born in 2006 – with 2007-born Christopher Eadie on the substitutes bench – and McCallum was delighted at how his team went toe-to-toe with Stenhousemuir’s experience.
He added: “You look throughout the team and you have Zander Hutton, Paul Nsio, Zak Lovelace and Archie Stevens who are all still aged to play with the Under-18s.
“There were a lot of young players in the squad tonight that have come on and found a way to impact the game when we have the ball, to be resilient and tough when we don’t have the ball, so that’s why we enjoy these cup matches.
“The biggest part about getting through this round is that we have an opportunity to do it again. We don’t know who we have gotten yet, but once we have that we can begin to look at that challenge among the rest of the games that we’re going to put in place.”
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