ROSS McCAUSLAND says he was delighted to mark his Northern Ireland homecoming with a brace as Rangers B continued their pre-season campaign with a 3-1 victory over Crusaders at Seaview.
The Gers youngster started and finished the scoring, bookending Arron Lyall's well-taken strike shortly into the second half, to mark a special return to his home country for the Northern Irish Under-21 international.
Speaking to RangersTV after the match, McCausland commented: "I'm over the moon. Coming home to play against Crusaders, it was a good game for me personally with my family being here and being back home in general. The boys played well today, and it was a good win.
"It's been a dream my whole life to play for Rangers, so to be able to put that shirt on with my family watching and all my friends is an honour. To be able to score two goals in front of them is also amazing."
The Rangers supporters turned out in their numbers as Crusaders kicked off their 125th anniversary celebrations, playing a crucial role as the Light Blues emerged from the interval with fresh intent.
McCausland added: "[The supporters] never let us down when we come to the games. They always come in numbers and they pushed the boys on massively. It was definitely something that we needed and, coming with the Crusaders support as well being so big, they definitely played a big part in the game.
"I thought we started really well in the first half, then we started taking too many touches and giving the ball away. When we spoke at half-time, we came out a totally different team with renewed energy, and I thought the subs made a big impact as well.
"It's good to get these games so early into the season. Everyone needs these games to get their match fitness back, but Bangor will be tough and we hope that we go and win the game."
Photo Credit: Stephen Hamilton
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