The Light Blues were unlucky not to take something from the game as David McCallum’s side created a number of chances and hit the woodwork several times throughout the 90 minutes.
All three goals came in the first-half, with Skye Vink and Stanis Idumbo-Muzambo giving the hosts a 2-0 lead before a Lewis MacKinnon goal reduced the deficit ahead of the break.
For this opening match, Jacob Pazikas was in goal, with a back four of Jack Harkness, Lewis MacKinnon, Connor Allan and captain Robbie Fraser.
Mackenzie Strachan, Paul Nsio and Charlie Lindsay were in midfield, with Zak Lovelace and Ross McCausland supporting striker Robbie Ure.
It was a lively start to the game as Zak Lovelace drove Rangers up the pitch before feeding the ball out wide to Ross McCausland. The winger took a touch before getting a shot away at goal from a tight angle which forced an early save from Sten Kremer in the Ajax goal.
At the other end, Skye Vink slipped a good ball through to Silvano Vos but his powerful right-footed shot curled just wide of Jacob Pazikas’ post.
It was the visitors who got the opening goal with 12 minutes on the clock. Chahine Van Bohemen’s delivery from the left was turned into the back of the net by Skye Vink.
Shortly after, Rangers were awarded a free-kick in a dangerous position as Zak Lovelace was fouled just outside the box and Robbie Fraser curled a left-footed strike towards goal, but it was held by Kremer.
The hosts almost doubled their lead in the 20th minute as Jeppe Jensen crossed the ball to Skye Vink but Jacob Pazikas pulled off a fantastic save to deny the Ajax number 9.
Rangers came agonisingly close to an equaliser just before the half hour mark as Connor Allan’s header hit the post from another Robbie Fraser free-kick.
With the danger cleared by the home side, Ajax broke up the pitch with pace with Stanis Idumbo-Muzambo netting getting a touch to double their advantage.
Rangers managed to get a goal back before half-time as another free-kick allowed them to show their threat. The ball was swung into the box by Charlie Lindsay before being headed down by Robbie Ure into the path of centre-back Lewis MacKinnon who tapped home to reduce the deficit.
Zak Lovelace had a shot saved as the game approached half-time, before Robbie Ure had a late effort crowded out inside the Ajax box.
Into the second-half, Rangers were pushing for an equaliser and came ever so close in the 65th minute. A long-range shot from Ross McCausland caused problems for the goalkeeper but he was able to get a touch on the ball to tip it onto the bar and out for a corner.
From the resulting corner which was taken short, Robbie Fraser whipped the ball into the box with MacKinnon heading towards goal at the far post but he was also denied by the woodwork.
Rangers were awarded a penalty on the 69th minute as Robbie Ure was fouled in the box. Charlie Lindsay stepped up to the spot but his right-footed effort bounced back off the post before the danger was cleared by the hosts.
It was a strong second-half display from Rangers, as Zak Lovelace shot wide from a Ross McCausland cross before at the other end, Oualid Agougil was just inches high with a powerful effort.
Into stoppage time, the Light Blues were awarded a late free-kick as they continued to search for an equaliser but Bailey Rice’s free-kick was tipped over by the keeper, before a late corner was cleared by Ajax as the referee blew for full-time.
RANGERS: Pazikas, Harkness, MacKinnon, Allan, Fraser, Strachan (Stevens, 76), Nsio (Allen, 72), Lindsay (Rice, 89), Lovelace, McCausland (Graham, 89), Ure.
Subs not used: Munn, K. Ewen, Pasnik.
Ajax: Kremers, Sarfo (Henry, 79), Aertssen, Hato, Van Bohemen (Viereck, 79) Vos (Hamouchi, 90), Idumbo-Muzambo, Agougil, Jensen (Chourak 65), Vink, Kalokoh (Chahid, 65).
Subs not used: Setford, Boerhout.
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