RANGERS B produced an impressive victory on the road at Newtown Park in a 4-0 victory over Bo’ness United in the Lowland League this afternoon.
The Light Blues opened the scoring inside two minutes through Robbie Ure, before goals from Connor Allan and Zak Lovelace rounded off a clinical first-half showing.
Ross McCausland then added a fourth midway through the second half to cap off a positive afternoon’s work for the young Gers in Bo’ness.
David McCallum made six changes to his side for the trip to Bo’ness, including a new look backline comprised of Kelsey Ewen, Allan, Greig Allen and Kevin Ciubotaru.
In similar fashion to the midweek victory over Open Goal Broomhill, Rangers wasted little time in breaking the deadlock. Lovelace, returning to the side with Arron Lyall dropping into midfield, collected the ball in space between the lines before scooping the ball in-behind the Bo’ness United defence for Ure to run onto. The Gers forward showed immense composure, bringing the ball under control before firing a left-footed volley into the bottom corner.
Ure tested the palms of Musa Digaba in the Bo’ness goal minutes later, glancing a header goalwards from a McCausland free-kick.
Lewis Budinauckas, who captained the team in the absence of Robbie Fraser, was then tested by a rasping strike from Jamie Hamilton from the left-hand edge of the penalty area.
Lennon Walker fired inches wide for the hosts on 16 minutes, driving in off the right-hand side before unleashing a low, driven effort towards the Gers goal.
The Light Blues enjoyed plenty of possession in the opening exchanges, with Ciubotaru and McCausland combining five minutes later to engineer a headed opportunity for the latter that he was unfortunate not to direct on target.
A terrific solo run from Lovelace just shy of the half-hour mark seen the referee point to the spot after the 16-year-old was halted by a trip inside the penalty area. Ure collected the ball as he looked to double his tally on the afternoon, but Digaba guessed the right way in the Bo’ness goal to preserve his side’s single goal deficit.
However, an immediate reprieve arrived for the Gers less than a minute later. The ball found its way to Ure at the far post from the resulting corner, with the forward smashing a left-footed effort back across goal that, after a scramble on the goalline, Allan was able to bundle over from point-blank range.
McCallum’s side were certainly playing with a verve, as the third goal of the afternoon arrived seven minutes before the interval. Ewen collected the ball advanced on the right before centering to the lurking Ure inside the penalty area. With Lovelace in close proximity, the 18-year-old deftly flicked the ball into the Englishman’s path and he made no mistake with his finish, planting the ball into the bottom corner.
There was a renewed intent to Rangers’ play following the restart, with Ure going close three minutes into the second period. Mackenzie Strachan picked out a gorgeous pass to Ciubotaru haring down the left flank, with the full-back squaring across to the forward who directed his finish off target under contact from a Bo’ness United defender.
McCausland whipped a near post effort that Digaba was equal to minutes later, with Rangers enjoying particular joy going in-behind Bo’ness United’s defensive line from midfield.
James Graham and Connor Young entered the fray in place of Lindsay and Lovelace as the game entered its final 25 minutes.
Jamie McCormack strode forward on the right for the hosts on 69 minutes, but Allan displayed his impressive reading of the game by shuttling across to provide an expert block.
Rangers had kept their foot on the gas in the second half and their persistence was rewarded shortly after the 70th minute mark. McCausland raced through on goal from a pinpoint long pass, composing himself before slotting past the Bo’ness goalkeeper.
Substitute Graham broke forward on the counter-attack as the game entered its final stages, working the ball impressively onto his left-foot before firing into the grateful hands of Digaba.
Rangers appeared to have been awarded a penalty in the dying embers of the game as Young went over in the penalty area after apparent contact from the Bo’ness United goalkeeper. However, the referee later reversed his decision after consultation with the linesman who adjudged the Gers forward to have strayed offside.
The referee then blew for full-time on a positive display from the Light Blues, who will now look forward to four home outings in succession with East Kilbride the visitors to Dumbarton on Tuesday evening.
BO’NESS UNITED: Digaba, McCormack, Macaulay, Locke, Todd, Gemmell (Jacobs, 59), Jones, Johnston, Miller (Heeps, 75), Hamilton (Stevenson, 65), Walker
Subs not used: Grant, Mudoch
RANGERS B: Budinauckas, K. Ewen, Allan, Allen (MacKinnon, 57), Ciubotaru, Strachan, Lindsay (Young, 68), Lyall, McCausland, Lovelace (Graham, 68), Ure (Pasnik, 74)
Subs not used: Pazikas
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