Ross McCausland opened the scoring for the Light Blues on the afternoon, before the away side suffered a setback when Jay Boyd equalised for the Northern Irish Premiership outfit.
Arron Lyall restored Rangers’ advantage shortly into the second half with a fine curling effort, before McCausland put the icing on the cake to deliver a winning start to the side’s two-match series in Northern Ireland.
Rangers wasted precious little time in establishing their superiority in the contest as the deadlock was broken inside five minutes. Robbie Fraser did well to ride contact on the edge of the penalty area, creating space for the full-back to pick out Ross McCausland at the far post whose side-footed effort took a nick off a Crusaders defender before crossing the line.
The young Gers almost doubled their advantage less than 90 seconds later. It was Zak Lovelace this time who was released in-behind the hosts’ backline, sliding the ball through Jordan Williamson’s legs in the Crusaders goal before Johnny James hacked the ball to safety on the goalline.
For all of the Light Blues’ early pressure, however, they were pegged back on ten minutes as Crusaders found a leveller. Mikhail Kennedy broke into the Rangers penalty area before steadying himself and laying the ball into Jay Boyd who made no mistake with his finish into the bottom corner.
Jacob Pazikas was forced into a smart stop immediately following the restart, clawing James Teelan’s goalbound effort away from danger as Crusaders looked to capitalise on their newfound momentum.
Rangers continued to monopolise possession as the first half grew legs. McCausland, native to Antrim in Northern Ireland, threatened briefly when his effort trickled past the far post following a clever jinking run from Archie Stevens.
Arron Lyall stung the palms of Williamson between the posts on the half-hour mark with a dipping effort from range after the away side circulated the ball patiently through midfield.
The half exploded back into life five minutes before the interval as the young Gers had three chances to restore their advantage. Fraser was first to go close as his right-footed effort rattled the crossbar from a McCausland cut-back, before Lyall burst into the penalty area and was denied by a fine diving stop from Williamson. Seconds later, Stevens manufactured space for a shot on the edge of the danger area where he watched the Crusaders stopper tip his effort round for a corner.
Half-time prompted a switch of goalkeepers in the Gers ranks as Mason Munn replaced Pazikas, with the Northern Irish youngster called into action almost immediately as the home side threatened to go ahead.
The Light Blues fashioned their first opportunity of the second period minutes later as Lovelace evaded his marker in midfield before drawing a smart diving save from Williamson with only the Crusaders No.1 to beat.
Superiority was restored on 55 minutes as the Gers found the back of the net for the second time on the afternoon. The away side advanced into the final third before the ball landed at the feet of Lyall, who successfully used the intelligent overlap from substitute James Graham to step inside and curl an unstoppable finish into the bottom corner.
Rangers continued to probe in search of a third of the afternoon. A neat short corner routine found substitute Thompson Ishaka just inside the penalty area, although his goalbound effort was blocked behind for a corner by James.
Ishaka was causing the Crusaders backline issues aplenty, evading the attentions of Jamie Kidd on 72 minutes before Williamson was quick off his goalline to smother the danger.
Graham was next to go close, doing well to create space for a shot on the edge of the penalty area before drawing Williamson into another smart save down to his right.
Former world champion boxer Carl Frampton entered the fray with six minutes remaining in Crusaders colours, showing neat footwork in midfield that drew a well-earned round of applause from the home crowd.
However, the scoreline was put beyond doubt with two minutes remaining as McCausland combined neatly with Graham inside the penalty area before stabbing a neat finish into the bottom corner.
The young Gers will now turn their attentions to Tuesday evening as they travel to Clandeboye Park to face Bangor in the second match of their double-header in Northern Ireland.
CRUSADERS: Williamson (Tuffey, 84), McCosh (O’Rourke, 15), Kidd, Weir, James, Teelan (McKeown, 76), Kennedy (Owens, 64), Winchester, Smith, Boyd (Maguire, 64), Anderson (Frampton, 84)
Subs not used: Kerr, McDaid, Bond
RANGERS B: Pazikas (Munn, 45), Hutton (Grant, 79), Allan, Webster (Strachan, 53), Fraser (Newton, 71), Williamson, Nsio (McPake, 53), Lyall, Stevens (Ishaka, 53), McCausland, Lovelace (Graham, 53)
Subs not used: Pasnik, Young
Photo Credit: Stephen Hamilton
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