A first half wonder strike from Arron Lyall was all the difference for the young Gers at the half-time break, before Ross McCausland doubled the lead for his side less than 10 minutes into the second half.
The young Gers travelled south towards the border this evening as they looked to pick up another important three points away from home in the league campaign.
From the team that faced the University of Stirling at the weekend, the B team boss made three changes to his starting line-up with Jacob Pazikas replacing Lewis Budinuckas in goals.
Robbie Fraser, Connor Allan, Lewis MacKinnon, and Jack Harkness were in front of him as the defending backline.
Charlie Lindsay stepped into the middle of the park with Darren McInally and Kane Ritchie-Hosler, with Arron Lyall and Ross McCausland supporting Connor Young up front.
Both sides started the match well, with the hosts pressing high into the Gers backline, but it was the young visitors who had the first real opportunity on goal with just four minutes on the clock.
Lindsay lifted a lovely pass over the heads of the Gretna back four to link up with an on-running Fraser breaking into the final third. The Light Blues captain took a deft first touch to cut the ball back to Connor Young in the box, but he was unable to get a good connection with his delivery and sent it wide of the goal.
Gretna reacted quickly to this early pressure from McCallum’s side and did well to work their way through the Rangers defence, but Fraser and Pazikas were on hand to clear their threats.
Rangers continued to create some excellent passages of play with Lindsay and Fraser again providing further challenges for the visitors down the right flank, with the ball unlucky not to see the back of the net.
The youngsters continued this early momentum as they worked their way into the home side’s box, and on 20 minutes, in form youngster Lyall, sent a curling 25-yard strike into the top corner to open the scoring for the visitors.
The forward picked the ball up outside the Gretna box before he took a single touch to gain some space and sent a sensational strike sailing past a helpless Alisdair Adams.
The home side looked quickly to rectify the score line and continued to place pressure towards the Rangers goal, but the backline did well to read their play and defuse the danger.
Rhys Caves nearly scored right on the cusp of half time after he sent a volley curling towards the Rangers goal, but Pazikas made a crucial save to maintain the advantage as the squad headed in for the break.
McCallum’s side returned for the second half and again looked eager to double their lead. Less than 10 minutes into the second 45, McCausland found the second of the evening for the young Gers after some superb build-up play in the box.
The striker created his chance as he danced his way through the Gretna defence before rolling an angled and cultured effort across the face of goal and into the back of the net.
Rangers looked hungry to add to their tally and in the 63rd minute Lindsay delivered a dangerous effort from within the home sides box, but it agonisingly drifted over the crossbar.
Shortly after this and unsurprisingly, substitute Lovelace was a thorn amongst the Gretna defensive line after he sent a ferocious volley from the edge of the box, but his effort was unfortunate not to go in as it rattled off the post. The Light Blue continued to cause problems within the hosts final third right up to the final whistle after he paced into box and sent an effort towards the goal, but Adams made a phenomenal block to deny Rangers a third goal of the night.
RANGERS: Pazikas, Fraser, Allan, MacKinnon (K. Ewen, 88), Harkness (H. Ewen, 88), Lindsay, McInally (Strachan, 88), Ritchie-Hosler (Lovelace, 52), Lyall, McCausland, Young (Graham, 65).
SUBS: Budinauckas.
GRETNA: Adams, Moyles, Muir, Dickinson, Johnston (O’Sullivan, 75), Caves, Mwebe, Munro (Short, 83), Helm, Fraser, Bell.
SUBS: Main, Duffy.
REFEREE: Cameron Telfer
ASSISTANT REFEREE: Liam Graham and Lucas Viola
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