RANGERS B produced a clinical attacking display as they produced an emphatic 5-2 victory over Open Goal Broomhill in the Lowland League this evening.
A ferocious opening period from the home side seen the Gers race out to a two-goal lead inside ten minutes through goals from Robbie Ure and Bailey Rice, before the away side reduced the arrears.
However, a quickfire double from Arron Lyall put the Light Blues in a commanding position before the interval, as Ure added to his tally shortly into the second period to round off the scoring for the hosts.
David McCallum named three changes to his side from their last league outing against Bo’ness United on November 12, with Johnly Yfeko, Robbie Ure and Bailey Rice coming into the starting lineup.
The Gers wasted precious little time in stamping their authority on the game, breaking the deadlock inside seven minutes. Lewis MacKinnon showed his strength stepping into midfield, finding Robbie Fraser advanced on the left. The captain chopped inside, guiding an unerring right-footed cross into Robbie Ure who glanced his header into the bottom corner.
With their tails up, the Light Blues doubled their advantage less than a minute later. Connor Allan skipped forward from midfield before lifting his head and pulling the ball back to the edge of the penalty area where Bailey Rice glided in. After the midfielder’s initial effort was stopped by the Broomhill goalkeeper, the 16-year-old stroked home the rebound.
A third of the evening almost arrived inside a quarter of an hour for Rangers. Arron Lyall threaded a gorgeous reverse pass for Jack Harkness to stride onto. The Gers full-back floated his delivery across first-time where Ross McCausland steered his finish inches off target after arriving at the far post.
The Northern Irishman dragged wide of David Wilson’s post minutes later, before the visitors pulled a goal back against the run of play. A free-kick was floated into the Gers penalty area where Jamie Semple was first to react from a header across goal to nod past Lewis Budinauckas.
There was certainly a crispness to Rangers’ attack, with McCausland turning provider for Allan after a neat turn in the centre of the pitch, only for Matthew McDonald to clear the danger for Broomhill as the midfielder looked to unleash at goal.
Allan typified Rangers’ tenacity in the first half, winning a free-kick after battling through several challenges on the right-hand side despite the odds being stacked against him.
McCallum’s side then got the third goal that their play deserved five minutes before the interval. Budinauckas’ searching pass out of defence was flicked on by Ure on the halfway line and through to the speedy Lyall, who composed himself inside the penalty area and stroked his finish into the bottom corner.
In similar fashion to the opening two goals, the Gers quickly stretched their advantage just two minutes as Lyall doubled his tally for the evening. Quick interplay on the edge of the penalty area allowed McCausland to feed a pass into the 19-year-old and, after turning neatly on the edge of the penalty area, he curled a gorgeous finish into the top corner to beat the diving Broomhill goalkeeper.
Rangers picked up where they left off to begin the second half, with Ure netting his second goal of the evening within five minutes of the restart. A flowing Gers move seen Harkness collect the ball on the right-hand side of the penalty area before he squared into the path of the 18-year-old who tapped home from close range.
The away side reduced the deficit five minutes as Semple was among the action once again, firing a strike from distance that deflected beyond Budinauckas.
Mackenzie Strachan was alert to the danger on 57 minutes as Broomhill broke forward in transition, reacting first as Ryan Tierney looked to square the ball across goal to quell the danger.
Budinauckas showed his tremendous reflexes in the 75th minute, springing to his right to make a superb save from Callum Wilson as the Broomhill midfielder arrowed an effort that was bound for the bottom corner.
Substitute James Graham tested Wilson in the Broomhill goal as the game entered its final stages, cutting onto his right-foot and curling an effort that looked primed to bend in at the far post.
There was also a late substitute appearance for Findlay Curtis, with the attacker fresh off a goalscoring performance in Friday evening’s Scottish Youth Cup victory over Hibernian for Cameron Campbell’s U18s side.
Attention now shifts to Saturday afternoon for the B Team, with a trip to Bo’ness United in the Lowland League on the cards.
RANGERS: Budinauckas, Harkness (K. Ewen, 54), MacKinnon, Yfeko, Fraser, Strachan, Allan, Rice (Ciubotaru, 45), Lyall (Curtis, 87), Ure (Young, 79), McCausland (Graham, 79)
Subs not used: Pazikas, Webster
OPEN GOAL BROOMHILL: Wilson, Grant, Broadfoot, McDonald, Fraser, Semple (Glass, 67), Wilson, Chalmers, Cook, McCaw (Wilson, 50), Rennie (Tierney, 56)
Subs not used: Barr, O’Sullivan, Gemmell, Semple
REFEREE: Steven MacDonald