RANGERS Under-19s sealed the CAS Elite League in sensational fashion this afternoon as a 90th minute free-kick from Zebedee Lawson delivered a 2-1 victory over St. Mirren.
In doing so, the young Gers secured qualification to the prestigious UEFA Youth League.
Needing a victory owing to second-placed Hibs, level on points with the Gers heading into their respective final games, leading away to Celtic, the side showed character in abundance to dig out the three points they required.
Lawson followed up a terrific long-range strike in the first-half, cancelling out Joshua Farquhar’s opener, with his second of the afternoon with one of the final acts of the match when substitute Ruaridh Hall won a free-kick on the edge of the penalty area and the Englishman bent in a sumptuous effort.
Malky Thomson named an unchanged side from Monday’s emphatic away win over Dundee United knowing victory would seal the league championship.
As expected, it was a feisty - and especially cagey - opening period, underlined when Zebedee Lawson was booked inside just five minutes for a foul on Lewis Hodgkiss right on the edge of the penalty area.
Kyle Glasgow, in particular, was guilty of some rough treatment, which made his own yellow card shortly after especially frustrating as he jumped to meet a hopeful delivery with the St. Mirren goalkeeper.
Indeed, it was the 16-year-old’s endeavour which created the first opportunity for Rangers as he advanced down the left and centred for Max Cameron whose deft flick prompted a low save.
The away side were grateful minutes later to their own goalkeeper when they lost possession in a dangerous area and Rydnn McGuire did well to smother Callum Penman bursting into a dangerous area.
St. Mirren are just five days removed from their own CAS Elite League Cup success - earned in a penalty shootout victory over Hibernian - and they are certainly a team who possess talent in abundance.
Ashton Scally was forced into a terrific last-ditch block at the far post when Lewis McCormick looked primed to latch onto a dangerous delivery, before the ball fell to Hodgkiss whose acrobatic effort trickled off target.
The home side made their momentum pay when they broke the deadlock with nine minutes remaining of the first half.
Rangers were temporarily down to ten men as Aiden Crilly hobbled back onto the field when they were caught out by a searching pass out of midfield by Struan Thompson.
It was Joshua Farquhar who sprung the offside trap, and with only McGuire to beat he composed himself and finished low into the bottom corner.
However, the Gers offered an immediate riposte as they levelled just a minute later to cap off a frenetic period.
The referee was smart to wave play on as Crilly went down once again on the halfway line, with play finding its way to Lawson who worked a half yard 25 yards out from goal and cannoned a quite sumptuous strike in off the underside of the crossbar.
The Gers had their tails up as a result, and threatened on the stroke of the half-time interval once again when Scally won possession high and Luca Rankin stung the palms of the St. Mirren goalkeeper.
With the scoreline in the balance it was only natural to have a glance at results elsewhere as Hibernian squared off against Celtic at Barrowfield.
Back to the action in Paisley and it was Hodgkiss in black and white who was repelled by McGuire with a couple of half-chances.
A matter of inches separated Rangers from getting their noses in front when Arran Kerr did tremendously well with a clever nutmeg on the right-hand side before his delivery was sliced off the woodwork by a St. Mirren jersey inside the penalty area.
News of Hibs’ turnaround against Celtic began to make its way around with 20 minutes remaining, meaning the Gers required a second goal in Paisley.
Farquhar, already on the scoresheet this afternoon, threatened for the home side when St. Mirren broke forward swiftly from a free-kick, but McGuire showed strong hands to thwart the winger.
Ruaridh Hall, just 15 years of age, entered the fray as Thomson sacrificed a midfield in Rankin for the nimble forward.
A dangerous inswinging corner almost led to the goal that Rangers required when Owen headed goalwards, but it was agonisingly cleared off the goalline.
The game was beginning to become somewhat stretched as St. Mirren almost grabbed the winner themselves when Noel Kiely was released in-behind but slashed his finish straight at McGuire.
Controversy ensued when Hall was fouled by Innes Clark, who picked up his second yellow card in the process, and there was certainly a debate as to whether the contact was inside the penalty area.
It meant St. Mirren were forced to play the remaining five minutes with ten men, but what followed was simply sensational.
From the resulting free-kick, Lawson strode forward and curled a fantastic free-kick in off the post to deliver the ultimate prize for the young side.
RANGERS: McGuire, Kerr, Wyllie, Owen, Scally, McCallion, Crilly (Fernie, 38), Rankin (Hall, 71), Lawson (J. Reid, 88), Glasgow, Cameron
Subs not used: S. Reid, J. Reid, Hynd, Hutton, Fergusson
ST. MIRREN: Innes, Penman, McMillan (Kiely, 68), Hutchison, Clark, Hunter, Farquhar, McEvoy, McCormick, Hodgkiss, S. Thompson
Subs not used: A. Thompson, Vaugh
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