ZAK Lovelace was at the double as Rangers B played out a 2-2 draw in their trip to face Tranent Juniors in the Lowland League this afternoon.
The Gers suffered an early setback on the road as Adam McGowan struck early for the hosts, with Zak Lovelace levelling for the side just before the interval.
The visitors fell behind against the run of play shortly after the restart, but a second of the afternoon from the impressive Lovelace 11 minutes from time brought Rangers back on level terms.
David McCallum named four changes to his side from last weekend for the visit to East Lothian, with Charlie Lindsay, Lovelace, Robbie Ure and Jack Harkness coming into the side.
There was some early encouragement for the home side when Lewis Budinauckas was forced into an early diving stop when Aiden Walsh cut inside and arrowed a shot towards the bottom corner.
McGowan then had a free-kick deflected onto the crossbar, before the Tranent Juniors midfielder opened the scoring inside seven minutes with a curling effort into the bottom corner to inflict an early setback on the Light Blues.
McGowan was among the action again minutes later, forcing Budinauckas into another fantastic save after working the ball onto his right foot.
Zak Lovelace was released in-behind by a neat pass around the corner from Mackenzie Strachan, but Kelby Mason was swift off his goal line to thwart the danger for the home side.
Connor Young stung the palms of Mason on 22 minutes with a wicked dipping free-kick, with the Tranent goalkeeper alert to collect the effort at the second time of asking.
Lovelace then fired inches wide from the edge of the penalty area after neat build-up play involving himself, Young and Charlie Lindsay in attacking transition.
Robbie Fraser showed his defensive prowess when he was alert to provide a last-ditch challenge on Martin Maughan after the attacker was played through on goal down the opposite end.
Young showed nimble footwork to wiggle free from his marker on the edge of the penalty area in the 37th minute before taking aim at goal, but his right-footed effort was collected by the grateful Mason.
Rangers’ persistence was rewarded five minutes shy of the interval. Lindsay thread a gorgeous slide rule pass in-behind the Tranent defence where Lovelace, leveraging his pace to get away from his marker, showed greatpoise to round the goalkeeper and slot into an empty net to equalise.
The Light Blues almost completed the turnaround before half-time as Ure’s strike from a tight angle skimmed the top of the crossbar after promising work down the right-hand side from Rangers.
The away side emerged from the interval with a renewed intent, retaining the ball with a purpose as Lyall ghosted inside from the right and threatened with a reverse through pass.
However, Tranent restored the advantage against the run of play in the 57th minute. A goalmouth stramash following an inswinging corner allowed Cameron Ross to slam an effort into the bottom corner after the Light Blues did tremendously to clear the initial effort off the goal line.
Connor Allan turned Lovelace’s headed knock down towards goal minutes later, but the Tranent goalkeeper collected as Rangers looked to ramp up the pressure in search of a leveller.
Lyall centred for the lurking Ure just shy of the hour-mark, but Tranent were able to extert sufficient pressure on the forward as he prepared to header towards goal.
McCallum introduced Bailey Rice and James Graham on 66 minutes as the latter immediately went close with an effort that Mason proved equal to in the Tranent goal.
The Light Blues went agonisingly close to an equaliser minutes later. Lyall’s ferocious strike from distance rattled the post and, after Ure reacted first to the rebound, the ball again cannoned back off the frame of the goal.
Tranent were then reduced to ten men with 18 minutes remaining as Oban Anderson was given his marching orders for a dangerous challenge on Lindsay in midfield.
The Light Blues’ pressure paid off as the equaliser arrived 11 minutes from time. Positive work down the right-hand allowed Harkness to burst into the penalty area, pulling the ball across to Lovelace who stroked home from point-blank range.
Ure had an effort turned off the goal line as McCallum’s side searched for the winning goal, before Lovelace’s header from the resulting corner was glanced wide.
There was a late twist in the tale as the referee pointed to the penalty spot in stoppage time after Lyall was fouled inside the penalty area, although Lovelace’s spot-kick was saved by Mason.
Attention now turns to the SPFL Trust Trophy for Rangers B in midweek as Hamilton Academical visit Dumbarton.
TRANENT JUNIORS: Mason, Donaldson, Bauld, Barr, O’Connor, Walsh, Anderson, Currie, McGowan, Somerville, Maughan (Renton, 56).
SUBS: Scott, Reid, Ross, Greig, Wilson, Faulds.
RANGERS: Budinauckas, Harkness, MacKinnon, Allan, Fraser, Strachan (Rice, 66), Lindsay (Pasnik, 79), Lyall, Young (Graham, 66), Ure, Lovelace.
SUBS: Pazikas, K. Ewen, Ciubotaru.