IN a game of few chances it ultimately came down to who took theirs best and Rangers’ Under 20s fell at the final hurdle as…
Ian Durrant’s side had brushed aside Falkirk on Thursday evening but couldn’t pick up where they left off and were 1-0 down inside the half-hour mark. Cammy Bell parried a shot out and an almighty deflection put the ball onto Dominic Docherty’s toe, who just had to tap home.
Thistle doubled their lead six minutes after the break, Tom Lang getting the last touch in a defensive mix up, after an innocuous free-kick was floated into the danger area. Then six minutes from time Kevin Nesbitt rounded Bell to round off a disappointing afternoon for the youngsters.
Rangers’ best effort was probably from the lively Mekhi McLeod, who did well 11 minutes from time to rifle a shot at Conor Cullen from 20 yards out. The former Wolves forward had a good call for a penalty in the 63rd minute too, with the game at 2-0 it could have given the Light Blues a way back into it.
It was Durrant’s team who started the best, Ryan Sinnamon stormed down the flank with under two minutes on the clock to deliver a dangerous cross and startle Thistle.
Next up to turn on the burners was McLeod as he powered down the middle before he was felled, the loose ball fell to Scotty Roberts but he couldn’t finish over the keeper. The referee pulled the play back after playing an advantage and Jordan Thompson should have done better with the free-kick.
With 12 minutes gone it was McLeod on the ball again, nipping in at the far post to collect and produce a quick right footed shot. The 19-year-old forced a save from the keeper who had to scurry to save low to his right.
It was 21 minutes until the visitors built their first real chance; David Wilson snatched the ball off Roberts in midfield to push forward into the left channel. On the angle he managed to strike and Bell dived low to his left to deny him. Seconds later the experienced stopper was forced into a near carbon copy of his earlier save as Thistle began to enjoy some pressure.
The away side were enjoying a good period but Thompson nearly halted it when he sent managed to get the ball out from under his feet on the edge of the area. The Northern Irishman sent a fizzing strike goalwards and Cullen had to palm it out of play.
But two minutes later Thistle pressed forward again and Gers looked to have avoided the danger when Bell dealt with Neil McLaughlin’s drilled shot. The keeper parried it into another player though and a hefty deflection saw the ball land at Docherty’s feet and he just had to tap it home beyond the recovering Bell.
The bright McLeod wasn’t lying down though and from the restart he attempted to curl one into the top corner. A blocking defender was well placed though and diverted the ball out of play.
Dylan Dykes then went very close twice in seven minutes before half-time. First he combined with Josh Jeffries to get a quick shot out from his feet which surprised Cullen. Then the forward rose high to meet a Jamie Mills cross from the left but he couldn’t nod it on target.
Once again Gers started the second-half the better, McLeod had a great effort when he drilled a shot from the left at the keeper and Cullen spilled it, but that wasn’t to last long.
On 51 minutes Thistle curled a run of the mill free-kick into the six yard box. Lang and Bell were engaged in mixed messages, the keeper didn’t come for it and the defender didn’t clear his lines. The Englishman will go down as the goalscorer though as his last ditch attempt to get rid sent the ball over the line.
Jamie Brandon had replaced Sinnamon at half-time and he was determined to make an impression. Immediately after The Jags second the right-back skipped down the wing and cut inside to test the keeper with a low strike.
Despite the scoreline neither side were shining but Rangers could have had a lifeline if McLeod had been awarded a free-kick on 63 minutes. The tricky forward was felled on the by-line but the referee shook his head and Gers would have to do it the hard way.
The Light Blues captain tried to do it all himself when he pushed forward from his central defensive berth to drill one from distance. McCrorie’s strike was powerful and the keeper spilt it but quickly gathered before the Gers frontline could pounce.
In the 79th minute and playing into the bright sun McLeod nearly took his moment to shine. He managed to compose his feet and make room on the edge of the area before holding the ball up and sending it goalwards. As with too many of Rangers efforts it didn’t test the keeper enough and although Cullen struggled to hold onto the ball it had been straight at him.
Rangers dealt themselves the final blow. They were disposed in midfield by Docherty and he threaded Nesbitt in, the striker took one touch to take the ball around Bell before knocking it home.
RANGERS: Bell, Sinnamon (Brandon 45’), Lang, McCrorie, Mills, Dykes, Thompson, Ashmore (Lyon 57’), Jeffries (Gibson 57’), Roberts, McLeod.
Subs not used: McCrorie (GK), Brownlie, White, Currie