RANGERS’ youngsters suffer a crushing defeat after conceding in the final minute of the game.
Ian Durrant’s side had been 1-0 up in the game after Liam Burt continued his superb season with a strike on the hour but the visitors pegged one back and then dealt the final blow.
Gers were down to 10 men for the final 10 minutes of the match after Scott Roberts limped off with an ankle injury – the 19-year-old has had a torrid time with injuries over the past few years.
Confusingly for spectators St Johnstone were forced to wear Gers red away kit after their kit man broke down en route to the game.
Rangers, the ones in blue, started the game in control and they cruised through to half-time relatively unruffled. Ryan Hardie looked lively and attempted to pounce inside the opening minute.
It was goal scorer Burt who had the first clear cut chance of the game though when he tore through the middle on 12 minutes. He created it all on his own and drilled a low shot at Ben McKenzie in the St Johnstone goal who scrabbled to save.
Cammy Bell was in goal for the Under 20s as he made a comeback from injury and played for the first time since May. He wasn’t tested much in the opening period and his first scare was waved away by an offside flag for Greg Hurst. Paul Simpson has played the striker in early but the linesman flagged as he went to shoot at Bell.
Moments later the 29-year-old was called into action, stretching to tip a Scott Brown strike around the post, it was more of a safety move than a guilt-edged chance for the visitors though.
David Brownlie could have been the unlikely source of Gers opener when the centre-back rose highest to meet a cross, but he planted his header wide of the upright.
Burt was giving The Saints the run around and they were struggling to deal with him – that was evident when he was bundled off the ball at full pace 25 yards out. Hardie stepped up to take the resulting free-kick and tested the keeper well with a low strike with 26 minutes played. Gers were creating a good spell of pressure but couldn’t make it show on the score sheet.
Hardie and Burt were at it again with five minutes to go to the break – they combined as the keeper raced out and McKenzie had to be brave to reach the ball before the striker and thwart him. Immediately the Perth side responded as Rangers lost the ball cheaply in the centre and allowed Brown in. Their only let off was his poor finishing as he blazed over.
Hardie was back in the mix of it when the second-half started. Jordan Thompson fed in Burt and he in turn threaded through the Stranraer-born boy who was confronted with a tight angle to shoot from. He did the best he could but could only fire into the arms of the worried keeper as another chance went begging.
It took Gers 15 minutes of the second period to make the breakthrough and once again it was down to Burt and Hardie. The pair combined in a congested penalty area and when the ball reached the feet of Burt he coolly curled a shot round the keeper.
But it took the visitors just six minutes to reply when Brownlie conceded a penalty for a handball. This was Bell’s first test back between the sticks but Neil Martyniuk made no mistake as he slotted it into the bottom left corner as the keeper dived right. Rangers were back to square one in their first competitive game for two months, a trip to Valencia had interspersed cancelled fixtures.
Bell was tested again; almost immediately, as Kyle Lander forced a good save from the stopper at his near post. St Johnstone also went close with a low drilled free-kick on 74 minutes that whizzed just inches wide of the post.
Roberts could have scored with 13 minutes to go but Jason Kerr’s quick defending, combined with the keeper clearing his lines, prevented him. And three minutes later the midfielder was limping off with yet another ankle problem, he tore ligaments in an ankle against Dundee United back in September.
With all three substitutes used Durrant couldn’t make any changes and St Johnstone let the one man advantage tell. But that wasn’t before Burt was handed a superb chance to grab his second, Rory Currie cut back for him and he couldn’t keep his shot low with just the keeper to beat.
Minutes later the visitors created their own winner as Owen McCall stole all three points for the Perth side. Rangers failed to deal with a cutback into the box and he controlled well to fire the ball past Bell.
RANGERS: Bell, Sinnamon, Mills, Ashmore (Dykes 62’), Brownlie, Ross McCrorie, Roberts, Burt, Hardie (Gibson 72’), Thompson (Currie 72’), Lyon
Subs not used: Robby McCrorie, Lang, Jeffires, Brandon.