RANGERS B enjoyed a good workout this afternoon against a full-strength Dundee United side at the Rangers Training Centre.
A mix of first-team and Academy players lined-up for the Light Blues to ensure the whole squad gets some game-time between this match and the clash with Motherwell at Ibrox this evening.
It was a good, physical test for the side taken by Brian Gilmour and Kevin Thomson, and despite dominating much of the play and the possession, United ran out 4-1 winners – Josh McPake the goalscorer for Gers in the first-half to make it 1-1 at the break.
It was the Light Blues who began the brighter. Glenn Middleton coming close with a super free-kick which keeper Benjamin Siegrist did brilliantly to get a hand to as it arrowed for the top corner.
United were then awarded a penalty, however, on six minutes, Middleton being adjudged to have handled a Lawrence Shankland drive inside the area.
Up stepped former Ger Nicky Clark to take, and while Andy Firth guessed correctly to dive to his right, Clark’s penalty was just too powerful as it rocketed into the top corner.
Rangers quickly dusted themselves down, though, to re-assert their dominance, and on 13 minutes, they drew themselves level.
Great footwork from Greg Stewart took him into the right channel of the area, and he picked out the incoming Josh McPake, the youngster side-footing the ball across Siegrest and into the back of the net.
McPake then had a similar effort which slipped just by the far post soon after, while he was millimetres away from connecting as Siegrest pushed a Nathan Patterson cross out in his direction.
The chances kept on coming, and McPake was so unlucky with a header on a Kai Kennedy ball into the area, his effort slipping just over the bar, before he was denied excellently by Mark Reynolds to block McPake’s strike on the end of another Patterson cross.
The second half began in much the same manner, with Gers on the front-foot, keeping United pegged-back in their own half.
But just shy of the hour mark, the visitors regained the lead, Calum Butcher with a good finish beyond Firth to hand them the lead against the run of play once again.
At that point, Kieran Wright replaced Firth, while Ciaran Dickson came on for Calvin Bassey and Dapo Mebude for Josh McPake.
Three minutes later, it was 3-1 – this time Lawrence Shankland was the scorer after drifting in from the left win before finishing well across Wright.
Jordan Jones had an effort from the edge of the box go just over as Gers looked to respond, but on 80 minutes, United made it 4-1, Dillon Powers getting the break of the ball inside the area to lash home.
Northern Ireland youth international Charlie Lindsay, just 16, then replaced full Northern Ireland international Jordan Jones, while fellow 16 year-old Leon King came on for Lewis Mayo and 17 year-old Nathan Young-Coombes took over from Kai Kennedy.
It was a good workout for the B Team, and terrific experience for the club’s Academy players involved today to have the opportunity to play against Premiership opposition.
RANGERS: Firth (Wright, 60); Patterson, Mayo (King, 80), Bassey (Dickson, 60), Middleton; McCrorie, Docherty, Stewart: Kennedy (Young-Coombes, 80), McPake (Mebude, 60), Jones (Lindsay, 80).
SUB NOT USED: Wright, Lowry.