SFA Youth Cup v Rangers
Sunday, 23rd Feb 2014Ryan Williamson and Lewis Martin start. Ross Drummond and Ross Millen start second match in 22 hours. Burrows (69) 1-0; Hardie (92) 2-0
MATCH PICTURES
Pars under 20s met Rangers at Ibrox on Sunday lunchtime in the quarter final of the SFA Youth Cup. Coach John Potter was delighted to bring in first team regulars Ryan Williamson, Lewis Martin and Ross Millen. Allan Smith was out with toncillitis but Jordan Moore was eligible to lead the line and despite playing 90 minutes for Berwick Rangers the previous day, Ross Drummond returned for the cup effort.
Pars keeper Cammy Gill had to be alert early on to hold a cut back from Callum Gallagher and on five minutes Martin got in the first serious shot of the match but it was from distance but it was wide and high. The Fifers enjoyed plenty of possession in the opening ten minutes but with everybody behind the ball Rangers made it hard for the young Pars side.
Midfielder Lewis Spence collected the first yellow card of the game in 20th m inute before Millen chipped a free kick from the left touchline towards Scott Mercer at the far post but the chance just escaped him. Minutes later Gill was called into action again dropping to save a drive from Ryan Sinnamon.
Jamie Burrows was causing problems with his runs down the right and he forced a free kick in 26 minutes that was powered into the Pars box for Williamson to head away. Moore showed determination in holding on to the ball and entering the Rangers box at the far side but when he went down referee Ronnie Strain decided to show him a yellow card for simulation. On the half hour Daniel Stoney released a stinging shot from outside the box that Gill did really well to hold.
Next Gallagher fired a fair attempt over the bar from an angle on the left. Rangers headed the ball into the Dunfermline net from a Charlie Telfer free kick but the away side got a decision for pushing and it remained all square. Gill held from a Stoney corner before Millen won the first Dunfermline one in 37 minutes; keeper Liam Kelly held under pressure from Moore.
Two minutes later, Gallagher broke down the right and Martin had to concede a corner on the right and when that came over Rangers were penalised for climbing as Drummond directed their headed attempt wide left.
The first half had produced few clear cut chances for the Pars but in its dying minutes Rangers were denied three times. Firstly Williamson headed a Gasparotto header off the line. Then Stoney had a shot tipped around his left hand post by Gill and Williamson headed another good attempt wide right. Millen and Williamson appeared to the most likely to create an opening for the Pars while Burrows, Gallagher and Stoney certainly made their markers` life difficult.
Half Time: Rangers 0 Dunfermline 0
Kelly was the first keeper to be tested in the second half when Drummond jinked round his marker to get in a shot from the left after only 90 seconds. The Pars had another chance minutes later when Millen laid a chance off to Finn Graham but the diminutive number six scooped his effort from the edge of the box over the bar.
On 57 minutes Burrows broke to test Gill again but the 15 year old Pars keeper held again. At the other end a Mercer block ended up being an attempt at goal but the ball landed on the roof of the net. Gill was out very smartish to block Burrows again when a clearance rebounded into space on the right of the Pars box.
At the midway point in the second half a deflected shot from Gallagher gave Rangers another corner from the right but again Gaspartotto was penalised for climbing. Then Gill had a spectacular save from Telfer stretching to his left to turn the well struck shot away. The keeper could not do anything about the sustained attack in 69th minute, Williamson headed off the line again and the defence looked like they had pulled it off but Jamie BURROWS latched on to a chance and the home side went one up.
Burrows sticks the ball in through a melee of players
Williamson made a driving run and was unfortunate that no one attacked his cross through the six yard box. James Thomas had replaced Ross Millen and when the sub was taken down on the edge of the box, Graham took the setpiece but disappointingly lifted it over the crossbar.
Time began to look like it was running out for John Potter`s team as Williamson drove an 85th minute chance wide right. There was a final push but Graham`s corner and a Martin free kick failed to alter the scoreline. Indeed it was Rangers sub Ryan HARDIE who got the break of the ball to home in on Gill and make it 2-0 in the second minute of time added on. Last year`s beaten finalists exit at the quarter final stage.
MATCH PICTURES
SUBS NOT USED:
YELLOW CARD: Stoney (79)
DUNFERMLINE: Cammy Gill; Ryan Williamson, Lewis Martin, Declan O`Kane (c), Ross Drummond; Ross Millen (James Thomas 76), Lewis Spence, Finn Graham, Scott Mercer (Paul-Joseph Crossan 59); Jordan Moore, Gavin Paterson
SUBS NOT USED: Jordan Orru, Cammy McClair, Jamie Wilson (GK)
SCORERS: Burrows (69), Hardie (92)
YELLOW CARD: Spence (20), Moore (30).
REFEREE: Ronnie Strain
WEATHER: Wet, windy 9°C
ATTENDANCE
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