U18S LOSE TO RANGERS

The table-topping Under 18s were back in action after a two-week hiatus as they headed south to take on Rangers at Murray Park, looking to continue their outstanding start to the campaign.

The sides last met on the opening day of the CAS Under-18s Elite League season at the end of July, United running out 3-1 victors at St Andrews thanks to goals from Fin Malcolm and Dom Naglik in Ryan Moon’s first game in charge of the Young Terrors. 

The gaffer made three changes to the side victorious at Oriam before the break, Ruiaridh Adams, Nairn Lowe, and Naglik all losing their starting spot to Jamie McCabe, Jacob Comerford and Malcolm respectively as United lined up in a 4-2-3-1. 
 
It took just four minutes for the deadlock to be broken in the driving Glasgow rain, and unfortunately the goal came for the hosts. A short back-pass from Aaron Donald allowed Robbie Ure to round the keeper before pulling the ball back to the unmarked Rory Wilson on the penalty spot who dispatched into the unguarded net with power. 
 
In a similar position, Ure found space again to cut-back, this time to Mackenzie Strachan for the midfielder to have a strike on the United goal, McCabe springing across to deny the midfielder with a fine stop. 
 
The Rangers pressure continued as United struggled to get a foothold in the game, and despite not surrendering many opportunities, fell further behind on the 28th minute, the danger-man Ure at the heart of it once more. The 17-year-old drove through Lewis O’Donnell’s challenge before being fouled by Craig Moore around 30 yards from goal. Strachan’s floated delivery from the resultant set-piece met the head of Ure at the back stick and flew past the helpless McCabe who could only watch as the ball cannoned off the post and into the net to double the home sides’ advantage. 
 
The Young Terrors began to enjoy their first forays into the attacking third as the match approached half time. A free flowing, attacking move that involved Donald, Moore and Rory MacLeod culminated in a shot from Stuart Heenan which warmed the gloves of Rangers stopper Jack McConnell. A mere 60 seconds later, MacLeod jinked his way into the box and hit the deck under the challenge of Leyton Dunlop, the referee pointing to the spot to give United a way back into the contest. Fin Malcolm stepped up to the plate and rolled the ball low into the left corner to net his third goal in two games against the Gers this season. 
 
United’s intent to invert the run of play early in the second half was evident from the off, as Moon’s men enjoyed the lion’s share of possession, but suffered from a lack of movement up top, therefore struggled to create clear-cut chances for the potent attacking quadrant of Malcolm, Bryan Mwangi, Heenan, and MacLeod. The match descended into a gritty midfield battle during the midway point, Moore and O’Donnell distributing from deep into the wide areas, but the ball failed to progress from there. 
 
MacLeod was the recipient of the best two chances to take a point back to Tayside, the striker picked out by a wicked cross by Donald that he diverted over on the volley, before being teed up by substitute Naglik on the angle as the match approached the closing stages, MacLeod snatching at the shot and dragging the ball well wide of McConnell’s post. 
 
Donald’s delivery again proved tricky to deal with for the hosts, Kelsey Ewen sliced his cross into the path of Naglik who failed to connect with the loose ball and divert it goalward as time began to run out on the United. 
 
Rangers delivered the final knock-out blow by catching United on the counter as the tangerine shirts flooded forward in search of an equaliser. McConnell’s howitzer downfield skidded off the wet surface and fell perfectly for Ure darting beyond Miller Thompson. He composed himself under pressure from the full-back and rolled the ball to Tyler Pasnik on the edge of the area, the substitute dancing beyond the challenge of two Young Terrors and dispatching emphatically into the far corner to wrap up the victory for the Gers. 
 
This proved to be the last action of an uneventful 90 minutes in Glasgow as the under 18s finally succumbed to a defeat after seven matches unbeaten, their invincible status fairly rescinded despite the battling second half showing from an inexperienced side. Next up for the Young Terrors is another trip to the capital, this time to face Hibernian.