First Team
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1st May 2024
After most of the Young Terrors had enjoyed a successful trip to the Iberian Peninsula to compete in the 2022 Algarve Cup, they returned to CAS Under-18s Elite League duty with a tough test against table-toppers Rangers.
The last meeting between the sides was an enthralling, end-to-end battle between two top quality teams at Links Park, the match eventually culminating in a 1-1 draw as Stuart Heenan’s opener inside ten seconds was cancelled out by a close-range Robbie Ure strike.
Young Terrors regulars Rory MacLeod, Craig Moore and Lewis O’Donnell all received Scotland U17s call-ups, but unfortunately all three were forced to pull out due to injury and illness respectively. However, O’Donnell was the recipient of a false positive Covid test and was therefore eligible to play, anchoring the midfield behind new signing Sean Borland and Alan Domeracki.
Rangers were on the front foot from the off, with Jamie McCabe forced into action inside the first five minutes. A soft free-kick 20 yards from goal presented Tyler Pasnik with the opportunity to go for goal, his deflected effort saved by the left hand of the United stopper in the centre of the goal.
Soon after Leyton Dunlop found Robbie Ure advancing in behind Jacob Comerford, but the striker opted to shoot to early and his strike failed to trouble McCabe.
Ure, who had found the net twice against Ryan Moon’s side already this season, seemed to cause the United defence and midfield serious problems, both dropping deep to link play effectively and also stretching the high defensive line with dynamic runs towards the visitors’ goal.
After half an hour of sustained pressure from the Gers, they found the opener. Pasnik managed to turn Domeracki in the centre circle and thread a perfectly weighted through-ball into the channel for Jack Harkness to collect on the burst after beating Sam Lovie in a footrace. The full-back hit a first-time cross into the middle for the unmarked Ure to bundle beyond McCabe from close-range, giving his side a deserved lead.
Harkness got the line once more after multiple failed attempts to clear by the United defence, delivering low across the six-yard line in search of a blue shirt but the well-placed Leyton Bisland recovered quickly to hoist the ball to safety.
A rare chance for United fell the way of Stuart Heenan on the right of the penalty area, but the winger failed to keep his half-volley under the crossbar.
Rangers continued to threaten, with Pasnik sending a looping header narrowly wide before the hosts doubled their advantage on the stroke of half-time through the same combination of Harkness and Ure. The former strode down the line and picked out his colleague making a run across the face of goal, and he nonchalantly steered the ball into the far corner from just behind the penalty spot.
The second half began the same way the first finished, with Ure picking out Dunlop at the back post two minutes after the restart forcing Arron Donald to intervene with a strong block on his opponent’s right-footed effort from 16 yards.
United failed to progress the ball into the attacking third throughout the entirety of the match, struggling to make it stick up top with a lack of physical presence and also unable to play intricately around the harsh press from Rangers.
On the 57th minute, Mackenzie Strachan danced beyond the challenge of multiple tangerine jerseys and into the box before clipping the ball onto the chest of Ure. He then teed up Dunlop under little pressure from the United backline who blasted his volley comfortably over the bar.
Young Terrors stopper McCabe had to be alert when Harkness’ cross flashed across the box for Pasnik to connect with at the far-post, the ball awkwardly spinning towards the top corner and being pawed away expertly by the 16-year-old.
Then, from the resultant corner, Rangers worked a short corner and the ball ended up with Dunlop on the edge of the box, his strike saved low in the right-hand corner.
The knockout blow came with just 14 minutes to play at Auchenhowie, as Ure completed his hat-trick. Borland looked to go backwards to Mccabe but underhit the pass, and the 17-year-old pounced on the ball before rounding the keeper and stroking it into an unguarded net.
There was time for one final piece of excellent goalkeeping from McCabe, as he thwarted Ure’s close-range volley from a Kelsey Ewen cross.
An uncharacteristically poor performance from a youthful Young Terrors - with 14 year olds Ollie Simpson, Owen Stirton and Owen Emslie rewarded with their first Under 18s appearances
