20th July 2021 The Spartans 0 Rangers B 2

 

Off to Ainslie Park tonight to watch Spartans first Lowland League match of the season against Rangers B. For some time now there has been talk of the B sides of Rangers and Celtic joining the SPFL although they would not be permitted to gain promotion to the SPL. This would mirror the situation of both Germany and Spain where B teams perform in the lower levels of the professional leagues in both countries. I do not agree with this proposal as I do not think that any benefit should apply to Rangers and Celtic and not to other teams in the SPL. Generally Rangers and Celtic rely on buying in players with few academy products becoming first team regulars. In the past both sides ,along with other SPL clubs, have benefited by loaning out young players to lower division clubs to allow them to gain first team experience, albeit at a lower level, before graduating to their respective first teams. SPL B sides have been entered in the Challenge Cup for lower league sides but as yet not in league competition which I think is a reasonable compromise. The Lowland League however on a majority vote have allowed the Rangers and Celtic B sides to enter their competition on a season long trial basis although they will not be eligible for promotion through the pyramid play-offs. I think this is the thin end of the wedge and I would not like to see the SPFL follow suit in the future unless all SPL sides were given the opportunity to join the league set-up. I left home at 18.30 and as I had walked quite a distance today decided to catch a bus to Ainslie Park. I caught a 23 at Tollcross and took it to Goldenacre. As I was walking along Ferry Road Jim passed in his car. He was on his way to watch Civil Service Strollers against Edinburgh University at Marine Drive. CCS are Spartans local rivals with the ground being around  mile apart. Showed my season ticket at turnstiles an entered the ground. I was going to stand on the grassy bank at the Pilton end of the ground but the Rangers fans were congregated behind that goal so I decided to take a seat in the stand. The weather was still bright and sunny and the setting sun made viewing difficult on occasions despite wearing my sunglasses.

Spartans fielded a new central defence partnership of Euan Smith and Kevin Waugh, both eX-Berwick players. Up front Blair Henderson and Sam Newman formed an ex-Edinburgh City partnership. Long-serving Alan Brown wore the captains armband tonight. The Rangers side was composed of young players with only two names I recognised in the squad listed in the programme. These were Chris McKee who played on loan at Brechin last season and Jake Hastie the former Motherwell player. Neither of these players however featured in the match day squad.

The game started with Rangers on the attack and having most of the possession. Blair Carswell in the Spartans goal made a good early save from a header by full-back Robbie Fraser after a cross from Cole McKinnon. Spartans however looked dangerous when they broke into the Rangers half and Blair Henderson had a sot from a Sam Newman cutback blocked by the diving Jay Hogarth in the Rangers goal. Fraser looked effective on the left and his cross was headed onto the top of the net by Tony Weston. 

Two minutes into the second half Rangers went ahead. Fraser and Weston combined well on the left before the ball found its way to McKinnon twenty yards from goal. His strong shot gave Carswelll no chance as it flew into the top of the net. Robbie Are almost doubled the lead after he chased a cross from McKinnon into the box. Carswell rushed from his goal to gather the ball before the striker could get a touch. Charlie Lindsay then hit a free-kick wide after Smith brought down Ure just outside the penalty area.  Ure scored a second for rangers with twenty minutes to go. Lindsay hit a pass into the penalty area which the striker ran onto. Despite appeals for offside from Spartans defenders Ure took the ball past Carswell before hitting a shot into the empty net. The game continued with Rangers maintaining possession although in  a Spartans attack Brown fired a save from Hogarth with a shot from the edge of the area after a good run from midfield. The final couple of minutes were played out by the Rangers defence passing amongst themselves with little effort from Spartans to intercept before the referee blew the final whistle.

After the game ended I walked to the Crewe Toll roundabout and caught a 29 bus to Princes Street. Unfortunately Princes Street was closed to buses due to tram work so I walked to the foot of Lothian Road where I caught a 10 home arriving back around 22.15.

Teams

The Spartans: Carswell, Herd, Allan, Smith, waugh, Brown, Dishington, Jones, Henderson, Maxwell, Newman.

Subs: Woods, Baur, McFarland

Rangers B: Hogarth, Devine, Fraser, King, McClelland, Strachan, Lyall, MacKinnon, Ure, Lindsay, Weston.

Subs: Ritchie-Hosler, Ediowei, Miller