Rangers 2
Ayr United 0
Friendly

Match Report

MARK Warburton’s Rangers stepped-up their pre-season preparations with a comfortable 2-0 triumph over Ayr United at Auchenhowie.

Despite this being the first time the team has played a standard match of two 45-minute periods, they kept a high-tempo throughout and boss Warburton will have been happy with a number of players on display.

In a lively start to proceedings, the busy Barrie McKay came oh-so close to opening the scoring inside the opening five minutes when he danced his way into the box before his shot came off the inside of the post.

Rangers’ use of their two wingers was a noticeable aspect throughout the match, and David Templeton wasn’t long in getting involved as he fed Nicky Clark following a sweeping passing move, but the striker skewed his shot wide with only the keeper to beat.

Midfielder Andy Halliday featured as a trialist for Rangers in midfield, and he popped up in a wide area to cross for Rob Kiernan who had stayed forward from a corner, but his header went harmlessly over the bar.

Time and again, Lee Wallace rampaged down the left in trademark fashion, and after he played a neat one-two with Clark, he found himself bearing down on goal, but from a tight angle his shot was beaten away by Ayr’s Greg Fleming in the nets.

The pressure was building all the time, and eventually Rangers made the breakthrough thanks to David Templeton.

Barrie McKay crossed the ball from deep on the right and after Nicky Clark slid-in and missed his chance to turn the ball goalwards, Templeton found himself in the right place at the right time to fire the ball home and hand the Light Blues a thoroughly deserved lead.

Clark was working tirelessly up front, and once again he found himself close to scoring as he went one-on-one with Fleming but his effort on goal was blocked by the goalkeeper.

As the interval approached, Clark once again came close to scoring when he got on the end of a good Wallace cross but he couldn’t quite turn the ball goalwards.

Another trialist in the shape of Jason Holt replaced Dean Shiels at the interval, but rather uniquely for a friendly match that was the only alteration at that stage for Rangers.

Wallace and Templeton continued to work well together on the left, and after they interchanged nicely once again, Wallace was bearing down on goal but Fleming did well to beat his effort behind for a corner.

It wasn’t long though before Rangers did manage to grab a second goal.

The ball broke to Holt on the edge of the area, and he slewed a quite terrific shot into the top corner, with Fleming completely rooted to the spot.

The introduction of substitutes was never going to be far away however, and Calum Gallagher, Tom Walsh and Jordan Thompson soon replaced Nicky Clark, Nicky Law and Andy Halliday, while David Templeton made way for the returning Dean Shiels.

Understandably, the changes affected the flow and pace of the game somewhat, and more subs followed as Marius Zaliukas replaced Rob Kiernan and Ryan Hardie swapped with Barrie McKay.

But 2-0 it finished, and Rangers now look forward to hosting Burnley at Ibrox next Tuesday in their final pre-season match before the competitive action gets underway.

Match report written by Rangers FC Official Website