Young guns have Broxi flair Murty’s kids home in on semis
Colts boss Graeme Murty thanked Rangers for finally letting his young guns strut their stuff on the Ibrox big stage.
The Under-21s progressed to the semi-finals of the Challenge Cup thanks to goals from Jamie Barjonas and 16-year-old Nathan Young- Coombes.
And Murty believes his kids, the first Colts team to reach the last four, will hugely benefit from playing a competitive game in front of over 5000 fans at the club’s iconic home.
Murty said: “It was a fantastic occasion, lots of the players were playing in front of the biggest crowd they’ve seen so far.
“We’re thankful to the board and the ground staff for allowing us to play at this venue.
“It i s inva luabl e. That development curve of playing in front of a crowd is going to push their development on.
“We’ve been crying out for it for years. We need thi s generation of players, who have talent, to take that next step.
“They need to play in front of a crowd, they need to experience that heightened anxiety level where ever y thing ha s a consequence, even if it’s someone shouting at you.”
Rangers saw off the men from Wales with ease with a goal in each half and will now face either Inverness, Partick Thistle or Raith Rovers in the semis.
The Challenge Cup has been mocked in recent years but Murty is desperate to win it.
He said: “If you know anything
Rangers U21s ....... 2 Wrexham.............. 0
Steven Mair
about us, we’re competitive people. I wanted to win this tournament from the start
“We’re really grateful we got through, considering the players hadn’t won a game in this competition until this year.
“Some of the indiv idual performances from a young group of players were outstanding.
“Our average age was only 18- and- a- half – and they displayed that level of maturity.”
With an FA Cup replay against League One Rochdale looming on Tuesday, Wrexham paid little respect to this fixture.
Not one player who started the 0- 0 draw in Wales to earn that replay was involved at Ibrox.
But Rangers drafted in George Edmundson and Jon Flanagan from the f irst team to retain match fitness.
The Ibrox side dominated and took an inevitable lead in 35 minutes through Barjonas.
James Maxwell threaded a ball through the Wrexham defence, dummied by sub Young-Coombes, and Barjonas was on the end of it to steer the ball into the corner.
The Welsh side looked more capable in the second half as their attack started to click, backed by a support of around 1000.
But Gers got the goal that sealed a semi-final slot in 71 minutes.
Barjonas stabbed an effort straight at Christian Dibble and when the keeper spilled the ball, Young- Coombes fired home.