Murty content as Ibrox young guns show their mettle
THERE was a heck of a lot more packed into this particular learning experience than Rangers coach Graeme Murty and his staff had bargained for.
Murty’s Under-21 side made it through to the last four of the Tunnock’s Caramel Wafer Cup thanks to goals from Jamie Barjonas and 16-year-old Nathan Young-Coombes and left the field at Ibrox amid scenes of disorder in the bottom tier of the Sandy Jardine Stand.
There were, believe it or not, some pro-IRA songs from the away end — housing an estimated 1,000 Wrexham fans, some bearing Celtic colours — late in the game and then a fair bit of jostling in the home section as police and stewards rushed in to eject at least one supporter.
It certainly injected a little heat into a cold afternoon in front a crowd of almost 5,500 spectators and gave Murty’s players an unexpected experience to stick away in the memory banks as they endeavour to win this trophy — captured during its days as the Petrofac Training Cup by the Ibrox first team in 2016 — ahead of fellow semi-finalists Partick Thistle, Inverness Caledonian Thistle and Raith Rovers.
‘We are really thankful to the board and the groundstaff as playing in front of a crowd is really going to push their development on. We have been crying out for it for years,’ said Murty.
‘You have seen these players have talent and quality, but they need to experience that heightened anxiety level where everything has a consequence, even if it is just someone shouting at you.
‘We demand excellence from these kids and enter every competition with the express intention of winning it. I’ve been wanting to win this competition from the start.’
Barjonas, who played for the first team in 2017 before being sent out on loan to Bury and Raith Rovers, was the key figure for Rangers with Murty hoping the 20-year-old will now prosper after signing a new deal until 2021.
‘We think he handles the football as well as anyone around, certainly in Scotland,’ continued Murty.
‘He’s a strong boy, and is technically excellent.
‘We just have to make sure we continue his development and then it is up to him to take that final step and nail that final audition in front of the first-team manager.’
Rangers were on the front foot from the off against a Wrexham side containing four confirmed youth-team players and their second-choice goalkeeper Christian Dibble, son of former Rangers squad goalie Andy.
The Welsh side have an FA Cup first-round replay against Rochdale to negotiate on
Tuesday evening.
Not one of the players who started the goalless draw between the sides at the Racecourse Ground last Sunday was in the line-up here and that certainly boosted the home team’s chances.
Ciaran Dickson forced an early stop from Dibble and Barjonas put an effort just wide midway through the first half before former Dundee forward Leighton McIntosh tested Kieran Wright at the other end.
When the opener came 10 minutes before the half-time interval, it was nicely worked. James Maxwell played the ball into the area. Young-Coombes, on for the injured Nathan Patterson who left the stadium in a moonboot, dummied it and Barjonas produced a calm sidefooted effort that beat
Dibble low to his left.
Young-Coombes then completed the Light Blues’ victory after Dibble had spilled a straightforward Barjonas shot under pressure and invited the former Chelsea kid to tap home into an empty net after moving into space.