Hibs U19s 3 Rangers 1

The wee Hibees put another win on the board in the CAS Elite U19 League Cup group stage by defeating Rangers 3-1 at HTC!

The hosts were reduced to 10-men following Calum Adamson’s first-half red card but took a surprising lead through Oliver Hynd on the cusp of half-time, despite Hibs making a strong start to the tie.

An onslaught after the restart turned the game on its head however, as Reiss Downie’s strike and Dean Cleland’s brilliant brace earned Hibs the victory.

The only change from Darren McGregor following last week’s draw with the Gers in the league saw Lewis Gillie reinstated ahead of Jay Gallacher, who dropped to the bench. 

Hibernian XI: Mallon, McSporran, Gillie (Shankland 8’), McGrath, McNeill, Bruce, Cleland (Gallacher 90+1’), McMurdo (Buckley 83’), Jimenez, Davidson (Downie 46’), MacDonald.

Unused Substitutes: Brown.

Hibs threatened first inside four minutes after Callum Burnside was dispossessed by Zach Bruce in midfield. Cleland picked up the loose ball, drove forward and struck low on his left foot – but Sam Reid got down to hold the effort.

Rangers were reduced to 10 on 24 minutes after Adamson was dismissed for a wild challenge on Jamie McMurdo in the middle of the park that left the Hibs midfielder in need of treatment. 

Callum MacDonald was next to threaten on 26 minutes after a quick throw-in sent the winger down the left flank. He excellently cut inside, pushing himself through a narrow gap between two defenders, before lashing a powerful strike wide of the far post.

The chances kept on coming for Hibs, as Luke Davidson teed up Bruce with a dinked cross on the half-hour mark. The holding midfielder rushed onto the ball from 18 yards out, but lashed his half-volley over the crossbar. 

A huge opportunity presented itself to Hibs after 33 minutes, when McMurdo’s corner was cleared only as far as Bruce on the edge of the box. His driven effort was blocked – but only into the path of Cleland, whose volley was well-saved by Reid. 

MacDonald would once more cut inside and fire wide from the left side, before Davidson would force a good stop from Reid moments later after jinking his way into the opposition box.

Despite the Hibees being in absolute control of the match, the visitors would take a shock lead moments before the break as a whipped Alexander Smith free-kick was turned in by Hynd from close range. 

We continued to do more of the same in the second half, confident in the belief that creating a great number of chances would end up with the ball hitting the back of the Rangers net eventually. 

On 48 minutes, Bruce would play through substitute Cole Shankland but the versatile defender’s grounded strike dragged wide of the far post. 

An ambitious strike from Arran McSporran on 56 minutes saw Reid spill his save back into the danger area, though the Rangers keeper was quick off his line to retrieve the ball before any Hibs attacker could fire in the rebound. 

Cleland, with a sublime solo goal, would grab Hibs an entirely-deserved equaliser on 57 minutes. MacDonald intercepted a slack pass 70 yards from goal and fed it to our striker, who surged forward from inside his own half – fighting out four Rangers defenders en route – before picking out the top corner with a sumptuous strike from 20 yards out.

McMurdo would take aim from 30 yards and fire over after 72 minutes played as Hibs seeked a go-ahead goal, which would come in the 77th minute. 

Cleland would pick up possession outside his own half before charging forward deep into the Rangers defensive third, before slipping in MacDonald down the left. The winger cut inside and found substitute Downie in space, and he fired home inside the near post to put Hibs in front. 

Adam Buckley, just moments after his introduction off the bench, helped MacDonald steal possession off Zebedee Lawson, allowing the attacker to burst into the penalty area and attempt to roll the ball past Reid, though the Rangers number one did well to save low. 

Less than 30 seconds later, from a throw-in down the left, MacDonald was again able to cut inside onto his favoured right-foot. It was the closest the wide-man came to scoring, as his well-struck attempt fizzed just wide of the post. 

Against the run of play, Rangers had the chance to steal a late leveller when Kyle Glasgow came inside from the right and found substitute Cameron Fernie, who spun his marker and fired low to force Ryan Mallon into a save for the first time all evening. 

As we creeped towards the conclusion of regular time at HTC, Cleland would wrap up the three points following a flowing attacking move. Bruce would take down a loose Reid clearance, before cleverly flicking Cleland in behind two passes later, letting the forward coolly slot home our third of the night.