A last minute winner from Rangers B saw them 2-1 victors at Ochilview in the SPFL Trust Trophy second round.
Stenhousemuir welcomed Dave McCallum’s Rangers B side to a wet Ochilview on Tuesday evening as the Warriors were looking to build on their positive performance up in Peterhead on Saturday.
Stenhousemuir started the opening stages well with chances for Mikey Anderson and Gergor Buchannan who both put efforts wide.
Rangers grew into the game with striker James Graham having a couple of attempts saved by Curtis Lyle in the Warrior’s goal
The game became end to end. The Warriors launched a counter attack through Mikey Anderson and Matty Aitken. Mikey played in Aitken, but his shot was over the bar.
Rangers started to dominate the game around the half hour mark as Graham had yet more chances. Some brilliant last-ditch defending from Buchanan prevented a certain goal from Lovelace.
The home side had a great chance to open the scoring when there was a goalmouth scramble. Buchanan’s header was well saved and then Wedderburn’s effort was acrobatically cleared off the line by Lovelace.
Stenhousemuir went close again just after half time. Buchannan and Lynch both had efforts cleared off the line from the Rangers defence.
Rangers B opened the scoring on just under the hour mark through Josh McPake. A brilliant run from the left wing going past multiple defenders before cutting in on his right foot and slotting into the bottom right corner of the net from just outside the 18-yard box.
Warriors had the dream response to going a goal down as they equalised a minute after conceding. A Kinlay Bilham corner met the head of Edin Lynch who fired home from close range to level the scoring.
Naysmith’s men had the momentum in the match and after getting the equaliser they went on to have a sustained amount of pressure having 3 corners on the spin, with the Rangers B defence frantically having to get rid of multiple dangerous crosses.
Curtis Lyle, who was awarded MOTM after a superb display in between the sicks, denied McPake a brace on 85 minutes with a sensational save from a 30-yard free kick that was destined for the top left corner.
The Warriors had the chance to win the match when Adam Browm missed from close range after a Matty Yates breakaway run.
Stenhousemuir thought they had done enough to earn a penalty shootout against Rangers B. But in the last-minute Lovelace picked the ball up inside the attacking third, going past the Stenhousemuir defence before his deflected shot found the back of the net leaving Curtis Lyle helpless.
The boys have the chance to bounce back on Saturday as we return to cinch League 2 action when we travel to Methil to take on East Fife.
Starting XI | Lyle, Bilham, Buchanan[c], Lynch, Meechan, Wedderburn, Anderson, Taylor, O’Reilly, Berry, Aitken
Subs | D Jamieson, Kirkpatrick, Yates, Brown
Attendance | 376
Man of the Match | Curtis Lyle
Match Report by Angus Blacklock
