U18s Report: Hibs 1 Rangers 1

The wee Hibees remain top of the CAS Elite Under-18 League after sharing the points with Rangers at HTC on Friday evening.

A fantastic second-half solo effort from Luke Davidson was negated by Christopher Eadie’s late leveller from the penalty spot.

The visitors were the first to threaten at a sun-kissed HTC. Clever play from Rangers winger Lewis Stewart teed up Callum Burnside inside the area, though the attacker’s stinging effort was blocked low by Adam Buckley on five minutes.

Full-back Lyle Wark was next to have a dig, forcing a strong parry from Hibs keeper Ryan Mallon after letting fly from 30 yards.

Hibs' first chance soon came when Zach Bruce was blocked from range, before a second effort dragged wide of the post.

Moments later, Hibs took aim again. Dean Cleland took on a tricky first-time effort that was held comfortably by Rangers number one Rydnn McGuire.

Christopher Eadie came close to breaking the deadlock on 20 minutes as Alexander Smith picked out his forward partner with a grounded cross. Eadie was a stretch to reach the ball, however, and lashed the ball over from 12 yards.

A second wave soon arrived as Adamson was next to take on Mallon, with his side-footed finish directed towards the bottom corner held well by Mallon.

The end-to-end dogfight continued, with Cleland racing up the other end and firing wide from an ambitious distant effort.

Following a lengthy jinking run, Jamie McMurdo came close to scoring the opener ten minutes before the break — with his eventual effort well-blocked around the post by the recovering Rangers defender.

As a combative end-to-end clash neared the break, Buckley nodded wide after rising highest at the back post to meet a dangerous McMurdo corner delivery.

Within moments of one another, both sides were denied the opener by solid stops from both shot-stoppers on the park. Cleland - after powering through the centre of Rangers’ defence - saw his stabbed effort parried clear, before Mallon was called upon at the other end to turn wide an Eadie strike within a matter of seconds.

An action-packed first 45 was followed up by a far slower start following the restart - that was until Luke Davidson emphatically fired Hibs in front on 57 minutes.

Time stood still as the attacker’s terrific jinking run through a sea of Rangers bodies culminated in a fine close-range finish beyond McGuire.

Two successive head knocks to Logan Jimenez slowed the encounter down further, as both sides fought doggedly in defence for the next 15 minutes.

With a quarter of an hour to go, Bruce shunted the ball wide to Jimenez after executing an excellent interception, allowing the Hibs number nine whip in a dangerous cross-turned-shot and force a nervy stop from McGuire.

With 80 minutes played, Burnside very nearly equalised with Rangers first shot of the half as the forward’s deflected effort from range bounced inches wide.

Burnside would go near once more by letting fly from range, though his well-hit volley from the edge of the box curved wide.

Rangers’ late charge led to Adamson being felled in penalty area, allowing Eadie to fire in from the spot to equalise on 86 minutes.

Mallon was forced into a strong stop deep into stoppage time, moments after Bruce was denied up the other end, while McMurdo was sent off for a second yellow card offence as time ran out. 

Both sides walked away with a point a piece, keeping them tied at the top of the table - though Darren McGregor's side hold a game in hand over Rangers.