Rangers 3-1 West Ham United
Pre-season Match, Ibrox, Tuesday 19 July 2022
West Ham United’s unbeaten start to pre-season was ended by a three-goal Rangers blast at the start of the second period at Ibrox on Tuesday.
The Hammers and their Scottish Premiership hosts were locked at 0-0 after a finely-balanced first half, but the Gers came roaring out of the blocks after half-time and goals from Tom Lawrence, Ryan Kent and Rabbi Matondo took the contest away from David Moyes’ men.
Tomáš Souček pulled one back from a corner 20 minutes from time and although we pressed for more as the game drew towards its close, Rangers were able to close out their 3-1 victory.
On a balmy evening in Glasgow, the Hammers gave a first start of pre-season to Declan Rice as they took to the field for their fifth game of the summer.
The first big chance of the contest fell to the Hammers, as a lengthy passing move ended with Pablo Fornals slipping an incisive ball through to Michail Antonio.
The Hammers striker closed in on goal and tried to place his shot to the right of goalkeeper Jonathan McLaughlin, but he stuck out a foot to divert the effort off target.
West Ham kept up the pressure from the resulting corner, recycling the play after an initial clearance and Ben Johnson’s inswinging cross was flicked wide by the head of Kurt Zouma.
Midway through the half, the visitors were forced into an early reshuffle when Nayef Aguerd picked up an injury when stretching to challenge Antonio Colak.
The Moroccan was unable to continue, with Issa Diop coming on in his place in the centre of defence.
The visitors were knocked off their stride momentarily, but came again at the end of the half, and a flowing move ended with Saïd Benrahma’s low cross deflecting off John Souttar and flying into the side netting.
Jarrod Bowen floated the subsequent corner to Aaron Cresswell on the far side of the box, and his venomous volley needed a decent block to halt its progress towards goal.
Rangers looked lively from the flanks before the break, and although they were unable to truly threaten the Hammers in the opening 45, they broke the deadlock with their first attack of the second half.
Matondo, introduced at the break, got in behind down the right and cut the ball back on a plate for Lawrence, another half-time sub, to place into the net.
One quickly became two as James Tavernier made a trademark burst from defence, and with the visitors retreating, he laid the ball off to Lawrence, who in turn fed Kent on his left. The wideman’s finish was unerring, drilling across Łukasz Fabiański and into the far corner.
The first wave of Hammers changes came ten minutes into the second half, but before the incoming players had the chance to settle, Rangers extended tbeir lead.
Matondo started and finished the move, driving through the centre, laying the ball off to Tavernier and continuing his run to collect a ricochet off Lawrence and drill high into the net.
Rangers’ burst had put the Hammers firmly on the back foot, although Fornals tried to change that 20 minutes from the end, aiming low for the bottom right corner and forcing a fingertip save from McLaughlin.
The home side’s reprieve was only temporary, though, as from the corner the ball skimmed off Zouma’s head and hit Souček in the chest, with the Czech reacting fastest to bundle home.
West Ham’s tails were up and Bowen made a darting run inside from the right hand side on 76 minutes, but Connor Goldson got in the way to block his strike, and his team settled to make sure of their victory.
Rangers: McLaughlin, Tavernier ©, Goldson, Souttar (Sands 46), Barisic (Devine 75), Lundstram, Jack (Lawrence 46), Wright (Matondo 46), Kamara (McCann 75), Kent (Arfield 75), Colak (Sakala 60)
Subs: McGregor (GK), McCrorie (GK), Katic, Kelly, King
Goals: Lawrence 48, Kent 50, Matondo 57
West Ham United: Fabiański, Johnson (Coufal 55), Zouma, Aguerd (Diop 24), Cresswell, Rice © (Downes 55), Lanzini (Souček 55), Bowen, Fornals (Coventry 75), Benrahma (Vlašić 55), Antonio (Mubama 75)
Subs: Areola (GK), Randolph (GK), Masuaku, Baptiste
Goal: Souček 70
Booked: Rice
Referee: Nick Walsh
Attendance: 33,846
