Rangers’ Under 18 side ran out comfortable 5-0 winners against their counterparts from Swindon Town at Twyford Avenue this morning. This was a game that was bossed from start to finish by the young R’s against a side that we will face again shortly in the Youth Association Cup Semi Final.

Joe Gallen’s lads made the perfect start with Shabazz Baidoo scoring the first with barely ten minutes on the watch. A ball from midfield set Baidoo away and the Swindon keeper came way out of his goal to challenge him. The strength of the pacy striker was too much for him though and he simply bounced off leaving himself hopelessly out of position. Baidoo slotted the ball into the corner from the tightest of angles.

Swindon tried to recover from their early setback but every attack found Pat Kanyuka in imperious form. The boy, if you can call him that, is a relentless heading machine and now seems to have developed an accompanying roar to scare the bejesus out of anyone within ten yards.

The second goal came courtesy of a brilliant run and shot from Kieran St Aimie. Collecting the ball on the right he produced a step over that had the left back practically sitting back in the dressing room. The space opened up for him and he bore down on the keeper before crashing an unstoppable left footed shot past him.

The pressure was incessant now and it was a matter of when Rangers would score again rather than if. The third goal came from a giant striker by the name of Ray Jones. Giant Ray as I will call him had shown that he was good in the air but then showed that he is also pretty handy on the deck. He was played through and beat the Swindon offside trap with ease. He strode goalward before easily rounding the keeper and firing into the unguarded net.

Rangers scored their fourth goal minutes after the start of the second half. Giant Ray was the scorer once again as he got on the end of a cross from St Aimie and slotted home via a Swindon defenders legs.

There came a period now where Rangers understandably took their foot off the gas. Such was the ease with which they were cutting through a poor Swindon team that it seemed as though they would be able to add goals almost at will. Things started to get a little stretched when some more expansive passing was pulled out of the locker in place of the short snappy style that had served them well thus far.

The final goal of the game came ten minutes before the end. Daniel Murphy picked up a ball played back to him and floated in a cross that was slightly too high for the substitute Swindon keeper to claim. He got hands to it but only served to take the pace off of it and leave St Aimie with a simple header from two yards.

This was an excellent display from Gallen’s charges and his has sent a massive message to Swindon for the impending cup semi final. They know that Rangers are by far the better side and they will need to raise their game several notches if they don’t want more of the same.

Thomas in goal was never stretched although his kicking was suspect at times. The back four of Yelland, Kanyuka, Johnson and Murphy were rarely stretched with Kanyuka in particular talking to his colleagues throughout and looking every inch a pro in the making.

The midfield four of St Aimie, Mulholland, Fletcher and Howell were bright and lively and Giant Ray and Baidoo in attack were a menace all game. St Aimie just seems to get better and better and the way he embarrassed his full back at will was a joy to see. Baidoo showed glimpses of his electric pace but could maybe lift his head a bit more often but this will come with experience.

Joe Gallen was delighted with both the result and the performance, talking to QPRnet.com he said.

“I was very pleased with the way we played I thought we were outstanding, especially in the last half an hour of the first half when the strikers looked quite dynamic. Some of the goals were excellent, we could have had a few more but I can’t complain because the front players were just a huge a threat and I don’t think Swindon could handle them. The back four also played pretty solidly and the midfield worked extremely hard.”

“I enjoyed the first hour of that game more than most games this season because we played as I know we can.”

QPR: Thomas, Yelland, Kanyuka, Johnson (Munday), Murphy, St Aimie, Mulholland, Fletcher, Howell (O’Rourke), Jones (O’Connell), Baidoo