RAMONE RAMS HOME FOR R'S WIN

Joe Gallen’s under eighteen side started the season with a 1-0 victory at local rivals Brentford in the newly named Puma Youth Alliance.

With former youth team stalwarts Shabazz Baidoo, Stefan Bailey, Giant Ray Jones and Pat Kanyuka now firmly entrenched in the first team squad it was a fresh looking line up that took the field for the opening match of the campaign.  

We had a trialist in goal behind a back four of Karl Yelland, Aaron Goode, Andrew Howell and Billy Coyne. Matt O’Connell played down the right with Harry Smart and Matt O’Brien pairing in up in the centre whilst the breakthrough star of last season, Danny Maguire, started on the left.  

Upfront last season’s top scorer Ricky The Hitman Sappleton was partnered by Romone Rose, and it was Rose who scored the only goal of the game with an early strike to open his account following good work from Sappleton.  

Karl Yelland came closest to extending the lead for Rangers but his shot came back off the post and in the end Gallen will be pleased to have got three early points on the board and kept a clean sheet in a game hampered by a strong wind.

There were wins for four other teams on the first day of action which means Rangers currently sit fifth in the embryonic league table.  

Next week Rangers face Brighton and Hove Albion at Harlington and last seasons runaway league champions will doubtless prove stiff opposition for our young side.

If you’re not going to Preston and fancy popping down to see the next generation of Super Hoops stars then kick off is 10:45am.

As always you can keep up to date with the under 18's campaign throughout the season by clicking on the links in this section, these include an up to date league table, full player stats as well as the seasons fixtures and results and we'll have reports from every match online each Monday following the game.

QPR team: Trialist, Yelland, Goode, Howell A, Coyne, O'Connell, Smart, O'Brien, Maguire (Vanterpool), Sappleton, Rose (Sethi). Subs not used Goodchild, Wright, Howell L.