MARK WARBURTON hopes a trip across the water will help his Ibrox kids push for a first team place this season.

Ian Durrant’s Gers second string drew 1-1 with Ballymena United on Tuesday night as Josh Jeffries found the target for the Light Blues.

Midfielder Andy Murdoch and forward Calum Gallagher are with the youthful Rangers squad and will face Coleraine tomorrow night.

Warburton said: “They have trained with the first team from day one, they have contributed and can deal with the quality no problem at all.

“It is much better for those guys to get two 90-minute games as opposed to sitting on the bench and getting 10 or 15 minutes here.

“It is all about the squad and making sure that every player is best prepared for the 7th of August and hopefully the games in Ireland will have that purpose.”

While Durrant was putting his Murray Park kids through their paces, Warburton saw the first team in action for the first time at Ibrox on Tuesday as they lost against Burnley.

The Gers boss made a host of changes to give everyone in his squad a chance to impress and was pleased with how his Gers starlets shaped up against the Championship outfit.

Warburton said: “I was delighted with the young ones. They are there on merit and because they deserve to be.

“Young Jordan Thompson in the second half did very well and the likes of Barrie McKay, Fraser Aird and Tom Walsh, I am delighted with them.

“We made a lot of changes. We tried to keep it down, both teams, to keep the flow of the game and I am pleased with it. Everyone came out with credit.”