Callaghan
Wilkie
Stark og <45
RC Hamilton pen
B Neill 89
Match Information
Attendance: 12,000
Referee: Mr Tom Robertson (Glasgow)
Matchday: Saturday
Match Trivia
The game at Easter Road left varied impressions behind it, and chief among them was the unfortunate manner in which the Hibs wound up their innings. It was uncommonly like a bad fail in cricket, for with only a few minutes to go the Hibs were leading by 2 to 1, yet eventually lost. The fact that in those fateful minutes the Rangers equalised, and then scored the winning goal, speaks for itself, and no amount of weeping about bad luck will explain away the Hibs defeat. They were fairly enough beaten in the last few strides, and after all it was no new experience. If the Rangers were comparatively poor in the first half, it was somewhat expected for the special training they are undergoing for their forthcoming cup tie is experimental, and the splendid manner in which they came away in the second half, and finally carried all before them, bore ample testimony to the correct judgement of those responsible for their preparation. A team that finishes so strongly as the Rangers did, after having had the worse of it during three fourths of the game, cannot be grudged a victory, and without analysing their manner of winning it can truly be said that the Ibrox men played for the leading goal they finally obtained. They looked winners all over before they equalised, yet their sanguine friends were kept in a fretful state till the penalty goal came to their aid, and then Neils drive which baffled Rennie with such a crowd of players in front of him. The Hibs display was good, and only a team with resources such as the Rangers possess could have beaten them. The home forwards had often the free run of the Ibrox backs, and perhaps they should have scored another goal or two, but it could not be urged that they had hard lines, nor that Dickie was at all lucky in his saving. He was clever, and worthy of all confidence. There was a suggestion of the Hibs being contented with the lead when the game stood 2-1 in their favour, and if so it was a big mistake to entertain such a feeling when their opponents were moving stronger the longer they played, but allowing for the accidents that the game admits of happening no outstanding fault could be found with the Hibs. They were defeated but no beaten, and despite the goal, which separated them from the winners, they left the field in high favour with the big crowd. As for the Rangers the end justified the means, and they would perhaps have been well enough pleased had they only drawn the game, with Neils goal the equaliser. As interesting a feature as anything in the game was the robust forward play of the Hibs. Ill with the team would it perhaps have been had their play been otherwise for it was entirely owing to the monopoly of the ball the Hibs quintets enjoyed that the Rangers got so few chances to do much. There was a deal of daring in the work done by McCartney, Divers and Callaghan, and the first-named frequent dodging of Drummond was a thing to be remembered, while Drummond may take the raring of the crowd whenever he was forced to kick out of play as a compliment more than anything else. Harrower was as ubiquitous as ever; Breslin as natty as usual though off a bit in his shooting; while if Robertsons tackling was sometimes faulty, his kicking was capital. The weekly mistakes by the Hibs backs are becoming proverbial, and are the more to be regretted when the general excellence of their play is considered. Glen in covering a mistake by Hogg gave the corner from which Wilkie scored, and Glen it was who fisted the ball when the penalty goal was scored. Yet Glen was a host in himself otherwise, Rennie was jilted by fortune once more. His saving could not have been better up to the time the penalty kick was given. Dickie got twice as much to do as Rennie, and was always safe. Crawford without making himself prominent the game, and was splendidly supported by Drummond, though the latter had no light task in doing so and keeping a corner of his eye on McCartney. The half-backs play was not striking, although all three came away strongly in the second half. Stark gave away the Hibs second goal, sending the ball gently into the net as if he was making fun. Probably he expected the referee would give a goal kick for McCartney being over the line when he shot the ball over. A Smith did twice as much work as any other forward. Campbell was of no use against Glen. The crowd again behaved very badly, and the nice things that used to be said about Easter Road peoples way of taking reverses will have to be cancelled if such conduct continues.
