McLean 65
W Reid (2)
McPherson
Match Information
Attendance: 8,000
Referee: G.W. Hamilton (Motherwell)
Matchday: Monday
Match Trivia
It was a game of thrills at Ibrox yesterday – thrills of an entirely varied character. Few had anticipated being so well catered for by the lowly team from the lower reaches of the Clyde, and although they were well beaten at the finish it took the Rangers seventy-five minutes to pierce the Port defence, an operation which they performed on three occasions after that. Until that time it had been a dour struggle between attack, and defence. Time and again it seemed as if the Rangers would score, but Montgomery saved brilliantly – marvellously might be better – when all others had been beaten. The backs, too stood up manfully, and with the assistance of the half-backs, it seemed as if it would be impossible to get through. There was Reid getting in a magnificent left-foot drive in the first few minutes. Up got Montgomery to touch the ball over the bar. Then Ramage tried one low down at the corner. The goalkeeper, with outstretched arm, palmed the ball, and then deftly turned it past the post. Hogg let go a rocket, low down, and with Reid and McPherson on top of him, the custodian cleared. Jackson and Lynch staved off danger time and again; but seldom was it that the pressure was relieved. Lock never had such an easy day. He handled the ball once in the first half, and it was Law who kicked back to him. In the second half it was the same story, Hogg by a series of touch-line runs and accurate centres was continually placing the Port goal in danger. But through the ball could not be got. Ramage struck the cross-bar when he could have shot through, and then McPherson sent wildly past when he had an opportunity of scoring. The Ibrox tension was at last relieved. McLean with a snap-shot sent the ball out of Montgomery’s reach, and it got the net. The game opened out more than it had done before, and that was Port’s undoing. Of course, they had nothing to gain by continual defending now. Reid got off on a single-handed mission, for the second goal, and then McPherson, as if to emulate the centre’s performance, also went through on his own for the third, to be followed by a fourth a minute later, again from Reid. These last three goals were scored within five minutes. It was a sensational ending to a peculiarly one-sided game. The trills of Montgomery’s saving at the start were now counteracted by the thrilling goal-scoring feats. Without seeking to detract from the stubbornness and cleverness of the Port defence there can be no questioning the reasonableness of the Rangers’ victory. As already shown Lock got nothing to do, for Law and McKenzie were able to clear anything that came their way. The former, however, was easily the better of the two, for McKenzie was rash in his kicking, and was occasionally beaten by Hamilton and Hagan. Of the half-backs, Stark was by far the most judicious. He tried every wile to draw out the opposing defence, and make an opening, whereas Galt and Waddell – the latter especially – tried to bore a way through by the aid of physique alone. Hogg played a telling game all through, and Ramage was cleverest in the second half. Reid did well, and was unlucky not to have scored before he did. McLean was fair as a forward support and McPherson was unselfish in his feeding of Ramage. Nothing but praise can be bestowed upon Montgomery. There was nothing in the way of luck about his saving, for he had to get across the goal to many balls which he cleared. Jackson was not bettered by any back on the field, and he had a good partner in Lynch, who was sorely tried by the cleverness of Hogg. Munro was the best of the half-backs, and in the patches of forward play which emerged from the Port side Hamilton, Hagan and Findlay were most prominent
