Lindsay
Gracie +5
W Reid
Gracie
O'Hagan <45
Lindsay
Match Information
Attendance: 15,000
Referee: J Penman.
Matchday: Saturday
Match Trivia
It is perhaps a pity for Greenock Morton that their first League victory over the Rangers should have been achieved by such an inflated goal total, for with such a difference between the two teams at the finish the form of the Rangers cannot be regarded as anything like true. Still, the victors are not to be blamed for taking the chances that came their way, and that they did so there was ‘no possible probable shadow of doubt whatever,’ as Gilbert has it in the ‘Gondoliers.’ It marks an epoch in the history of the Cappielow club to come to Glasgow and defeat the Celts first, and then the Rangers. That they managed to escape home by the only goal scored in the match against the Parkhead eleven was surprise enough, but what of the overwhelming defeat of the Ibrox team? Surprise is scarcely the word to describe the effect of such a return; it caused consternation. But it must not be forgotten that the Greenock directors have been striving hard to get together a team superior to those which have had to submit to a good deal of buffeting in the past, and if they have succeeded now the reward is only the result of enterprise. There were phases of this fixture which suggested something apart from the orthodox meeting of the teams. On the one side we had three players – if not four – who at one time had figured in the famous Light Blue jersey, and perhaps the going of two of this trio from Ibrox was not carried through without generating just a little feeling. Ten, on the other hand, there were a couple of players in the Ibrox eleven who previously played with the Greenock team, so it will be readily seen that the incentives for victory were greater probably because of these little side issues. The question which was most readily asked on Saturday evening by people who had not witnessed the Rangers’ rout was concerned chiefly with what had gone wrong with the Ibrox team, and few were ready to attribute the result to such an improvement on the Morton side. But the fact is that a good deal of both – unexpected and unaccountable weakness on the one side, and unlooked for excellence on the other – was responsible for the wide margin at the finish. To put it plainly and briefly, the Rangers were decisively defeated because their defence failed them in face of an attack which never played better. The game had gone about ten minutes when Morton scored the first goal of the match, and it was primarily the result of a misunderstanding between Brown and Law. Both made to head the ball, with the result that whoever touched it did not get it properly, and it bounced back to Lindsay. The Greenock outside-left went on and centred, and then as Lock and some others of his side got mixed up, Lindsay came over and practically walked the ball through. Now, when that first mistake was made Law was to blame, for he could see Brown, while the latter had his back to him. Nine minutes later Gracie put his team two goals ahead. Getting the ball near midfield he went on alone, and the rounding of Richmond was accomplished with consummate ease. He had then a clear run in, and although Lock came out to intercept, the centre shot at the proper moment, and the ball travelled fast and low into the net. Now, before Morton had scored at all the Rangers did a bit of attacking work which might easily have culminated in one goal at least had there been the same nippiness in finishing as was on the other side. First, Reid and then Chapman seemed to have Bradford beaten, when the goalkeeper cleared in masterly fashion, and then Alex Smith shot with terrific force against the side of the net from a position in which he might have scored. Another opportunity was lost when Reid turned the ball across the front of the goal, to find neither Gordon nor Hogg up to accept the easiest of scoring chances. These were all before Morton had scored at all, and then Reid, with a ball which swerved and completely deceived the young Kirkintilloch goalkeeper, gave some heartening to the loyal Ibrox following. Their moments of joy were few, however, for in a couple of minutes the Greenock team had again scored. With long passes the ball was carried forward, Torrance centred and Gracie lying close up, headed the ball past Lock. Whatever hope there remained that the ground team would yet redeem themselves was dispelled three minutes from the interval, when Charlie O’Hagan, after neatly tricking a couple of opponents shot the best goal of the match from the eighteen yard line. The resumption found the Morton men again attacking, but the pressure was only momentarily. The Rangers again invaded Bradford’s end, but all to no purpose. It was the Greenock team’s day out. The first time they came back to the Rangers goal they scored. Weak back play on the part of Richmond was again the cause. Torrance centred after eluding him, and Lindsay, lying nicely in position, slipped the ball through. Following that Alex Smith got a bad head injury, which caused his retiral, and the play degenerated. The closing stages were noticeable for a most pronounced desire on the part of John Mat to get a goal to himself. He did not, but Gracie would had he not been fouled with the penalty area. There is no desire to belabour the downcast Rangers, who will come all right again, but the referee missed a glaring infringement when he failed to penalise the team at that time. It seems almost unfair to go into individual criticism of a team in which every man contributed to a memorable victory. It will be well for all of them, however, to remember that they may play as well on many occasions and find that their reward in the matter of goals is much smaller. Everything came off for them on Saturday, and they cannot expect it always to be so. In Bradford they have a goalkeeper who was most decisive in his clearing, and resembles Brownlie very much in his dealing with high shots. At Back there is a blending of youth and experience, and while Jackson is still playing a safe and steady game, Fulton must be regarded as the coming man, and he promises to develop into a grand player. In the half-back line none worked harder than May, but the best play came from Stark, who was seen at quite his best. McKenzie is the young man of the division and he promised well. Of the forwards Gracie took the eye, for he was always on the move, and seldom lost a chance of bustling through the opposing defence a proceeding in which he was most effective. But for studied footwork and play which rends to steady up an attack O’Hagan was certainly best, which might be expected from a player of his experience and reputation. Bolton, also was very judicious, and displayed the touch of class experience, while the extreme wing men carried the ball along smartly and centred with accuracy. The weakness of the Ibrox backs need not be elaborated, and Lock was apparently affected by it, for he has been more decisive in his clearances. Of the half-backs, who were kept on the move the whole time, Chapman was perhaps a shade better than the others, but not one of them played to form. The forwards never struck up an effective combination, and the sectional attacking work was best carried out on the left wing.
