Match ended 0-0
Missed Penalties
Loney pen miss 40
Match Information
Attendance: 25,000
Referee: H Humphrey (Maryhill)
Matchday: Saturday
Match Trivia
Although the shedding of a point by Rangers to Motherwell, at Ibrox Park was another nail in the coffin of the Light Blues championship aspirations, I could not or anyone prepared to sympathise greatly with them. The game left an impression that was far from flattering to Rangers. They had the best of the play in the first half yet they never seemed capable of gaining anything by it. The advantage was superficial. This became more and more apparent the longer the game lasted. The mild-mannered Rangers attack could not break itself on a sound defence, that began the sounder because the opposition was lacking in driving strength. You have stood on the seashore watched the waves come tumbling in, without the force to disturb the shells on the beach. It was like that at Ibrox. Except when Reid began to hustle the Motherwell defence late in the game, there was no bursting energy in the home attack. I could never conceive those Ranger forwards being accused of roughing it. They could put a lot of vigour into their effort and still avoid the accusation. Under the conditions of hard sandy ground the players had to exercise a certain degree of care, and the forwards more,, but it is not on the Ibrox display that the Rangers’ attack will find themselves making a name for kid-glove football. Football skill is a fine thing and Rangers’ forwards have it, but skill and some devil are a combination that wins matches. The ozone of Rothesay Bay work wonders. But how about Motherwell? Motherwell came precious near to winning the match. That would have been a wonderful result, because, as I have remarked, Rangers had the bulk of the play, such as it was. The draw, I would say, was the fairest possible ending. Motherwell richly eared their one point. Still, there were a few glorious chances given to Motherwell in the first half. The first of these chances was to Whitehead, when following Rangers’ pressure, the ball was sent far up to him, and he ran in on Lock clear of all accept Fulton, who was chasing him closely, but Whitehead shot poorly, but I do not blame him for that, because, with Fulton so close and the ground so tricky, it was difficult shoot well on the run. Reid had shot first trimmer, which was adroitly saved by Hampton before Whitehead got the second Motherwell chance. He was almost in on Lock, when, with all his old daring the keeper dived for the ball right at the Motherwell centre’s feet. He got it initially clear, but it went over to Young, He was making certain of a score, when Logan who had gone from one end of the ground to the other, with amazing quickness just in time and grabbed the ball. There was nothing in the game that could have cheered the Rangers’ crowd more than this defensive save by their old favourite. It showed him at his beast, and saved a point for the Rangers. For five minutes or so the Motherwell forwards gave the home defence a hard time, chiefly by means of dodgy and bling by Gilchrist and Gray. Then Rangers foraged again, and a centre by Duncan was just tipped out of the reach of Stewart and Paterson’s head. Motherwell’s third chance should have been the lucky one, and so it was for Rangers. Young was running in on goal, Galt gave him the heave ho! And a penalty was awarded. When Loney walked up to take the kick Motherwell people said it was as good as a goal. Loney disappointed them, for he sent the ball wide, which was not like Loney. Until the interval the Rangers’ forwards tried and tried again to beat a defence that was on their mantel. And so not a goal. There is not much to tell about the second half. Rangers began it with some show of spirit, and Hampton had some saving to do of an easy sort, but Motherwell half-backs brought their forwards back into the game, that the Rangers defence was soon on the stretch. Once Lock was on the spot or nothing could have prevent Whitehead scoring. Getting their bad play over, Rangers showed their teeth again. Stewart got past Wilson, but shot wide, and when he secured another opening he seemed shy of trying, and passed to Paterson, which was wrong of him, for doesn’t the old adage say ‘Try, try, try again’. Before the finish Gordon came near it, but for the best save by Hampton, and one to be rank with Lock’s earlier one, was from a great drive by Reid after the Rangers’ centre had bustled through the defence. Hampton had to throw himself full length on the ground, and with outstretched hands managed to tip the ball away from its net bound course and round the post. So a good draw. To my mind, these saves by Hampton and Lock and the defence of Wilson and Kelly were the shinning features of the game. It is perfectly true that the Motherwell backs enjoyed a lot more free kicking and they tackled well, too, and it was only after Wilson had been injured in the second half that he began to get best of the pitch. Paterson could make nothing of him. But do not blame Paterson too much. Rangers were suffering some paralysis all down the left wing. Motherwell’s half-backs were all keen, effective helpmeets for the backs. Loney did not shadow Reid, but was his watch-doing all that. The ex-Celt kept following the ball in such a way that he continually intercepted the pass meant for Reid. In doing this way Loney took risks, but Stewart and Bowie played nicely into his hands by declining to seek a method of foiling his scheme. It was only when Reid latterly went closer up to Loney to prevent him intercepting the passes that he began to win his share of the ball, and then he nearly won the match with that great shot saved by Hampton. The one who impressed the most of the Rangers’ half-backs and backs was Ormonde. We all know his limitations, yet he is a player with whom all feels it fair to persevere. The half-backs require tuning up. It was not a good day for forwards to control the ball, which spun off the ground and bounced deceptively from the sandy ground. Gilchrist and Gray were the most consistently clever of the Motherwell attack and both dribbled in puzzling fashion at times. JM Young gave a great promising first half, and is clearly a winger with ability, but he tapered off. Hillhouse on the strong side of the Rangers’ defence had to face, and for a young lad not long a first teamer he did quite well. Rangers, in the main had the more experience, and had a presumed advantage in the forward, but it did nothing for them. But yet the same line could do damage on any other day. But we much have some fire and brimstone. Duncan and Bowie were the best of the wing, but in-and-out. Reid got most of the ball when he began to fetch and carry for himself, but that of course, did him harm. Stewart was unfortunate – always trying and something going wrong. Peterson will get his old form back in soon
