N Harris
Match Information
Attendance: 20,000
Referee: H Humphrey
Matchday: Monday
Match Trivia
What, doubtless, everybody at Ibrox would have liked to see yesterday was a match between unchanged Rangers and Partick Thistle teams. That, however, could not be, for various reasons. We have the take the game as it was played, and as it was played Partick Thistle were the best of winners. On the scoring chances going, the Thistle, in fact might have come off, the field with a bigger goal margin in their favour. Their methods of attack were far more effective than those of Rangers in opening up the defence. With Manderson and Muir absent, the Rangers rearguard was a pale reflection of what we saw against Celtic. It is clear that a gulf exists between the first string pair and the reserve backs. But to my mind, the dominating factor in the game was to be found in the Thistle half-back line. Joe Harris, Hamilton and McMullan struck like glue to their men, tackled with strength and demoralising quickness, and in that way prevented the Rangers forwards from ever settling down for any great length of time. The Thistle had the wind with them to star, and they were soon making the very best use of it, keeping the ball going freely, the young forwards went in so quickly for goal that the Rangers half-backs were sometimes left too far behind to be able to help their backs. Craig was not at all happy, and when he failed to intercept a pass to Bowie, the latter went clean through and laid the ball nicely at the feet of Neil Harris, who should have scored, but instead, missed by a yard or so. Hard on top of this the Thistle forwards raced in again, and Neil Harris was left with another excellent opening, only to again miss by very little. Rangers by now were being tied up in their own rear quarters, and so biting was the Thistle attack that none of us were surprised when Ramsay led in, and centre Harris picking up a pass fifteen yards from Lock, scored a splendid goal with a rising shot. But this was not the end of the Rangers’ anxiety. Nothing they could do was of avail to shake off the Thistle forwards, who were being almost embarrassed by the kindly attentions of their own halfs. Ramsay, who touched as standard of form in this game I have never seen him equal, got in one at Lock, which the goalkeeper just saved, and next moment Leitch whipped in one from the right which Lock did well to divert, with arm outstretched, round the post for a corner. At length the Rangers forwards forced themselves into the game. By a display of energy and dash, more than by their usual close passing methods, they fairly stormed the Thistle defence. Almost every forward fired in a shot, and more than once luck was dead against them. So vigorous was the onslaught that the Thistle defence showed a tendency to stagger. But this was only momentary. They defended Neil in goal so effectively that the Ibrox forwards seldom could get a clear look at him. And just to show that the Thistle were not done with as an attacking force, N Harris took the ball from a long kick by Hamilton following a corner for Rangers, and beating Pursell whipped in a stinging shot which Lock saved on the line, and then had to concede a corner to prevent Ramsay getting in on him. Leading by 1-0 at the interval, the Thistle could plume themselves on a performance of undoubted merit. The question was whether they could hold their lead against a fleshing wind. Well, they held it all right. In the first ten minutes of the second half Rangers certainly looked like rubbing off the deficit, but the Thistle defence would not yield. Then Gordon went lame, and the team became a little disorganised. Several times it seemed as if the equaliser might arrive, but though Parker, Duncan and Cunningham had shots, there was not one right on the mark, and Neil got little scope to show the cleverness which his general style suggested that he possessed. Indeed, the Thistle came nearer scoring again than did Rangers, for Ramsay, fairly in his element, time and again led out his forwards, and the ease with which the Rangers backs were eluded made Lock’s position one not to be envied. So at the end the Thistle had won well. I did not see a weak spot in their team. After the half-backs, of whom McMullan was the star, I would say that Ramsay more than anyone turned the issue. He seemed able to do anything he liked with the ball, beating his men with consummate ease, and distributing his passes skilfully. Leitch and Bowie were a penetrative wing, all the more so because Craig was nothing like the old Craig. Honeyman was a fit partner for Ramsay, and altogether the quickness of action of the whole line was a lasting problem for the slower-moving members of the Rangers defence. Rangers suffered by the absence of Manderson and Muir, but the team should have done better. The half-backs gave the forwards indifferent support, and the forwards, in turn, lacked the ability to keep the ball under control. Parker got few chances of going through, thanks to Hamilton’s guardianship, and the failure of Cunningham and Bowie to draw away the other Thistle halfs. For that reason, also Paterson and Duncan were afforded little freedom.
