Richardson
Match Information
Attendance: 7,000
Referee: J Lyons (Hamilton)
Matchday: Saturday
Match Trivia
You never can tell. Five minutes from the end of the game at Somerset Park Rangers were going better and pressing harder than they had done at any time in the game. It seemed as if they might, after all, snatch a goal to win a match in which they had by no means shown the netter football. Then a free-kick for Ayr United in their own half of the field. A hefty kick by McStay, some quick dribbling and dodging by Ingram the Rangers’ defence in a kind of a fankle, a smart centre from Ingram, and a dash in by Richardson to tap the ball past the heroic Hempsey, whose desperate effort to forestall the United centre was a fraction late. Only a minute remained to play when this ‘bolt from the blue’ robbed Rangers of a point that seemed well within their clutches. Yet I am quite certain that Rangers, like the rest of us, will give Ayr United the handshake. Late as it was, the goal was deserved. It was overdue – that was all. With the wind in the first half the United had much the best of the deal. Rangers had had to make more alterations in their team because Muir got lost somewhere, and Gunner Cunningham was not available. Craig was brought in at left back, and Gordon was asked to partner him, while Bowie crossed over to right half to let Pursell in on the left. Bennett took Cunningham’s place. Ayr were at full strength, and as I say, they had the best of it with the wind. I don’t suppose anyone expected anything else. The wonder to most people was that the Rangers’ defence defied the United forwards – not to mentions the half, all of whom tried their ‘hand’ as marksmen – up to the interval. Time and again the Ayr forwards swung down on the Rangers’ rearguard with all the appearance of scorers. Ingram and McKenzie, with their first passing running, and winger with his mathematical centres; Richardson with his bustling attempts to beat through; and Jackson and Gray with their slower, but none the less puzzling, manoeuvres all contrived to harass the Ibrox defence. Under the strain, a less experienced lot of men would have gone to pieces. But Gordon set a fine example in coolness. Many times he headed away in the most desperate situations, while Logan also tackled powerfully, and Craig held his own much better than possibly any Rangers’ man expected he would. A back who plays only once in a while is playing against the odds. I have said that the forwards and the halfs of the United all fired in shots, but, while that is so, there can be ni denying that some of the best-looking chances were sadly misjudged. The wind seemed to make the ball difficult to control for shooting, because when passed forward it generally had too much ‘roll’ on it to be gathered quickly. I cannot mention all the occasions when Ayr threatened, but once Bell – what a masterful game he played! – whipped in a long shot, which so troubled Hempsey that he could only pull the ball down from beneath the bar, and Richardson, coming in, got hold of it and shot slantwise at a gaping space. The crowd got ready to shout when, to the general surprise, the ball hit the post and curled into safety, though how it took the direction it did instead of going into the net puzzles me. Now, though Ayr were so pushful, Rangers were often, by spasmodic raids, able to get within striking distance of Kerr. Reid made several good dashes, and once he actually got clear of the backs and seemed a certain scorer, when Kerr, by coming out a little, just managed to foil him, though the shot was a good one. Again Paterson and Reid nursed the ball in to give Duncan a glorious chance, of which the winger failed to make any use. Duncan, however, got the ball across well more than once, and it was from a capital run of his that Bennett was able to shoot low and hard, only to see Kerr grab the ball on the line. Rangers, however, could not quite settle down to any purpose. The Ayr halfs had the weight of them and the height also, and it was a difficult job leaving them in addition to which Bell simply could do nothing wrong. It had been a fine, fast, interesting first half, with the United having done all but score, and now apparently having lost their chance, for the wind had become stronger. I think most of us calculated that if Rangers could do proportionately as well in the second half with the wind as they had done against it, they were in a fair way to pull off the points. But they didn’t. They began well enough, and in the first few minutes as clear-away run by Duncan and a shot from him, saved by Kerr, followed by a hard drive across goal by Cairns, which again troubled the custodian, looked to be fulfilling our calculations. In fact, for some time afterwards, the Ayr defence was sorely pressed, and kicking ‘anywhere’ was the order. Reid was getting well plied, and I cannot help believing that once or twice he was anything but lucky to fail at taking the ball with him when tackled by the last man between him and goal. Once he was brought up for offside when, as I thought, he was well in play and in a nice position for scoring. But the best chance that fell to Rangers was when Paterson centred, and Duncan catching up the ball laid it at Bennett’s feet. It was as good as a penalty kick for Bennett, so good as look did he have of the goal and so near to it was he; but his shot was – not a bull’s-eye anyway. Ayr had struck a real bad patch hereabout, and had Bennett scored he would probably have settled the whole business, Rangers, however, never got another such chance. The United forwards began to play again, and though the game never touched the standard of the first half, the Richardson dashed and a particular effort by McKenzie troubled the Rangers a lot. Nearing the end Rangers put a little bit extra in, and they were making for the Ayr goal when an injury to an Ayr man stopped the game. The ball was thrown down, but because the Rangers man did not allow it to reach the ground the United were given a free kick. It was out of this that there came the ‘bolt from the blue,’ McStay took the kick, and the rest you know, having, as I expect, begun to read yarn at the top end. The best part of the game to remember was the first half. The second half fell short of its class, mainly, I imagine because Rangers did not go with the wind as well as Ayr had done. But, as remarked, Rangers with their jumbled defence, did extraordinarily well, and their only disappointment was losing in the last minute, after not only holding out so long, but in nearly taking the lead. Also after having occult evidence that the United were going to be quite satisfied with a draw. Ayr’s defence was distinguished in the first half by a superb display by Bell. Being an ex-Ranger, he possibly kept his best for the Rangers. It is a way these ex-Rangers men have. McStay was not so certain to begin with, but he got better as the game went on, and was best when his best was of greatest value – that is, when Rangers were showing their teeth in the second half. The United’s half-back line was finely balanced. All three forced the game in the first half, Cringan excelling in that respect, and McLaughlin in combining with his left wing. Hay’s steadiness was the feature of his play, and it meant a good deal when Rangers were pressing. In a spectacular sense, Ingram’s flying runs were the outstanding feature, and the manner in which he worked the opening for the goal was clever. His centres were the source of greatest concern to the Rangers defence. McKenzie played well to him, though sometimes too fond of the ball. Jackson’s dodgy play would have discomfited a less seasoned warrior than Bowie, who of course, is as excitable as an icicle. Richardson was often near getting through, and at last actually got there. Gray’s finishing was the worst of him. The Rangers defence all did well under the circumstances, although they are bound to regret that the absence of the two regular backs too Gordon out if the half-back line, where a forcing player like him would have been invaluable in such a game. Hempsey I condole with on losing the goal, through no fault of his, and after having saved so often. That Cunningham was missed was plain to see, because Bennett could not stand up against the opposing heavy metal. The forward line was good in patches, but the Ayr half-backs and backs were rather strong for them. Still, a yard of difference in Reid’s favour and he would have been in long before the goal came.
