T Cairns (2)
Muirhead (2)
Match Information
Attendance: 8,000
Referee: unknown - to be confirmed
Matchday: Saturday
Match Trivia
There was no scarcity of goals and thrills at Boghead. Not the least gratifying feature about the contest was the determination shown on both sides. Full steam ahead they started, and it was only in the last minute that Rangers made victory secure. In saying this I’m not forgetting that at one stage the ‘Light Blues’ were three goals in the lead. If Dumbarton then regarded their fate as sealed they never allowed their supporters to brood over the fact. Had the Ibrox defence relaxed in the slightest during the second half there is no telling what might have happened? For a period hereabouts the Boghead team dominated the game as much as their opponents did earlier on, only they did not possess a sharp shooter of the stamp of the Rangers’ centre. On the treacherous ground an opportunist was indispensable. This was evidenced in the first moment, when a miskick by Blair gave Wilson a chance, only to find the right half-back crash the ball past. Almost identical was the situation at the other end a minute later. McGrory fluked his kick and the ball went to the toe of Muirhead, whose direction was more accurate, and Rangers were one up. These incidents were but the beginning of a series of thrills which roused the 8000 spectators to a high pitch of excitement. The ball flashed from end to end with lightning rapidity. If the visitors were neater in their movements, the Boghead lot also made progress in the minimum of time. What a howl went up as Cairney, almost under the bar, caught the ball with the wrong side of his head. Then followed a raking shot from Finnie which Hempsey knew nothing about till he heard the thud on the crossbar. Incident, and the crowd had little thought of the discomfort caused by the rain. It was not till Cairns nodded the ball past Miller, after 25 minutes’ play, that the pace slackened. This goal, the result of a perfect cross from McDiarmid, seemed to dishearten Dumbarton. Rangers thereafter took full charge of the proceedings, and sparkling play by Muirhead and McDiarmid, combined with the dash of Cairns, caused Miller and his bodyguard no end of worry; Archibald, too, varied the passages by his lofty crosses. Bowie, like the majority of the Boghead forwards, could not find his feet on the slippery turf, but with Dixon and McKenna at the top of form, made good the comparative shortcomings of the Ibrox master forward. So overpowered were the locals that it came as no surprise when Miller was again ‘done brown’ by Cairns after the centre had wormed his way through the defence. Shortly after Murphy gave Cairney a great chance, but the centre, by some means, walker the ball past. What a miss! Dumbarton’s reawakened closing half revival had its origin in a ‘penalty’ converted by Stewart. I shared the surprise shown by some of the Rangers’ players at the referee decision; but, as matters turned out the goal which the award brought livened up the play to an extent not expected. Had Murphy been more generously supplied with the ball I believe Dumbarton would have give even more trouble to the Ibrox defence? This Falkirk player had a fine turn of speed, but the leather was seldom placed to him properly. About seven minutes from the end, what time the Rangers’ defenders were claiming for offside, Stewart forged ahead and beat Hempsey. This stirred the Ibrox forwards. Archibald time and again rounded the opposition only to shoot harmlessly past. Latterly he realised his duty, but the others seemed more intent to allow Cairns to count, and many openings were lost. Just on time, however, Muirhead, almost on the goal line, tipped into the net. In a serviceable Rangers’ eleven I single out Cairns whose dash and initiative were of outstanding value in the opening half. He seemed to have limitless reserve of push and go, and Raeside had a gruelling afternoon. The home centre half-back took a better grip of things as the game advanced. Muirhead made an admirable support to the centre. McDiarmid tapered off rather early. Like Cairns, Dixon was tireless, and the Oldham man often attended to more than Cairney. Pursell and McKenna were serviceable without being brilliant. There was much to admire in Blair’s play. His kicking was clean, while he employed his speed usefully against Thom. Though not so showy McQueen was always reliable. He will do all right. While Miller was oftener tested, both custodians came out with credit, all the goals being of the un-saveable order. Gunn was the safer Boghead back, McGrory mistimed the ball too frequently. I liked McGregor best of the intermediate division. There was not the same concerted swing about the play of the home forwards that characterised that of their opponents. Finnie and Thom mated better than the right-wing pair
