T Cairns 20
S Archibald 23
G Henderson <45
T Cairns
A Morton
G Henderson (2)
Match Information
Attendance: 22,000
Referee: Tom Dougray (Bellshill)
Matchday: Saturday
Match Trivia
There was no gainsaying which was the better team at Clydebank, where Rangers opened the League season. Although it took the Light Blues twenty minutes to open the scoring, they had considerably more of the play than the home players, before Carins beat Morton with a swift shot from an accurate centre by Archibald. Then goals were put on at a fast rate. Five minutes after the first goal, Cairns and Morton tore along the left wing, the former crossed a nice ball, and Archibald, aye ready, made no mistake when he drove hard for goal. Morton could do nothing else than pick the ball out of the net. The rapid scoring put all the players on their mettle, and when McLavin, a minute later, caught up a forward pass from Manson and clung to the ball like a Leecg after he had warded off Manderson, it was no more than Clydebank were due when the little forward drove hard past Robb and into the net. It was a good goal, but the Ibrox team did not take long to make up their former lead. Cunningham, who was probably the shinning light in a bright forward division, got the ball about midfield, beat man after man in his own inimitable way, and though Henderson was the marksman who put on the third goal, it was from a real Cunningham effort. The goal followed a couple of minutes after the home team had scored. On the occasions that the Clydebank forwards got within the vicinity of Robb, McCandless was the man who mattered, though Manderson also did his bit. The anticipation and judgment of the Rangers’ left back was marvellous, and as a result Robb had little to do. It was different at the other end, where Morton had two tries in quick succession. The first his namesake punted back to the left winger, but in return he drove over the top. Then Henderson hit the upright, and also missed several chances. The Light Blues had given a good account of themselves in the first half, but no blame could be attached to Stevenson and Ferguson, who put up a sound defence against heavy odds. Neither could Morton be blamed for the three goals to one deficit at the interval. The home forwards began the second half with the appearance of having a grim determination to make up part of the leeway at least. But it was not to be. After an opening burst, Rangers again came into their own. When Cunningham was not spoon-feeding Archibald, he was slashing the ball across to the unmarked Morton, who, at that point, had the finest run of the game. Catching up a beautiful long pass from the inside right, the dapper left winger beat player after player until he arrived at his namesake, who left his goal and blocked the final shot. The goal, which Rangers were value for on play, was not long delayed. Fifteen minutes after the interval Archibald crossed one of his own, which found Cairns ready with his ‘napper’, and he had little difficulty in heading the ball past Morton, and into the net. Five minutes after their fourth goal Morton, for Rangers, had one of his characteristic runs along the touch line. He flashed past McFarland, and when challenged by Stevenson he beat him in a tussle and finished up by adding his team’s fifth goal. Morton had come out of his goal in a vain effort to beat his almost unbeatable namesake. So one-sided had the latter part of the game become that long before the finish many of the 25,000 spectators had left the ground. But they missed the debacle towards the close. Romping as they liked, the Ibrox forwards in the last five minutes added two more goals. Henderson got away on his own, passed the defence, who had thrown in their guns, and Morton was left helpless as the centre helped himself to the sixth goal. Then Morton, Cairns and Henderson took it into their heads that they would score the ‘perfect number’, and in a dazzling bit of play, in which the first-named crossed to Henderson accurately, that player added his team’s seventh and last goal. Clearly Clydebank were no match for the rampant Rangers, who were at the top of the form that annexed the League championship last season. Morton and his backs could scarcely be altogether blames. The weakness lay at half-back, and in a lesser degree, with the forwards. The real reason, however, for the debacle lay in the might of the Rangers, of whom McCandless, the intermediate division, and Cunningham and Morton did specially well
