Walker 40
G Henderson 71
Match Information
Attendance: 67,700
Referee: H Humphrey (Greenock)
Matchday: Saturday
Match Trivia
The Saints of Paisley rose superior to tradition and comparative club form in their Scottish Cup-tie at Ibrox Park yesterday. The feeling in Paisley was more of hope than of confidence in the ability of the St Mirren players to win. The Rangers were prepared for a hard run for honours of victory, but over all they were decidedly sanguine. The proverbial Cup tie surprise was in store for the 70,000 spectators, who followed every kick of the struggle with ill-concealed anxiety. It was a roaring crowd for the most part. The excitement was not confined to the onlookers, for the contestants laboured under an intensity of strain all through. Some of the more experienced among them were so flustered that they were unable to play to average club form. This failing was pronounced among the Rangers, and more especially among the half-backs. Arthur Dixon appeared to be haunted with the task of combatting Walker, as he never exhibited the semblance of his ordinary form of the season. Muirhead only came into his own about the middle of the second half, but Meiklejohn was passably fair all the time, without being outstanding. The St Mirren were a more wholehearted side. In no section did they reveal the weaknesses of the Rangers. If less polished than their opponents at half-back, they were deservedly more aggressive. Summers was a great spoiler at centre-half. He never stood on ceremony. It was a case of man or ball with him, as Cunningham, Henderson and Cairns found to their undoing. Clunas was ever on the trail of Alan Morton, while Pringle stuck into Archibald like a leech. In a playing sense, he was the ablest of the trio, but Summers proved the greatest of stumbling-blocks. Behind this trio were a raw young right back who punted with strength in the open, but was defective in craft at close quarters, and a left back veteran who was out all the time for stopping his men and clearing without regard of direction or style, as long as he succeeded. Findlay paid his way, although he blundered when Henderson equalised the score in the second half. Till was the great man of the side, and his rugged defence accomplished more to put his team in the proud position they are today than the efforts of any individual. Bradford was ever a safe goalkeeper, and he was well hustled at times. When Cunningham won the toss and elected to take advantage of a strong south-westerly breeze, the home partisans were happy. Everything seemed to pan out well for the Light Blues, for they started to play a wing game of such over-powering pressure that it seemed only a matter of time ere they would begin to count. The unyielding spirit of Findlay and Till, and the daring of the Paisley half-backs kept the more fancied team at bay. Walker was not seen in the game for about twelve minutes, when he got a timely pass out to Thomson. The raid gave St Mirren heart, and Lawson broke away single-handed, and beat his opponents for speed, to get in a shot that took the ball over the bar. All Paisley seemed to cheer the effort. They forgot the momentary spasm of pain when Henderson got in a direst shot after half an hour, and Bradford got another anxious spell a minute later. In the following play Archibald diddled round Till and beat him by pure trickery the little ‘diehard’ plugged in and recovered sufficiently to outwit his man by hard graft. This was the prelude to a goal from Duncan Walker after thirty-three minutes, Muirhead and McCandless were making to clear at the same time. The one defender made way for the other when the crack Paisley centre forward nipped in, beat both of them, and gave Robb no chance. There was jazz sounds from lusty Paisley lungs, and the jubilant players almost smothered Walker. The Rangers were aghast at this reverse. It made them wonder the while what manner of rejuvenated men these Saints were who could score against the wind, while their own fusillades went all for naught. Even a Rigby scrimmage near the Paisley goal, with four men on the ground and other six panting for action, passed with nothing more exciting than a corner kick. There was a deal of luck in Rangers’ goal taken when the second half was fully twenty minutes gone. Cunningham had sent the ball into the centre. Finlay made to give Bradford a pass back, but the ball went awkwardly to the goalkeeper, who missed it. Henderson, running on, turned as he got the ball to the left of Bradford. He had an empty goal to shoot at. There was no sting in his effort. The ball took the off post and rebounded into the net. Luck was with the Rangers in every link of this movement. The fat was in the fire now. One side redoubled its effort to snatch a win as the other strove with desperation to prevent them. Anything was possible then. The best chance fell to the Rangers five minutes from the end when Cunningham almost knocked the headpiece of his clubmate Henderson with a shot that was going all the way to goal. Henderson fell to the ground as Ibrox groaned. In all the circumstances the game was value for no other result than a draw, and it was a coincidence that each side scored against the wind. The chief credit falls to St Mirren for the unexpected resistance and boldness of their attack in a struggle where there was much fouling and temper shown. The Paisley attack was wide and sweeping. No man hung to the ball longer than was necessary. The Rangers were never in combination, and the glaring defect was at centre forward, where Henderson could neither balance his wings or get the ball quick enough to his inside men. No forward was more forceful than the Forfar man, whose blunders would be excused by the success which he gained latterly. Morton and Archibald had many clever runs, but for consistent wing play Lawson on the St Mirren right had no superior attack. Gillies played well up to him, and Walker was always on the spot to sling the ball wide. He appeared to be the coolest man in attack on either side. I was told by Mr GB Riddell, the St Mirren chairman, that the transfer of Murphy, of the Hearts had been secured during the week, and that he was on the spot ready to take Stevenson’s place. The Paisley inside left was injured against Morton, but was declared fit, so there was no necessity to change the left wing, which was not so effective as the right. The Rangers forward worked hard, and with tremendous keenness, but only Cunningham, Archibald and Morton approached club form, without any of them being outstanding. Manderson and McCandless were best in the open. Under pressure they were affected by the prevailing excitement. The game will be replayed on Tuesday at Paisley. The Rangers won there by a goal at the beginning of the season, after one of their hardest games.
