G Henderson 10
A Cunningham 32
Match Information
Attendance: 38,027
Referee: H Humphrey (Greenock)
Matchday: Tuesday
Match Trivia
When Henderson scored for Rangers after ten minutes Paisley’s hopes of the Scottish cup vanished for another season. After this goal – beautifully taken by the centre from 20 yards out – the Ibrox men moved as a machine, with the half-back not only providing the driving power, but almost completely buckling up the opposing attacking party. If just a little one-sided, the first half was a scorcher. There was a confident ring in every movement of the Rangers, and with Henderson leading the forwards in his best style it was not surprising that the Saint’s middle-men became flustered. Cunningham and Cairns kept swinging the ball out to the extreme wingers, and Bradford soon found himself uncomfortably busy. Cairns, Henderson and Cunningham had each rocket drives, and with Morton and Archibald lobbing the ball into the middles, ‘Jock’ and his backs had few idle moments. Fully 20 minutes had elapsed before the Paisley forwards showed any signs of relieving the pressure. Lawson darted past McCandless and pushed over a perfect ball, but Robb came out and punted clear. We did not see very much of the home men in an attacking capacity during the first portion indeed, Lawson was the only one with enterprise. Dennis exhibited clever footwork, and his bours with McCandless pleased the Greater Love Street enthusiasts, because as often as not he glided past the wily Irishman. But all his good work went for nought, for Walker was bottled up by Dixon, and Stevenson and Thomson were equally impotent. Rangers forward play was a revelation, particularly to the Paisley crowd. There was unison in every movement, and no one was surprised when a second goal was banged on. It was a beauty. Cairns and Morton, with some neat passing, outwitted the defenders, and Alan swept the ball into the middle. Henderson meant to intercept it, but on observing Cunningham better placed, allowed the leather to proceed to the Rangers’ Captain, who, with his right foot, fired it into the corner of the net. In the remaining 13 minutes the Paisley men steadied up a bit, but the forwards never linked together. Walker got little or no support either from the middlemen or the inside forwards, and not once in the first portion did Duncan tingle Robb’s fingers. Just on the interval Lawson again showed Muirhead and McCandless a clean pair of heels, but Thomson snicked the ball over. By comparison, the concluding period was tame. St Mirren went off with a bang, and a Thomson cross led to an exciting scrimmage. Robb in clearing left his goal, and before topped the bar. Hereabouts, the Paisley fellows looked like making up some leeway, but there was the same raggedness in their attack, and Manderson and McCandless, strengthened by Dixon, usually nipped in as somebody was about to shoot. After the first quarter of an hour or so, all the sting had gone out of the home attack, and as the time advanced the Rangers took a greater grip of the game than ever. Alan Morton and Cairns, playing more open now, had the full measure of Finlay, and with Archibald also scintillating along the touchline the ball was constantly being sent into the middle of goal. But what dreadful attempts to score! Cairns and Henderson might have raised the total to half-a-dozen in the last ten minutes. Paisley’s only consolation lay in their share of the record gate. There was little to admire in the play of the team. Only the defence emerged with any credit. Bradford had no chance with either goal. Till McCandless a close-run honours among the rear men. There was no comparison between the half-backs. The Saints’ trio were overwhelmed in the first half and had no time to attend to their own men. The result was seen in the feebleness of Walker and Co, of whom only Lawson passed muster. Dixon proved a great destroyer, with Muirhead and Meiklejohn providing the dainty touches that sent the forwards away on their recurring excursions to Bradford’s charge. Henderson’s footwork and distribution opened the eyes of many, and he met with a ready response from all his colleagues.
