T McInally 19
Muirhead 59
Match Information
Attendance: 25,000
Referee: P Craigmyle (Aberdeen)
Matchday: Saturday
Match Trivia
For the third year in succession Rangers have won the Glasgow Cup. That they deserved to win there isn’t the slightest doubt, for if ever a team contributed to their own defeat, it was Third Lanark. Later on I will tell you that part of the story. Tom McInally gave Third Lanark the lead 18 minutes after the game had started, and a wonderfully clever goal it was. All through the first half the Rangers battled to get the equaliser but failed. They were as like the Rangers who were defeated in memorable and surprising Scottish cup games by Albion Rovers and Morton as anything could be. They could do nothing right. I grant you they played a lot of nice football, but when it came to getting a goal, they were so anxious that invariably they failed. Even when Jarvie blundered and left the ball to be pushed through some one or another would get mixed up in the rigging – but without the ball. With the start of the second half a blind man could have felt that Third Lanark were pursuing the wrong tactics. When the ball was returned after a Rangers attack one had to look around to discover where Frank Walker or McInally were lucking. They were assisting the defence. That sort of thing couldn’t go on without disaster, and disaster arrived when Muirhead scored one of those spectacular goals which bring down the house. It was one of four grand goals in a game which otherwise was just moderate. One Light Blue enthusiast I observed threw his cap out of the stand, ordered someone in the enclosure to give it back to him, and not content with that, attempted to attach it to a standard next to one of which he was seated. The cap won in the long run. For the life of me, I cannot understand why the Cathkin players adopted a defensive policy. Neither do in know if it was a plan conceived at half-time, and after deliberation or whether the players, afraid that they might lose what they had, unconsciously drifted into the defence. At anyrate that’s what they did. Once Rangers had got the equaliser, they were the Rangers we know. Powerful, penetrative, merciless in their attacks, the wonder is that they didn’t score oftener. It wasn’t for want of trying that they didn’t. I sometimes wonder how many goals would satisfy the Rangers crowd. Perhaps John Allan has told us in his ‘Story of the Rangers’. The Light Blues were first to attack. Twice George Henderson burst through and shot. His bullets found no billet, but the efforts were worthy ones indeed. Having stalled off the early onrush, the Cathkin forwards took a grip of things. McCandless tried to be clever in beating Reid, but the ball struck the Cathkin forward, who centred and just for a minute or, so Robb’s charge was in danger. Away from the pavilion end went the Rangers. Cunningham gave Archibald a pass which would have made the teeth of most outside rights water. The Fife man didn’t make the most of it. He hesitated and when he did try to get the ball over his kick was charged down. Jarvie showed judgment in coming out to clutch a pretty centre from Morton’s foot, and following close upon that, Cairns took a terrific swipe at an Archibald pass, missing the ball completely. Then came Third Lanark’s goal. McInally forced a corner which Hillhouse placed nicely. The ex-Celt had a first-time pop. The ball came back to him off a defender and meeting it in the air he scored a really good goal. Sleeves up now with Rangers. How they missed when Jarvie fumbled a ball someone knows. Had Robb been harassed a minute or two later he might have been beaten. The slippery ball gave trouble. Wilson, Third Lanark’s centre-half, went lame and Caldwell and McInally called for the attention of Billy Biggar. Jarvie made another blunder, but had a let-off, and to show his gratitude he made an excellent clearance from Morton just a minute or two afterwards. Two corners for Rangers brought no reward, and a hard, low drive from Andy Cunningham’s foot just went past. As the hands of the clock approached the interval Rangers put on terrific pressure. Archibald executed a bit of clever play on the line and got the ball across. It was of no avail. Third’s defence held out until the interval. Going to the pavilion the players seemed to feel that they had had a gruelling time. It was hard enough for some. When the game was resumed Rangers were again first to attack and Jarvie had another slice of luck. A ball sent in by Cairns bounded from him and Henderson just missed the ball. He got the net. Some little display of temper kept up the interest but didn’t redound to the credit of the interested parties. Evidently annoyed at a tackle of Frank Walker’s, Muirhead took up a threatening attitude which his opponent was on the ground, and Referee Craigmyle spoke a word of ‘comfort’ to the Ranger. The Fifer had his revenge in a minute or two. Dixon allowed a ball which had come from the right to travel to him and taking it on the run with his left foot, Muirhead scored a grand goal. That was all that was required to make a Rangers success assured. In their next raid they just missed scoring again. McCormack brought down Henderson, and a tricky move between Muirhead, who made to take the kick, and Cunningham who did take it, saw the ball rebound from the post. Reid and Christle changed places in the Third Lanark attack, but that didn’t help matters in the slightest. It gradually developed into a practically all-Rangers game. Thirty-three minutes of the second half had gone when Archibald put the Light Blues on the lead, and three minutes from time Henderson got a well-deserved third. It took the winners a long time to settle, and until they did there wasn’t an outstanding player among the lot. Once they had equalised, they were the team of stars they are when success is with them. Robb hot no serious work to do. He had no chance with the goal, which was scored from close in, and there was a bunch of players in front of him when McInally shot. Manderson, I thought was safer than McCandless, the latter not just being quite himself. Neither however made any vital mistakes. The half-backs were all good, Muirhead being best of the line which wavered a bit after Third Lanark had scored. Of the forwards I award the palm to Cunningham, who kept the line moving. The wing men scintillated at times, Morton when he got the ball being as clever as usual. Cairns was not at his best, but Henderson was all right. A word of praise was away from the ordinary complement is due Third Lanark. Everybody, including myself, started them off as non-favourites. Their attack was rearranged a bit, and Wilson took the place that McKenna has been holding. They put up a good fight. The change at half-back did not weaken the team, but the forwards are still guessing a lot. Christie worked hard, but to little effect. Frank Walker began well, and played better then he has done for a week or two. He faded out however, as did McInally who was little seen in the second half. Reid and Hillhouse were only so-so. Neither was too well supported. James Walker was the best half-back, and Wilson did well, even although he was limping from early on. The backs were quite good, and Jarvie, although he dropped the slippery ball once or twice did nothing to tarnish as reputation which he is rapidly making as a sound custodian
