McLean 1
A Cunningham 15
Match Information
Attendance: 55,000
Referee: T Small (Dundee)
Matchday: Tuesday
Match Trivia
Sensation! It is difficult to recall a more sensational opening than 50,000 people were regaled with in yesterday’s Glasgow Cup semi-final replay at Ibrox Park. Why, before the game had well started Celtic were a goal up. It happened thus. Gallagher set Connolly going, the Celtic outside right put across a short centre, which McGrory stopped, and the ball found its way back to Patsy. The ‘mighty atom’ wasn’t prepared or something, but quick to get the hang of things McLean, who had wrought over towards the right, plunked the ball into the net. All this happened quicker than I can describe it – why half a minute after McGrory took the first kick from the centre line, George Henderson was doing ditto for Rangers. There was certainly a slackness in the Ibrox rear which really had not settled when the goal was scored. This early success ought to have bucked up the Parkhead members of the ‘Old Firm’, but my notion is that Rangers were put more on their mettle than the Celts were ‘bucked’; at any rate they came away strongly, and McGregor dropped the ball nicely into the middle for nothing. Then a free-kick from Craig brought Shevlin out to clear. The ball came to Cunningham, whose shot was turned out by Willie McStay. After this lively opening there was something of a reaction. Things quietened for a short period, which ended with Shevlin going out to ‘stot’ the ball clear. But the Rangers menace continued. In a melee Shevlin fell, and Cunningham missed a grand chance before the Parkhead keeper got the danger away. A Gallagher interlude or two varied the proceedings – Patsy at his very best was delighting friends and foe alike with his clever feints and accurate-to-an-inch passes. Still Ibrox kept calling. George Henderson arrived too late to clinch a McGregor cross, a Craig try was turned by Willie McStay and McGregor shot past – yes things were very much livelier. More Gallagherisms and lovely Patsy pushes through to right and left followed, but the other fellows kept pegging on. Henderson galloped after a Cunningham forward pass, but a free-kick was all it brought; a couple of shakes more and a long ball from Hilley was causing trouble at the other end. McGrory was just a trifle slow here or something tangible might have accrued. We had reached the dozenth minutes, and a grand ball from Archibald who crossed nicely after rounding McFarlane, was sent over by McKay. Muirhead sent in a low ball which Shevlin fielded; then ho away towards Paisley, where Patsy had a shot blocked. Followed a grand little run by Muirhead and a tip-top centre which found Henderson most awkwardly placed. But George did the right thing on this occasion. He touched the ball back and, from twenty yards out, Andrew with his deadly left crashed the ball high up over the bewildered Shevlin’s hands. It was a glorious goal – one of the 4.7-gun kind the big Ranger has been featuring this season – he started off with something similar at Perth. As the ball found the net the fifteenth minute was clocked, Henderson, going on, didn’t get enough of a cross from Archibald, which was lucky for Shevlin. At the other end, where Manderson was caught napping, Adam McLean did no better. A pretty all-along-the-front Celtic combined touch started by Patsy was finished by Connolly lofting over; in front of Shevlin, McKay, who had now found a right good game, fired a long one chest-high; then the Parkhead custodian tipped over a smasher from Cunningham – a grand shot and just as grand a save. Midway through the half when the Celts were settling nicely, Jamieson’s head came in ‘handy’ to turn out a shot from McLean. Grand Parkhead football followed, and a peach of a cross from Connolly was put over by Thomson. Five minutes before the turn McFarlane was penalised, and wrongly, I thought – charging is permissible. Just before the half-time whistle, McKay let Cunningham away, Andy sent on to McGregor to shoot wide when in good position. Turning round on level terms, Rangers were the aggressors in a rather quiet re-opening. McGregor sent in a soft thing to Shevlin; then the Celts took a hand in the pressing. Wilson placed the ball on Parst’s cranium, from which it slipped to McLean’s feet, and quick as lightning, ‘Wee Adam’ had it in the net. But the referee had anticipated him. Mr Small’s whistle had gone before McLean got his foot on – a smart decision. Patsy stood on the ball ere sending out to McLean, who cut in to be beaten; and now, as the celts became brighter, the Rangers dulled down. McLean, nicely placed, slipped. A free kick at Shevlin’s end split up a good 15 minutes of Parkhead predominancy. They played pretty football, but it let them nowhere. Robb, worried by a dangerous ‘stotter’ knuckled it over the bar, Jamies McStay sent a whizzer in the same direction, and a great McLean shot past. All this and more the Celtic did – really, the Ibrox defence was going wobbly. Shevlin, different from the earlier stage, in which he was worried to death almost, was having little to do. After Robb had cleared a Thomson ‘header’, Henderson got away and shot miles high, so to speak. George’s direction was all right, but his elevation was altogether wrong. In the closing ten minutes both goalkeepers were called upon, but long before this the sting had gone out of the tie. It was ‘dreich’ almost. Most of the players seemed to have had enough of it. That gruelling first half had taken a lot out of them. If Rangers, despite that early disaster, should have won in the first half, and had another chance towards the close, the tie was Celtic’s in the second for the picking up. But as I have indicated they finished feebly. But, after all a draw is quite a good result. When I say that neither Robb nor Shevlin was blameable for the goal lost I have praised sufficiently either goalkeeper. Celtic, however, were better served by Willie McStay and Hilley then were Rangers by Manderson and Jamieson. There was little to draw between the Parkhead pair – Hilley was very keen. At the other end Manderson was a cut above his partner. Of the middlemen I fancied most Craig, Dixon, Wilson and the younger McStay. ‘Lil Arthur’, who seemed ever – well almost ever – in position. I have not seen to such advantage since the new offside rule became law. Tommy Muirhead comes on. His early showing until his injury, was class. John McFarlane, if he found Archibald and Cunningham too much for him on occasion, was unsurpassed in construction. Forward in the first half – when Rangers should have won the match – Archibald and Cunningham played brilliant football. But like the others, after the turn when it was pretty much of a cat-watching-the-mouse affair, they tapered off. George Henderson is truly off his game, and young McGregor did not make the most of his opportunities. McGregor, who was very ill at the interval, is certainly set a big job in deputising for Alan Morton, but I am not judging him on the ‘wee Alan’ standard. After McKay got the proper hang of things he did splendidly. He sent out some grand passes to Archibald; as an extra half-back he was a sore thorn in Gallagher’s side. And Patsy’s – the old head was there. His footwork was a treat. Thomson, who started many of the offensive movements, did splendidly, and McLean was his usual dainty clever self. Connolly crossed some lovely balls; McGrory, as eager as ever, found Dixon often an unsurmountable obstacle
