Fleming 20, 24
S Archibald 61
Match Information
Attendance: 5,700
Referee: J.A. Martin (Clydebank)
Matchday: Saturday
Match Trivia
Rangers had an easy path to victory in their first-round tie with Lochgelly. The Third Division Fifers put up a good fight, but they were outclassed by a sweet-moving Rangers side. The greater part of the game was contested around the United’s goal, and the trickiness of Alan Morton was one of the features of the play. That the score was kept down was largely due to Archibald, who without being spectacular, was exceedingly efficient, and to the poor shooting of the Ibrox inside men. Rangers straightway made their passage to the Lochgelly goal, Fleming, Cairns and Morton testing Archibald in turn, and then Lochgelly burst through on the right, and a shot by Don was fumbled by Hamilton, but T McNeil overran the ball, and Lochgelly’s chance to assume a lead vanished. Fleming then struck the underside of the crossbar with a header from an Archibald cross, a back kicked clear, and Dixon shot hard over. A minute later Fleming had another great shot, which hit the corner of the upright and the crossbar. After twenty minutes, Morton picked up a wild pass, and cutting in, gave to McKay, and Fleming finished off the move with a shot with which Archibald had no chance. Seven minutes later, Fleming, after beating both backs, put Rangers two up. A Lochgelly raid was spoiled by Don, who shot wildly when in good position. The second half opened briskly, and Fleming had a hard grounder blocked, and Archibald cleared brilliantly from a McKay drive. Archibald’s solo blemish was in the losing of the third goal. In attempting to fist away a Rangers’ Archibald corner, he mistimed, and the ball went into the net. Right to the end Rangers kept up their pressure, and shots from all sections were volleyed at the United goal, but most of these were wide, and the defence held out without further loss to the end. Morton was Rangers’ star, with Archibald a good second. The defence was not sorely troubled, but T Hamilton was none too confident with the little work he had to do. A feature od Dixon’s play was his shooting from long range, and he was unlucky not to score on one occasion. Fleming was rather too slow in the centre, but his two goals atoned for this. Lochgelly were best served by their goalkeeper, their backs, Millar, Don and Young
