Leonard 30
Chambers 41
T Cairns
Match Information
Attendance: 8,000
Referee: William Bell (Motherwell)
Matchday: Saturday
Match Trivia
Only a dew seconds remained for play when Cairns snatched the winning goal for Rangers. It was a dramatic ending to a game that was full of thrills, but chagrined as Cowdenbeath may have been to see a point whisked from their grasp in the last kick, few could grudge the Light Blues their plucky triumph. There were three distinct periods in this pulsating tussle. During the opening twenty minutes when they were facing something like an Arctic gale, the Rangers treated the crowd to an exhibition of football that could hardly have been bettered. The ball was kept moving from foot to foot with artistic precision, but always a Fifer popped up at the critical moment to keep Falconer’s charge intact. This spell of exhilarating play was followed by a Cowdenbeath avalanche. Without warning the home men gathered themselves together and stormed the Ibrox goal with great determination. For a time, Hamilton’s citadel underwent many narrow escapes, and at last it fell to a long shot from Leonard. There was an element of luck in this goal, for the referee got in the way of a ball that was kicked by a Rangers’ defender and Leonard was thus enabled to get in an unexpected shot. Twenty-eight minutes had gone, and having tasted success, the Cowdenbeath fellows thirsted for more, and they got it eleven minutes later. Black crossed the ball into goal and Chambers rushed in and gave Hamilton not the ghost of a chance. On changing ends, the Rangers quickly settled down, and if their play was not quite so attractive as at the start of the game it was good enough to prepare the home crowd for what followed. In thirteen minutes, Cunningham crashed the ball out of Falconer’s reach with a terrific left-foot drive. Then a thrill at the Rangers’ goal. Pullae was brought down in the penalty area, but Leonard’s spot kick was brilliantly saved by Hamilton. From this point onward the Glasgow men were masters of the situation. With twenty minutes to go Muirhead got the equaliser, and the question now was whether Falconer and his bodyguard could hold out. As the end approached it looked as if the defenders would prevail, but in the very last-minute Archibald placed a corner kick into the middle of the goal. Henderson headed the ball against the inside of the post, and Cairns rushing in and netted. An exciting finish you can well imagine, but one in keeping with the run of things during the whole game. For Rangers it was a great victory. To wipe out a two-goal deficit and then take the lead is a feat seldom accomplished at Cowdenbeath. The winners were strongest where the home men were weakest at half-back. Chalmers was the best of the home trio, but even at that he hardly reached the standard attained by the Ibrox three, of whom Dixon was outstanding. Cairns and Morton comprised the best wing afield, but Archibald and Cunningham were very little behind. Cowdenbeath’s forwards were poorly supported and rarely got into their stride. Leonard was most effective. The defenders on both sides were splendid.
