Fleming 4
Dr Marshall
Match Information
Attendance: 28,000
Referee: W Bell (Motherwell)
Matchday: Saturday
Match Trivia
It would be easy to be severely critical of Falkirk’s showing at Ibrox, but I put it to you – what confidence is a side left with that loses a goal in four minutes at Ibrox? And don’t forget that Rangers were playing football that wasn’t just ordinary. They were on their toes right from the start. The ground was holding just enough to give them the exact weight of the ball, and they made it do things that would have puzzled the best. It was what the Ibrox man call the Real Rangers, and that being so, there is something to be said for Falkirk in their failure to get going. When confidence goes, everything goes – two of the goals were contributed to be the defence getting into a jumpy state of nerves. Let me tell you about the goals. The Rangers’ forwards went off with a rattle, and in four minutes Marshall let Archibald away to lead to the first of the four. Sandy, in this half, was in raging, tearing mood. He raced along, whipped the ball low and hard across, and when Hume, in trying to clear, merely pushed it out a bit, Fleming was there to crash it into the net from close quarters. For quite a time, Rangers were going a clipper of a pace. Their assaults were varied by an occasional raid on the apart of the Falkirk forwards, in one if which Howieson was just a fraction late in rising to a centre by Gall. Then the second goal. Morton put Fleming away, and the centre, stalling off Hume’s challenge, ran on strongly to finish by giving a cross pass to Marshall, who was on the spot – nearly offside – to put a smasher past Ferguson. There was a lot of exciting stuff wound about Ferguson before the third goal came along in 33 minutes. Fleming, who was rapping them in, caused Ferguson trouble with a snappish one. The custodian lost control, and the ball came to McPherson, who shot straight and true to get his first League goal. A couple of two-handed saves, by Ferguson, a likely bit of open, clever passing by the Falkirk forwards, and then the fourth goal. Craig, who had a day out, dribbled ahead and shot a beauty. Ferguson again failed to get his clutch on the ball, and craig, who had kept going on, got his foot to it a second time, and into the net it went. As for the second half, the Rangers played like a team who knew they couldn’t lose. Neither they could. There were no more goals, but plenty of escapes for Ferguson’s charge. Late – too late – the Brockville forwards got some pep into their play, showing what was possible had things been running more favourably for them. You might imagine that Tom Hamilton was idle all the time, but no. He got sufficient opportunity to do some very fine saving, and the way he did it was the perfection of goalkeeping. He delighted the crowd. Gray was the soundest of backs, and did mot make a mistake. Ulsterman Hamilton played fairly well but was too inclined to stop the ball before getting in his clearance. Meiklejohn and Craig were dominating personalities, and Buchanan again showed what a versatile chap he is. In the front line McPherson caught the fancy of the spectators with his heady passes and clever footwork. He and Morton, who was the old Alan from head to heel, made a taking wing. Fleming and the right wing completed a forceful attack. Falkirk’s chief failing was at Half-back. None of the three seemed to know how to meet the assault, and consequently, Hume and Gilroy had a big task to shoulder. They did as well as was humanly possible. Ferguson was not so confident as I have often seen him. He lost the ball too often, and yet he saved well at times. The forwards suffered from lack of support. Morrison never had a chance, because neither Miller nor Hamill could get the pass through to him. Gall should have got his centres over more quickly. Howieson would have done better had he been kept more on the run
