Fleming 50
Match Information
Attendance: 40,000
Referee: A Stewart (Ardrossan)
Matchday: Saturday
Match Trivia
Rangers, leg-weary a bit, and handicap ever so badly by an injury to Meiklejohn in the first half, did well indeed to come out of their battle with Thistle at Firhill as creditably as they did. They were, all over the place , the better team, but it took a snap-chance goal from Fleming early in the second half to take full points from the jags. The thrills all came in the first half, when both sides were at full strength. Thistle had the pull at first, and until the interval were the more likely-looking lot to score. The second period opened brightly enough. Then Fleming got his goal, and Thistle instead of fighting back, seemed to bow down to an inevitable defeat. It was a disappointment to the crowd, who expected fireworks. Simpson did not play like a fit man during this period, and this gave Meiklejohn – still limping – a chance to keep his end up. The rest of the Firhill forwards could not do much on their own and fell far below their first-half standard. Rangers, on the other hand, improved visibly, and with their long, sweeping passes, covered a lot of ground and caused Jackson much uneasiness in goal. With better finishing Rangers would have added more goals. Rangers were not nearly so good a combine as they had been earlier in the week against Celtic, and they gave the impression that they were still feeling the effects of that tussle. The changes wrought – one by necessity – were not entirely successful. McPhail did all right in McPherson’s berth, and with his ankle standing the strain he should gain confidence in future matches. Purdon was nervous in Bob Hamilton’s place at back, and he experienced great trouble in stopping the Thistle ‘Flyer’ A Turner, but on the whole he did not badly for a youngster. Dougie Gray was again immense, but I doubt he would not have been the biggest star among them all had Meiklejohn been fit, for the centre-half started off in great style. Dougie in the end, however, took the honours. The half-back line was good with Craig starring, and in front there was a queer mixture of good and bad. Fleming was not so successful as in his Cup final triumph, but he got the goal that mattered in the style of a good opportunist. Besides, he was well held by Lambie for most of the game. Marshall was good and bad in patches. It was a glorious bit of work on his part that led up to Fleming’s goal, but he tried this dodge too often, and was nine times out of ten held up. He should have let the ball have more air about it. McPhail was a handy man. He stepped back when Meiklejohn was off the field, and there after sacrificed his forward position to an extent so as to be able to help Meiklejohn if necessary. The two wingers were good, Alan having some rare runs in the first half, and Archibald firing in some telling shots. All of Thistle’s best play was in the first half, when the two wingers really seemed able to make use of their chances, and their crosses were always on the dot. A bigger man than Simpson might have got up to some of these and turned them into goals -as they fully deserved to be. It was the best game I have seen Turner play. He still does not know how to make the best of his opportunities, but his great speed makes up for a lot. Ballantyne was a better inside support than Grove, although the Grove-Turner wing with its close-passing stuff was a success in the first half. Thistle’s defence was sound. With Jackson, O’Hare and Calderwood little fault could be found. The keeper had some hot shots to hold, and his only mistake was his failure to clear the shot from which Fleming got his winning goal. The half-back line was erratic and was anything but a cohesive trio in the second period. Elliott was a shade better than Lambie, and Lambie better than McLeod. The most impressive scene of the afternoon was enacted just before the kick-off, when the 35,000-crowd stood bareheaded while the Govan Town Band honoured the memory of Mr William Ward. After the beautiful strains of ‘Lead Kindly Light’ had died out, Rangers kicked off, and the thrills came right away. McPhail executed some wily stuff for Rangers, and Grove and Ballantyne were prominent on the other side. Young Turner threatened to be dangerous with a sprint past Purdon, but the beat thing of all in this opening burst was a shot of McPhail’s that went narrowly over. Then Thistle came into the picture. Torbet sent over an alluring cross, and Simpson and Turner tried their best to get it home, but without success. More clever play by Ballantyne put Turner in possession, and the winger’s cross was missed by Meiklejohn and Simpson, leaving it to Gray to clear from Torbet and Grove. Hamilton then saved a great shot of Ballantyne’s for a corner. Rangers’ turn came next, but they were not allowed to settle, and Jackson was rarely troubled. Thistle came back to the attack, and Turner, circumventing Purdon, put over another nice centre, which Meiklejohn dangerously put away for a corner. Meiklejohn, after this, was seen limping, and he went off for a spell, leaving McPhail in his place as pivot. The big fellow soon fitted into his new role and got a big cheer for a clever clearance. Thistle did their best to make good while ‘Meek’ was off, but though Torbet and Simpson tested Hamilton, they could not score. McPhail was not needed long, however, in the half-back line, for the skipper came back after five minutes’ absence – limping a little, but still capable of doing his bit. Rangers improved with the return of their captain, and Archibald, with a long one from the touch-line, and craig with a 30 yard grounder, were near to Jackson’s charge. Then McPhail, left with a glorious opening – a gilt edged chance – lofted a dropping ball high up on the terracing. Rangers were obviously leg-weary at this stage, but in spasmodic bursts they managed to keep Jackson busy. Archibald was the man who carried the shots, and one of his was brilliantly pulled down from just under the cross-bar by the keeper. Hal-time came with Thistle attacking, and after the resumption the same state of affairs prevailed. Purdon failed to stop Simpson, and the centre lost a great opportunity when he shot wide. Simpson’s task, of course, had been rendered easier by the injury to Meiklejohn. After five minutes had gone the game took an unexpected turn. Marshall brilliantly worked his way through on the right, and his centre was palmed out by Jackson to Fleming’s feet, and the centre, despite the challenge of Lambie, waltzed the ball into the net. Rangers improved after this success, and Calderwood took one of Archibald’s pile-drivers on his back and thereby saved Jackson a lot of trouble. The reverse, instead of stinging Thistle, seemed to have made them lethargic, and for a time it was all Rangers. Thistle, however, had one or tow purple patches. Twice Torbet was entrusted to free-kicks just outside the area, but on both occasions he shot wide of the mark. Fleming missed a great chance when he slapped a cross from McPhail over the bar, but he almost atoned a few minutes later, when he beat Calderwood and stretched Jackson full out to hold his rasping shot. Thistle staged a corner-kick after this, and Hamilton had to give of his best when he cleared a shot from Elliott at the expense of a corner, but time was running short, and Thistle’s chance evaporated when Rangers once again got on the move and relieved the pressure.
