Dr Marshall 46, 49
B McPhail 51
B McPhail 88
Match Information
Attendance: 14,000
Referee: A. H. Leishman (Falkirk)
Matchday: Monday
Match Trivia
Looks like a nice amble for Rangers, but it wasnt quite that. They won easily in the end, but for the whole of the first half and six minutes of the second they were without a goal. Hepburn absolutely put the shutters up during that long spell. It was a fair assumption that he might never be beaten for, beside the fact that he was doing a heros work, his goal seemed to be charmed against downfall. But you know these kind if games take a sudden turn. The dominating team gets one goal after enormous expenditure of effort, and then collects more as if it was simplicity itself. Six minutes after the interval, Archibald young Archibald, you might say, for he had surely renewed his youth placed a corner-kick well away from goal. Meiklejohn ran forward to meet the ball with his head and pilot straight forward for Marshall to glance it into the net. Then, as if in the twinkling of an eye, Rangers were two more goals ahead. Archibald placed another corner one of a glut and the ball went over to Morton, who transferred to Marshall, who hooked it quickly into the net a splendid effort. Coming again on the left-wing, the Rangers completely puzzled Ayrs defence and McPhail ran clear to place the ball in the net out of Hepburns reach. Ayr never lay down. Their forwards took every chance of working out. Tolland was the tactician and Armory spread the play well. It was from the latters pass that Ferguson got away on a tearing run. Cutting in slightly, he shot strongly, and the ball flashed across goal, hit the underside of the bar and came down and out. Tom Hamilton then gathered it, but the referee awarded a goal, which decision was confirmed after he had, at the request of the Rangers captain, consulted the linesmen. One linesman said a goal, the other said no goal. I thought the ball was over the line before it came out. Ayr took fresh life, but they were soon two more goals down. Smith raced after a loose ball, got it on the by-line, and sent across to Morton, who had merely to tap it through. Hepburn appealed for offside against Morton, but this goal was a good one also, for the ball came back from Smith to the scorer, and a player cannot be offside in these circumstances. McPhail got the last goal of the lot after Hepburn had made a good attempt to clear an Archibald centre. Rangers half-backs had such a grip of the Ayr forwards that the trio behind them were only occasionally called into action. Tom Hamilton could only have saved Fergusons scoring shot with a lot of luck. Both Gray and R Hamilton kicked well they had to do very little tackling for the Ayr wingers liked to get the ball away before coming to close quarters. All the Ibrox half-backs were on their game, and they pushed the ball along to the forwards assiduously. Brown was the stylist, and in the second half got the right weight of the ball, which was tricky in the wind. Meiklejohn allowed Merrie little freedom and Buchanan was usually close up with Marshall and Archibald, who were a good working wing more of a pair than I had seen them before. Smith was unlucky more than once, but he had a big share in Mortons goal. The left wing got going full steam in the second half and wore down the defence of Turnbull and Robertson, who played a resolute first half. Fleming latterly felt the strain also. McLeod, who got a severe blow from the ball in the first half, defended well all through, and McCall was always quick to open up the game and make opportunities for his forwards. The latter were not too well balanced, but Tolland was an able schemer, and Armory was clever on the ball and gave a good pass. The subjection of Merrie by Meiklejohn made all the difference
