B McPhail
English 15
English
Fleming 46
B McPhail
Match Information
Attendance: 26,710
Referee: W Bell (Motherwell)
Matchday: Saturday
Match Trivia
A Fizzle and a farce! I cannot imagine there have been any more disappointing Glasgow Charity Cup finals than this one. Rangers won so easily that the score peculiarly enough the same as when the teams last met in the final stage of the competition away back in 1896-7 mattered little. Another twenty goals wouldnt have exaggerated the strength of the victors. But the situation would have been entirely different had Third Lanark been at full strength all the time. They finished with nine men and a cripple. Brown, who was injured early in the game, and Simpson did not resume with the others after the interval. The latter appeared about ten minutes later, but he was so obviously unfit that no one was surprised when he collapsed and was helped to the pavilion shortly after. Dewar injured his right leg in the first half, and throughout the second portion was of little use to his side. He hirpled along among the forwards for a time and then fell behind to assist the defenders, but he really would have been better out of the game altogether. When these misfortunes are enumerated can you wonder that the match developed into a farce? Even with their complete force I could not visualise the Cathkin side repeating their League triumph. They found the rangers in their happiest mood, with Marshall and McPhail in devastating finishing form. At times, and particularly in the early stages, the Ibrox defence was a bit wobbly, but that was only until Simpson settled down in his new position at left back. Thise early minutes caused some heart-beating among the Rangers fans. Hamilton came out of his goal to clear a long ball from Carabine. McDonald also went for the leather and headed it high into the air. An exciting scramble ensued, but Gray eventually cleared. Four minutes sufficed for Rangers to get on the lead, and a lovely goal it was. English broke away on the right, back-heeled the ball to Archibald, who lost no time in getting it across. McPhail had been watching all that was happening, and taking the ball in his stride, he smacked it with terrific power past the helpless Redford. Rangers was the more solid moving lot, but the electric bursts of the third Lanark forwards provided Tom Hamilton and his backs with some worrying propositions. George Brown, who touched top form, thrilled the crowd with a solo run, and what time the Cathkin defenders were waiting for him to pass the ball to a colleague the left-half tried a pot on his own, and the ball smashed against the cross-bar. This was by no means the only occasion on which the woodwork around Redford was hit. English raised some excitement by careering away down the field, but he was hampered what about to shoot, and his drive ran across the goal. Rangers second goal came along in the fifteenth minute. Archibald sent over a high ball which the ever-ready English headed in, and Redford allowed the leather to squirm out of his hands over the line. The next twenty minutes produced the best, or rather the most, evenly-contested play. The Cathkin wingers showed smart touched, and both goals were visited in turn. A long ball from B Clark brought about a goal for the Thirds after 24 minutes. Two Rangers men tried to head clear, but the leather went to Breslin, whose right-foot shot landed in the corner of the net. This goal livened up matters, with the Warriors showing any amount of fight, and Brown came near equalising with a drive which struck the side net. A mix-up between Marshall and English spoiled an opening for the Rangers, but they were more successful a little later. An accurately-placed Archibald corner led to a scramble, which ended with Warden kicking through his own goal. Two minutes after and the tie was finished as a contest. Redford again blundered by failing to clear a cross from Fleming, and English had no trouble in headed through. As I have already told you, Thirds lined up after the interval two men short, and hardly had the game been restarted then Fleming dashed away and put on a fifth goal. Five minutes later McPhail waded through the opposition and completed the scoring. Following this the Ibrox fellows simply toyed with their cripped opponents. Fleming and Archibald were specially prominent with some individual work, but so one-sided was the play that it became monotonous. At one time temper was shown by several of the players, and Referee Bell administered warnings. Tom Hamilton has something of a holiday this portion. One of the few times he was brought into action was in fielding a free-kick taken by Warden. None of the Warriors enhanced his reputation. They all battled along pluckily, but they never looked like winning. Redford will want to forget all about this clash as quickly as possible. Little need be said about the winners. This was the fifth tear in succession they have won the Charity Cup, and everyonecontributed to the victory. Simpson was not tested sufficiently to let us see whether he can adapt himself as a back. The game was watched by a crowd of 26,710 and the drawings amounted to £1181.
