McFadyen 49
Stevenson 75
Match Information
Attendance: 30,000
Referee: M.C. Hutton (Glasgow)
Matchday: Saturday
Match Trivia
I went to this game hoping that there would be no repetition of the nauseating scenes that punctuated the corresponding contest last season. There was not, but at times I was afraid that there would be. Every man of the twenty-two was deadly intent on his work, so intent, indeed, that feeling among certain of them ran very high, and there was one occasion when Archibald and Ellis definitely broke off diplomatic relations. However, hot blood cooled down, and we were treated to that sort of football that thrills the crowd hard, far, and robust. Motherwell deserved to win and the first to say so was Director RG Campbell. Immediately after the final whistle he made a point of telling Mr T Ormiston MP, chairman of Motherwell, so and congratulated that smiling member of His Majestys Legislature on the victory. There was cohesiveness about the For Parkers all through that was only apparent on infrequent occasions in the Rangers team. Indeed, there was a certain disjointedness about the Light Blues that was foreign so far as I am concerned. Although the Rangers half-back line contained one of the stars of the game in McDonald at centre-half, it failed as a line to make the necessary contact between defence and attack. There was a looseness that made one wonder what will happen, if it continues, to Rangers League and Cup aspirations this season. Motherwell, on the other hand, were a powerful force so far as the intermediate line was concerned, and that meant that they were basically sound, whereas Rangers mid-line weakness put extra work on the rear men and incidentally led to comparative starvation of the front line. Motherwell were serenely balanced. McFadyen was responsible for both goals, and each was a big feature of the game. Both, as was Rangers point, were scored in the second half. The first followed a free-kick taken from near the touchline by Wales, who lobbed the ball into goal. Dawson saw it coming the whole way, and standing a foot or so out from goal, clutched it stomach-high. But he did not clear it with his usual slickness. Instead, he held it to allow McFadyen to have a go at him. The Motherwell centre gave Dawson a lusty shoulder charge. The goalkeeper fell with the ball held in outstretched hands. As he fell, he released the ball, but apparently, he actually carried it over the line in his stumble. The referee had no hesitation about the goal, but Dawson appealed against the decision. Naturally, there were many views as to whether or not the ball was actually over the line. Frankly, I am not prepared to say. From my seat in the centre of the stand it was impossible to judge, but I consider it is worth while giving the opinion of the Sunday Mail photographer who was stationed at the goal. He is very definite that it was not a score. Although the score sheet was blank at the interval, I really thought Motherwell should have gone to the lemon, or whatever they get in the Fir Park pavilion, with a goal lead. The game started at a rousing pace and the ball was booted from one part of the field to the other to the accompaniment of recurring full-throated yells. The atmosphere was tense, and the hurly-burly of the play was in keeping with it. Gradually, however, Motherwell assumed a mastery, and for ten of the closing fifteen minutes Rangers were decidedly a force fighting with it back to the wall. But after McFadyens first goal which was scored four minutes after the restart Rangers put more punch into their efforts. But their offensive movements were rebutted, and for a spell play was tame. Then fifteen minutes from the end Stevenson got an equaliser. Kennedy sent a ball into the goalmouth. Crapnell misjudged its flight and permitted McPhail to nip in and shoot from ten yards. McClory stopped the ball but couldnt hold it. It bounced off his hands to Stevenson, who first time placed it with commendable deliberation into the net. That equaliser stirred things up a bit, and once again we had the hammer and tongs, hell for leather stuff. Motherwell came out of it bear, and scored, McFadyen shooting a beauty from fifteen yards when positioned slightly to Dawsons right. Rangers tried hard enough to get on terms of equality again, but really, they never looked like scoring. Motherwell, on this showing, look to have a big chance of capturing another League flag. They are truly a good team, and one that can adapt themselves to different styles of play, whether it be drawing-room or back-yard stuff, neat and crisp, or hard and tough. However, they are not the perfect combination. Crapnell, at left back, showed weaknesses in his clearances, while in the forward line Ogilvie and Stevenson could have given more cause to please. Stevenson, in this game, was not a patch of the player who brought every English manager to Scotland with a blank cheque. Indeed, his runs up to which Scottish football fans are used were conspicuous by their absence. Only on one occasion, and that in the second half, did he have a solo effort. Ogilvie, I firmly believe, will be a good player, and will develop into a high grade winger. At the moment he is not sufficiently experienced. Maybe he is guilty of suffering from nerves. McMenemy, the best forward on the field, was delightful to watch. With a more experienced partner than Ogilvie, Rangers defence on the left side of the field, would have had a bust time of it, a worrying time, and perhaps a most unhappy time. This was the best game I have seen Russell play for Rangers, but I cannot think that the Ibrox confederacy are too joyful about him. McDonald was easily the best of the three half-backs, and the forwards I cannot pick out one above the others. The varying form of four of them are well enough known without my commenting on them, but a word about Stevenson is necessary. He was on his toes all the time, but he wasnt in the game all the time. He had a good opening of a quarter of an hour and then gradually faded out. But he came again in the second half and gave Archibald some very nice balls to negotiate. He was keen and eager all through, and given a decent break is a clever player. But I do not think he is big or strong enough to make openings for his mates in the same way as the man whose position he is occupying. Although it was a thrilling tussle, the game was not productive of mush sweet moving football. But it was all very enjoyable
