Fulton 5
Tennant 19
Match Information
Attendance: 6,000
Referee: T Dougray (Glasgow)
Matchday: Saturday
Match Trivia
A triumph of dash and dour defence on St Johnstones part. As for Rangers, they did much to defeat themselves. On the whole, Rangers should not have been beaten, and had they disclosed the equalising chink in St Johnstones defensive armour when they were definitely on top of the game during the first half-hour of the second half, they might have riddled it. To elaborate on these generalisations, Rangers made the losing mistake of judiciously building up attack when the sodden ground, driven rain and skidding ball called for precaution. The tempestuous rain ruined the gate, only some 5000 looking on. It was a horribly raw day for football, and twenty constructive touches were worth no more than one that was destructive, and St Johnstone usually had the odd one. Time and again Rangers built up attack to within grasp of success, and always along came an opponent to snatch it from them in one rollicking rush. But this is forgetting the opening twenty minutes when Rangers found their schemes being kicked to the winds and they were two goals down. At this period Saints were really worth their lead. Rangers had been knocked groggy by losing a goal in the fourth minute, and this hall-mark on her efforts gave Saints the necessary confidence. Then the Perth attack sailed right into it, in direct contrast to Rangers forward nibbles, and a thoroughly beaten defence yielded the second goal. Looking over the game, Rangers defence, considering the distribution of work, came out of it definitely very much worse than that of Saints. Of course, the more open advances of the Perth forwards had always the better chance of finding opponents put of position. Indeed, that is the whole secret of result. There was a slow plodding element in Rangers attack that eliminated all probability of surprise. It was the indecision of Rangers defence that caused the first goal. The ball bobbed about, inviting a clearance before Fulton got his foot to it following a flag kick into the goalmouth. The second goal found Rangers defence still on their heels as the advance developed in flashing style, and Tennants scoring shot actually hit Simpson on its way to the net. Between times Dawson had served Rangers well and no blame whatever attaches to him for the defeat. The greater solidity of Rangers gradually told its tale, and though their cohesion was ill-timed they set Saints to do the struggling. Yet Rangers only goal was practically a gift through a miskick by Moulds, Smith being on the spot to take quick advantage. This was after half an hour and Rangers period of strain appeared to be past. With the wind behind them and only a goal to make up in the second-half, the odds appeared to be on Rangers and the run of looked very likely to land them. Dawson must have nearly been frozen in Rangers goal, and for twenty minutes he never touched the ball. Rangers locked attack, however, became monotonous, though at least twice they had very hand lines. Simpson shot on to the bar in a crowded goal-mouth, and while McPhail evaded injury later in trying to rush the ball through it hit the post. Saints raids, mainly through the far-reaching passes of Ferguson and the hard-working Davidson, were only very occasional, and no one was prepared for the dramatic finish. Stewart produced the prologue by smacking a startling shot against the post during one of these rare raids, Dawson standing helpless, and two minutes more Davidson carried threat into disaster by ripping a great shot past Dawson from 20 yards. Three-one against then fourteen minutes to go made Rangers position hopeless, and they took their defeat with good grace. Chief honours go to the Perth defence for their tenacity under almost continuous pressure. Welsh mastered Main and Moulds was the supreme spoiler. Wylie, though not inspiring confidence, was a vital factor in Saints success. Davidson and Ferguson were Saints key men in attack, and Davidson fulfilled promise of becoming a great player. How he could hit that ball for a shot! Tennant was clever without being outstanding, and Stewart was strong and confident. Fulton was rather out of it. There was a suggestion of tactics in the play of the Perth team that may have been born in the managerial brain of Mr Muirhead, and no ball ever went by default throughout the team. I have already laid bare Rangers vital weakness. They played some very good football, but never attained their usual masterly game, especially in power of attack. Smith acquired a limp through a first half injury. Individual criticism of Rangers would be out of place, as it was more a team failure. Certainly, it is a feather in the cap of St Johnstone to show that Rangers can be beaten and let them wear it proudly! Their performance probably wrote the history of the 1933-34 League campaign. The selectors present would get little to consider over, as emphatically it was not a day to judge
