McGrory 8
A Venters 35
Match Information
Attendance: 40,000
Referee: H Watson (Glasgow)
Matchday: Monday
Match Trivia
No doubt about it there is something in it! No matter which may be favourite, and which may be seemingly in poor form, you never can tell whats going to happen in a Rangers-Celtic contest, no matter where the game may be played. How often have I seen it Myself! Time after time, when Celtic seemed certainties on form, Rangers have come along with surprising power and either drawn or won. And reverse the process if you like Celtic have done the same with Rangers. Who would have thought previous to yesterdays game that the Parkhead boys would lead within a minute; later be one down; later still equalise and towards the end be battering at Rangers citadel till the finish? I certainly would not but for my long acquaintance with the peculiarities of those fixtures. Not only that. But it must have looked all over bar the shouting when Pater Wilson twisted himself. Peter had been the best half-back on the field up till that point midway through the first half, and his swop of positions with Napier looked as if the most likely section of the Celtic team would be knocked back play, actually was often among the forwards. Yet his recovery work was wonderful. On several occasions when Nicholson seemed to be well away, Napier came sprinting back and usually overhauled the Ranger. But there was a greater revelation the fact that the Parkhead team as a whole were not thrown out of gear by Wilsons inability to return to his own position. But let me come to some points in the play. Right early in the game Main attracted attention by his clever and fast work against stalwart McGonagle. As the game progressed it was apparent that the Celtic back would have his work cut out. I turned to my companion in the Press-box no less a man than old friend, Stan Seymour, the Morton and Newcastle winger and said, I have had my eye on Main for some time. Ive always maintained that he was a coming man. What do you think of him? Stan replied: A coming man? Why, he has come all right. I havent seen a better winger. He is two-footed, and never wastes a ball. A most dangerous fellow. Sure, he is Scotlands best. Despite Mains early threats, Celtic scored first. ODonnell shot hard, and the ball appeared to me to hot Alec Thomsons head. Then that for their general work up to that time Celtic deserved the lead. It was fitting that Main should be the operator who made the Rangers equaliser possible. He took a rare pass from Meiklejohn and place a perfect ball across. Kennaway did manage to punt it out, and the ball fell conveniently to Venters foot. The inside-right took his left to it and beat Kennaway with a brilliant drive. It was shortly after that Wilson twisted himself. That seemed to be Rangers chance. Yet Celtic had just as much of the play as their opponents. Frank ODonnell, I considered to be the most dangerous man for a time. He appeared to be keen to put in some extra work on account of the cripped state of the Celtic front line. He wandered away from McDonald occasionally, and in that he may have shown excellent judgment, as McDonald played largely as an individualist and so puzzled Meiklejohn for a space. Had ODonnell and McDonald played the recognised wing game Davie would have been better pleased, I feel sure. Next, we saw some interesting duels between Main and Hughes, and Main and McGonagle, in which the winger often came off best. His inward work too was most threatening to was headed clear or charged down. Rangers didnt take it all lying down. Smith thrice tried to force a way through, but McStay, or Hogg, or McGonagle was always there to spoil his effort. Celtic made no change in their formation after the interval. And they had one early opportunity to take the lead when Jenkins allowed a low ball to elude his grasp. He just recovered as a Celt was dashing in and conceded a corner. Great Celtic pressure at this time made Rangers defence stagger. If they had got a goal then the result might have been different, but Simpson put in a power of work and enabled his side to take command again. McPhail had one of the best chances of the game after he scrambled the ball round to his right foot only a few yards from Kennaway. The goalkeeper dived out as big Bob shot and saved what seemed a certainly. Smith was another who had a chance with a pass from Venters. Why he allowed the ball to pass between his feet I cannot understand. Possibly he thought that either McPhail or Nicholson would be in better position for a shot. McGonagle, I think, must take the blame for Rangers leading goal. He needlessly fouled Main, and Meiklejohn placed the free kick as he well knows how to do. I thought that Smith would get the ball with his head, but it merely grazed his hair. McPhail here showed excellent judgment. He had run in anticipating the fall of the ball and had merely to apply the side of the foot to score. Thirteen minutes of the second half had free kick past a bunch of Rangers men and into the far side of the net. What were rangers players thinking about at that time? There must have been bad marking somewhere. That ended the scoring, though a Thomson ripper and a Smith goal that was nullified by offside kept the excitement going, as did a first-rate header by McPhail and an equally first-rate save by Kennaway. Play slowed down a little for a time till the finishing burst by Celtic that kept Rangers on the stretch. Kennaway excelled Jenkins. I have a great admiration for his almost faultless anticipation and for his sense in throwing out at the right time. Jenkins, however, will come on with experience. He made a good show in such a testing game. The four full-backs I class in this order Hoff, first, Gray and McDonald equal, and McGonagle next. The Celtic left back came into his own later in the game, but earlier on Main proved too clever for him. Wilson goes out of criticism on account of his injury. McStay put in his usual power of work, adding to that his long dangerous punt to his forwards. Hughes is game and keen, but he had to put in a lot of chasing, with the result that he could not devote too much time to feeding. Simpson goes down as the best half-back. He made very few mistakes. Meiklejohn placed well, as usual, but he too had a sore time trying to stop an alert Celtic wing. Brown did well and was constructive. But I have seen him better. Forward, Napier, while he was outside right, showed a clean pair of heels to McDonald occasionally, and I have referred to his worth at half-back. Alec Thomson a grand player. He has recovered all his old brilliance. McGrory, like Smith, kept moving, darting, designing and shooting, or heading as occasion demanded. But McGrory I thought a trifle in front of the Ranger. ODonnell and McDonald I have described. Venters needs a bit of speeding-up, and it was noticeable that he did best in the first twenty minutes of the game. He has lots of football in him. McPhail, I liked very well. He kept Nicholson going and he was strong within himself. Nicholson played up well and had hard luck with two excellent crossed at least
