Nicholson 32
Fleming 55
Match Information
Attendance: 7,000
Referee: J Hudson (Glasgow)
Matchday: Saturday
Match Trivia
Everything went all wrong for Rangers. Kilmarnock did not look like doing anything but taking the count until Rangers lost Main and then McPhail. Main, going on with the ball 28 minutes after the start, and with nobody near him, suddenly fell forward. He had to be assisted off, and it turned out that he pulled a muscle above the knee. His lost did not in the least affect Rangers superiority. Nicholson scored the only goal of the first half when he was off. Rangers led by that goal at the interval, and it should have been more with decent marksmanship. McPhail was a sinner, and Fleming could do nothing against Smith, a splendidly resourceful defender. Main did not resume after the interval, but still Rangers were the better, and ten minutes after the restart Nicholson cutely worked an opening for Fleming to run in and score a second goal. It looked all Lombard Street to a China orange on Rangers winning hands down. But then, McPhail went lame and changed to outside left. He was helpless more or less. It was then the Kilmarnock forwards woke up. If they couldnt do something against virtually nine men, they were disgraced. They began to worry the Rangers defence, and after a lot of feckless finishing Williamson took a chance in his old style and beat Dawson with a clipper shot a bonnie goal. After that play was mostly around the Rangers defence, but the Kilmarnock forwards were making little impression, and it seemed points for Rangers sure. Two minutes a few seconds less remained when Anderson drove the ball towards Dawsons right-hand post. There should have been no danger in that. But in dashes Keane from the wing and just managing to get his head to the ball he turned it into the net. A draw and possibly Kilmarnock could not believe their senses. Their forwards have to thank a stubborn defence for making a draw possible. When Rangers were at strength, and even after the loss of Main, the play was nearly all going towards the Killie defence, but half-backs and backs covered up splendidly, and Miller made several match-saving clearances. Smith was grand defensive pivot, Molloy and Anderson unflinching backs. The forwards were a poor line most of the time, perhaps because Maxwell could do nothing with Simpson. I liked Keane beat, and I give him a pat on the back for seeing the possibilities of converting that slap-dash drive by Anderson. It was a bad pitch to play on, heavy and slippery, and this had a lot to do with the poor finishing of both teams. Rangers defence was in velvet until the last twenty minutes. The forwards had the winning of the game until their troubles increased, and then the defence found themselves with the whole job on their shoulders. Things like that happen at times.
