Stevenson 48
Gillick 55
Match Information
Attendance: 25,000
Referee: J Thomson (Hamilton)
Matchday: Saturday
Match Trivia
Rangers were lucky to take a point at Motherwell, because Motherwell were easily the better team over the ninety minutes. Yet Rangers were unlucky in not pulling off the winner in the last minute when an effort by Gillick might as well have gone into the net as past the goal for all McClory knew. It may be wrong to apportion Rangers success to Meiklejohn, who went limping into he attack about twenty minutes to go, but most certainly Rangers team rose from being a down-and-out team, struggling in defence and not a leading link forward. As a matter of fact, Motherwell should twice have had a couple of goals in hand. When play settled properly, they were the dictators, and two goals would not have flattered their attack in the first twenty minutes. Motherwell appeared to take their superiority for granted, and actually there was more incident at McClorys end, and the fouls on Gillick had no adequate recompense in fruitless free kicks, rather humorously taken after pow-wows between Meiklejohn and McPhail, who employed various methods with equal failure. About twenty minutes from time, Motherwell should have had the points secure. They were leading 2-1 and definitely on top of the play. Rangers were sagging, their wing half defence evaporating, and hairsbreadth misses were common at Dawsons goal. Twice Dawson had fluke saves from Ferrier, and Bert Thomson grazed a far post with a low shot, while MacFadyen had a goal chalked off for no very apparent reason. But Referee Thomson must be exonerated. His decisions might not always have been sound, but he was without bias, having previously refused a goal by McPhail, who had cunningly put the ball through with his hand in a head clash with Ellis. Yet Motherwell will never forgive the referee for Rangers equaliser two and a half minutes from time. Venters appeared to play the ball over the bye-line off Stevensons foot, but a corner was given, from which Gillick headed through. The vehement protest of the Motherwell players was ignored. Rangers have yet to find a point of concentration in attack. Gillick is naturally clever, but not yet a match physically for such treatment as is nowadays dealt out to centre-forwards, when bashers are anticipated and Gillick is entire in cleverness only. In other respects, Rangers were not impressive. There was a definite constructive looseness at wing-half which McPhail and Venters could not repair. Meiklejohn had magnificent ideas, but Brown was unusually subdued. McPhail was very disappointing, but had a willing partner in Nicholson, who merited further inclusion. Personalities in the game were few, but Telfer and Wales were always splendid forcing half-backs. Stevenson and McMenemy rather faded, but in bloom were the ball expects. Primarily, however, it should be an injunction that Bert Thomson gets more employment. Following a goalless first-half, Stevenson jabbed through a falling pass from Wales three minutes after the interval. Gillick equalised in ten minutes, when McClory repelled a quick shot from Venters. McMenemy put Motherwell ahead in twenty-three minutes, the ball falling from Simpsons head as the big Ranger stopped a Bert Thomson cross. Gillick got the second equaliser as already described
