Bain 10
J Smith 18, 53
Match Information
Attendance: 30,000
Referee: W Webb (Glasgow)
Matchday: Saturday
Match Trivia
That was Partick Thistle yesterday. When Bains tenth-minute goal sent them off with a bang the hopes of the Partick faithful promptly soared into the stratosphere. What a fall was there, my countryman! It took Rangers just seven minutes to equalise, and though the wolf didnt quite reach Johnstones door until after the interval, the Firhill firework display was over. For the latter half of the game Thistle were too often just twenty-two feet, one pair of hands and no brain. They lacked the co-ordinating and directing influence of a Meiklejohn and the collective understanding of Rangers as a whole. At times the Patrick attack was positively muscle-bound in front of goal, and it was a pointer to this fecklessness of the forward line when Cummings, in the second half, began to move upfield on his own and try his luck with Dawson at long range. Rangers by that time were two goals ahead, and taking it easy, with an I-can-do-this-with-my-hands-in-my pocket air about them. McPhail and Venters both limping, scarcely nullified to do more than look on. Only on two occasions in the last half-hour of play was the comfortable assurance of the champions concerned. Once McLennan was going right through with only Dawson to beat when he was fouled and dispossessed. Later, Cummings sent in one of his long-gun specials which the Ibrox keeper could only tip over the bar for a corner. Apart from these moments, Thistle never looked like improving their position. They did a bit of shooting, especially, but when the ball wasnt being driven against a wall of defenders it was sent curling harmlessly wide of the goal. One of Elliots efforts just failed to hit the corner flag. The Ibrox machine, gentlemen, is tuned up and hitting on all its cylinders. It is going to be as hard to stop this season as in any other. Roberts was the least impressive of the Light Blues, but by no means a failure. The others struck one high head of form. The strength and dash of Smith and McPhail, however disconcerting to their opponents was a joy to watch, and the whole eleven gave an impression of ease and controlled power that contrasted strongly with the ragged enthusiasm of the Jags. For the latter, Johnstone, Cummings, Stevenson and Bain did well. There is promise in the McSpadyen-McKennan wing. Both of these boys must conquer a tendency to frill. McLennan lacked height to cope with Simpson and was weak at trapping a forward ball. With a few lessons from Old Man Experience this forward line should be good enough. Play opened briskly enough. There had been tense moments at both ends before Bain met a backwards-curling cross from McSpadyen, steadied it, and let go with his left foot. Dawson was in position for the shot and might have stopped it had not Gray, rushing in, deflected it a foot or so in its rising course, so that the keeper got only one hand to it. The long yell from the Partick camp-followers. A few minutes later McLennan shot narrowly past from another McSpadyen cross, with Simpson thundering down on him. Even thus early there was the stamp of method on the work of Rangers and too much loose leg kicking by Thistle. In the seventeenth minute Meiklejohn sent McPhail away in full career. Smith was left momentarily uncovered, pat came the ball to his foot and, running in, the centre popped it past Johnstone. There was a sharp contrast in tactics in the play that followed the equaliser. The Thistle forwards were inclined to dither. McSpadyen raised a cheer for a duel with Brown in which he tricked the Rangers left-half thrice in quick succession and then shot over. McPhail was clean through but put a hand to the ball a yard from the goal-line. Smith sent in a terrific hook shot from a Roberts cross, and Johnstone saved magnificently. Seven minutes after the restart Smith rounded Calderwood and beat Johnstone with an unstoppable shot. McPhail was brought down by Elliot, and from the free-kick Rangers forced a corner. The ball came nicely to McPhails head and well, a nod is as good as a goal in such a case.
