Delaney 3
J Smith 10
J Smith 84
Match Information
Attendance: 65,000
Referee: J Horseburgh (Bonnyrigg)
Matchday: Wednesday
Match Trivia
At one period in the game Celtic were leading three goals to one, and I reckon few, if any in the vast crowd would then have given a brass farthing for Rangers chances of equalising, let alone drawing clear to win. Topping a two-goal deficit at Celtic Park is something very much out of the ordinary. The Light Blues deserved this victory, accomplished under such unusual circumstances, for in the second half the Celts distinctly were forced to play second fiddle. I may be wrong, but it appeared to me that Celtic were weakened by the conditions, and the lighter-built men in the team lacked stamina towards the end. The game all through was a hard one, on going that was very heavy indeed, and the movements of some of the lads in green and white near the finish were those very much suggestive of leg-weariness. It was a clean contest, conducted in a sporting fashion until McGonagle seemed to think that he had stood the sight of Smith long enough. The centre and Foley raced for the ball. The goalkeeper threw himself at the leather as Smith raised his foot to make contact and was laid out. McGonagle took the law into his own hands, and for a couple of minutes, many of the players were grouped excitedly together, while bottles and stone were hurled from the terracing behind the Celtic goal, where an ugly situation arose, and a posse of police had to be rushed to the scene. It was a pity that this one incident should have happened to mar a game that otherwise was so generously endowed with skill, individual and combined, the spirit of sportsmanship eager endeavour. The game had a dramatic opening, Celtic scoring inside three minutes. Buchan sent the ball across, and Dawson, in attempting to get at it, bumped into Simpson, and a ball that should have been covered was deflected to Delaney, who shot strongly. Gray had jumped into the goal to cover Dawson, but the shot was too strong for him to stop, and the ball flew off him into the net. It took Rangers only seven minutes to equalise. Good work on their left wing resulted in the reward of a corner, placed by Fiddes. McPhail got his head to it, flicked it in the direction of Smith, who stooped a bit to screw it with his cranium out to Foleys reach. You can readily understand the excitement this quick fire stuff caused, and McGrory, eight minutes later, brought out the roars with a goal that must be numbered mong the bonniest he has scored. McDonald cleared a Crum effort in a weak sort of way, the ball going to the penalty line where McGrory secured possession, got it quickly under control, and left-footed it with power and precision to give his side the lead again. McGrory was in sprightly mood, and whatever some of his colleagues may have thought of the going, he thoroughly enjoying it, and that enjoyment was heightened fifteen minutes from half-time when, following a hot siege on Dawson, the record holder slammed a grounder through a bunch of players for the goalkeeper to make a hopeless dive. Pile em on! howled the Celtic following, while the Rangers lot at the other end stood dumb and still, as though stricken with paralysis. However, just on the interval they were given cause to shout and dance. A fierce goalmouth scramble was the outcome of a Turnbull corner kick, and the ball bounced about a bit, hitting friend and foe, until McPhail got his boot to it and shoved it over the line. Things didnt look so bad for Rangers now. And soon after the resumption they looked pretty good. They produced a brand of football that was played in the most confident manner, and both wings, in their forward movements caused the opposition plenty of running about. There was a distinct difference between the two attacks now. Rangers van worked in unison, the line moving upfield in position while Celtic depended more on long ball to Delaney and Murphy, whose job it was to make quick headway, with the hope that their fast raiding would open up the Rangers defence. At this stage of the game Lyon stood out prominently, and a less dependable man in the pivotal position would have seen Rangers equalise earlier than they did. The ex-Queens Parker was a stiff obstacle to overcome. It was in the twenty-second minute that the equaliser arrived. Fiddles, taking a cute pass from Venters, travelled a few yards and sent over a peach of a cross that found McPhail, and the inside-lefts effort was a scorer from the second it touched his head. At this stage I thought the score was a true reflex of the play, but Rangers went on to establish themselves as worthy to win. There were now more balance and poise in their play than in that of the order fellow and one had the feeling that Rangers would ultimately emerge victors. The winner came about seven minutes from the finish, and again Fiddes played a part in the score. It was from a corner kick from his foot that Smith netted with a header sent in below the bar with the force of a good-going shot. The Celtic fellows must have been dreadfully sick about losing a game they at one time must have felt, most confidently, was safely in their keeping. Never was there a clearer example of the old adage that a game is never won till it is lost, and we much give Rangers every credit for such a magnificent fight back. And that fight back was not one of those desperate sort of affairs. It was cool and calculating, for Rangers in the second half gave us football that was delightful wo watch, their wing half-backs combining well with the men in front. There were times when we had the feeling that they sure to score so methodically did they go about their work. And none worked harder than Venters. He was a real grafter in the second portion, and his work on the ball led to the Celtic defence being often puzzled. But I have no wish to single out one man from his neighbour in a game in which every man gave of his utmost, a game that was good to look at and well worthy of the high standard associated with the two teams.
