A Venters 1
Kinnear 2
Match Information
Attendance: 18,000
Referee: unknown - to be confirmed
Matchday: Monday
Match Trivia
Rangers two goals up in three minutes! What would any sane man look for after that? A Partick debacle of course. But it wasnt. After getting their two stunning goals, the Ibrox team played some sweet football, and then developed a marvellous dexterity for missing the easiest scoring chances. Partick had golden opportunities to profit by Rangers delinquencies, but their forwards were just as inept. How bot to shoot became the feature it stood out a mile. Even with their two-goal lead, Rangers did not appear positively safe until they got a third, and they didnt get it until the second half was some 21 minutes gone. A bit of snap in the Partick front before this third goal arrived could have given the game a different shape altogether. Faults in defence contributed to more than one of the goals. When Kinnear placed a corner-kick after two minutes, Johnstone, instead of punching the ball sideways or over the bar, for safety, knocked it straight out, and Venters was on it like a bird to slam it into the net. A minutes later, with Partick pressing, a long pass out to Kinnear let him clean away. He made a good job of it, for with the Partick defence racing back to cover up, he aimed well out of Johnstones reach and that was number two. Partick refused to throw in the towel, but though their forwards worked into the rangers defence, there was little finish about their work. Dawson took everything that reached him with icicle coolness. All the prospect of further scoring was at the other ned, but Smith, after twice missing the target by next to nothing, had the goal completely at his mercy, but overran the ball. As the interval approached, Partick got more bite into their attack. A goal seemed on the way when Simpson, for once, failed to clear, and McMenemy went after the ball. Dawson, with quick anticipation, rushed out and kicked away. McKennan should have done better than shoot wide after boring through by himself to within six yards of goal. Then McPhail hit the bar with a whiz-bang, and Smith with a header almost scored, Johnstone saving at full stretch. So, Rangers, who had started off like man-eaters, were no further ahead when the teams went in for a breather. If the marksmanship was bad in the first half, it was something terrible in the second. Kinnear, Smith and Thornton should each have scored. It should have been as easy as falling off a dyke. And, while all this was going on, Partick were making jabs at the Rangers defence, and sometimes causing a bit of flutter. McSpadyen had come on a whole lot, and McKennan was more elusive, but the goal that might have created a diversion wouldnt come. It came at the other end, when Sutherlands, in heading back to Johnstone, failed to give the ball enough urge, and McPhail dashed through to score. That was 21 minutes after the restart. Two minutes later, the Partick right-wing came on, Simpson failed to clear, and Wallace walked through to beat Dawson at point blank range. This was Simpsons one error, if you could call it that. But Partick were no deid yet. McMenemy brought out a fine full-length save by Dawson, there were more Rangers misses, and the game ended on a milder note than it had begun. The three selectors present would put Dawson on their list of nothing better anywhere cool, quick, decisive, the complete custodian. Apart from his error when the first goal was scored, Johnstone was splendidly safe. The back play was of a good standard, and here I give a special word of praise to Ian Johnstone, who had no light task but stuck to it was great courage. All round, however, Gray was the best back on the field. His judgment was scarcely ever at fault. McDonald and Calderwood could shake hands on it. Rangers half-back got a better response from their forwards than did the Firhill trio, and that showed them to greater advantage. Simpsons height was an asset, but apart from that, he was on his game, and so were Brown and McKillop. The good leading-up play of the Rangers forwards was discounted by their bad finishing. Had McPhail got the chances some of the others enjoyed, there would have been some goals, I fancy. Kinnear was a dashing raider. Young Thornton needs opportunity to settle down. Venters took his goal smartly, and like Smith, expended any amount of energy which did not produce further results. After a poor first half, the Partick front line improved, but it always lacked the right driving power. Also, too many of McKennans passes went wrong until late in the game when he was able to bring McSpadyen on to his game. More might have come of it had Wallace been able to give Simpson the slip, but that was not easy. McMenemy gave Smith some pretty passes but was not often enough up to get a return.
