Oakes 21
Law 22, 25
B McPhail 46
Turnbull 57
Match Information
Attendance: 12,000
Referee: M.C. Hutton (Glasgow)
Matchday: Saturday
Match Trivia
In a glorious five minutes midway during the first half at Ibrox Queen of the South saved their First League prestige. Their three foals were all scored un that short space of time after months of agony. But that is only half the story. in the second half Queens were playing with practically 10 men, Thomson breaking down completely, and though he figured at outside right he was a passenger bit to be trusted with the ball. This must have been a bitter remainder for Queens, as Thomson was also crocked in the Scottish Cup game at Ibrox earlier on. It says much for Queens that they won through despite this handicap which disorganised the whole team. When the half-time score board at other grounds showed Rangers 0 Queen of the South 3, there would be a general raising of eyebrows, and the know-alls would have a grand opportunity of telling how Rangers lay down. We fellows in the Press-box were also a bit mystified, for the core was undoubtedly a gross exaggeration of the run of play. But Rangers knocked the lying down idea flat from the first kick of the second half. They went all out for goals and scored two in the first 12 minutes. After that it was a battle between rangers attack and the Dumfries defence, and schemed and tried all they knew. It was significant that Rangers were not playing for fun when Brown and Venters changed wing half positions when they were three goals down. The probable kernel of the story is that Rangers were lulled into false security in the early play. Queens looked poor fighters and Rangers could afford to turn on the fancy stuff. Rangers got a shock with the rat-tat-tat of Queens well-taken goals and never fully recovered. There is no question that as the goals arrived, they were merited. First Oakes found Winning short of a tackle and well beaten for speed, going on to place a well-directed left foot shot past Dawson. Next minute Rangers were shattered on the other flank, Tulip turning back to pass to Law, who rollicked the ball into the net. Rangers were groggy and unbalanced. Confident in their lead, Queens played come fine football. Thomson came up for a shot which struck the post and Law pounced on the rebound for number three. The second half is better told by Thomsons injury than any brilliant recovery by Rangers. Oakes was wandered at inside-right, and Hamilton wasted at left-half. All Queens could do was resort to defence. McPhail lit the way for Rangers with a goal in the first minute after the interval, carrying on from Smith and slanting the ball through. Eleven minutes later Turnbull met a cross from Kinnear and now there was only a goal to make up. But everything went wrong with Rangers finishing afterwards and Mellors had little more than anxiety, though his expect fielding was often in evidence. There was no outstanding players in a game without heroics. But Queens purple scoring patch there would be little to write about. The light ball and naked ground forbade all ideas of holding and nursing attack and first-timing never makes for good football.
