B McPhail 3
A Venters 16
Waddell 18, 89
Thornton 35, 70
Sharp pen 40
Kinnear 76
Kieran 75
Waddell
Kiernan
Missed Penalties
B McPhail pen miss
Match Information
Attendance: 10,000
Referee: J Horsburgh (Midlothian)
Matchday: Saturday
Match Trivia
When Rangers came on to the field at the start in their blue and white narrow-hooped jerseys, a gentleman behind me asked his friend, Its that the Rangers? Aye, was the replay, thats a thats left o them! if the same gentleman had asked, as the team came off at the finish, Is that the Albion Rovers? a similar reply would have been more justified! The game was finished before the wingers had had more than half a dozen kicks at the ball in the 18th minute, to be exact. Rangers were three up than, and wondering how they were going to put in the rest of the time. McPhail, Venters and Waddell had scored in the most simple fashion. The covering of the Rovers defence at this point wouldnt have sheltered a canary from the rain. The full backs, new to each other (Rovers regular backs were off through injury), lay so far apart youd have sworn they were in the huff with each other. Somebody simply had to fill this big space. Unluckily for Rovers, the job was taken over by fellows in a different strip. Liddell, the pivot, found those striped jerseys coming at him in pairs, and even threes. Just after Venters had headed against the foot of the upright, we had a proper thrill at the other end. Sharp took a free kick about twenty yards out. Five Rangers players blocked the way ten yards off. How Jenkins saw that beautifully placed ball at all beats me. And how he managed to spring across the goal and push it out is just past a comprehension! Rangers now saw that, no matter how sick the Rovers defence might be, the attack was in disgustingly good health. Symon and Fiddes had to do a spot of real hard graft. Their often-desperate clearances with the sliding tackle changed the colour of their pants. But Pa McPhail and his bairns were too sprightly to stand idle for long, and another clever move saw Thornton smash a bonnie ball past Robertson. Next minute we had a big roar when the referee awarded a penalty kick against Symon away out on the edge of the box. The half-back was accused of handling. It didnt look that way to me. Anyhow, the referee showed how convinced he was by consulting a linesman. The penalty kick stood, and Sharp hit the ball well home. Shortly after the resumption, Rangers got a penalty when Kinnear was brought down by Liddell. McPhail hit the ball low into Robertsons feet, and it was ultimately cleared. It seemed the simplest thing in the world for Rangers to score, while for Rovers it was more difficult than trying to get the last word in an argument with his wife. Kiernan had a great shot brilliantly saved by Jenkins, as had wee Johhny Bell just afterwards. With twenty minutes to go, Kinnear had a long touchline run and cross which Thornton smashed into the net with his head. Five minutes later, Jenkins practically scored a goal against himself! He took a goal-kick and sliced it out to the feet of Love, the Rovers left winger. The latter immediately returned it across goal, and Kiernan rattle it home. Just as quick as that. Next minute, Kinnear rubbed that one out when he scored from a right-wing move, and just on time Waddell scored from the wing, amid protests from the entire Rovers defence that the ball hadnt crossed the line. Rovers were caught in an evil oor. The emergency backs played as well as could be expected but that was a long way from being good enough. Puggy Allan held Kinnear pretty well in the first half but was chasing the Rangers tail-lamp all the second. McLetchie and Sharp are clever wing halfs, whose hearts are being broken by this eternal shout Come back! Liddells lack of speed added yards to Thorntons. Ironside Kiernan and Bell played quite smartly and were able to look after themselves, but Louden was obviously out of place and therefore out of sorts. Love made a lot of mistakes which werent out-shaded by his occasional good items. As for Rangers, a game like this make one wonder what all the blinking grousing has been about. But then, when the calibre of the opposing defence is considered, one plays safe and reserves ones decision! Every time I see George Jenkins I think if him as footballs most patient sufferer. A truly brilliant keeper, displaying his wared in the pokey wee window round the corner just off the public gaze. Jenkins could walk into any team in the country and be tremendously successful. But he prefers to remain a Light Blue, and je tremendously satisfied. He was splendid again here. And Scott Symon comes on. His rapier-like passes which tickle every blade of grass on the route are an object lesson to the orthodox lobbers. Bob McPhail was the best inside forward afield, conserving and releasing his energy with the judgment born of experience. But the fellow who pleased me most of all was big Jimmy Simpson. This is no come-back. Its a jump-back. On this form, if Simmy is done, then there are a devil of a lot od corpses running about our football fields! The Referee Had a very bad first-half in which some of his decisions seemed queer. His habit of pulling up the attacking side for a foul committed against them, led to much dissatisfaction. McPhail missed a second half penalty
