Lyness 12
A Venters 67
Match Information
Attendance: 75,000
Referee: J.M. Martin (Ladybank)
Matchday: Saturday
Match Trivia
I almost feel like apologising to Rangers young centre. But I wont What right had Willie Thornton to show me how indifferent he could be in previous matches and then serve up a game like this? What is a poor critic to do? Or a wealthy one, for that matter? For this was the Thornton that Davie Meiklejohn has been prophesying about to me for long enough. And the Thornton that may play his way right into the Scottish team for Hampden! I dont like to go all girlish about any player especially a young one. But only the mulish-brained could withhold credit for as sparkling a centre-forward display as has been seen on this noted field. To my recollection, Thornton was dispossessed of the ball only twice in the game. Yet few players possessed it so often. Maybe I can best describe his nimble cuteness by saying he played the kind of game Johnny Crum purveyed at the start of the season only twice as fast! Lowe, the Accies pivot, and a good one too never seemed to realise that the only way to stop Thornton from doing damage with the ball was to stop him getting it! Simpson, the Rangers pivot, on the other hand, twigged this very early so far as Davie Wilson was concerned, and invariably tried to squeeze in front of Wilson to smother the up-the-middle pass. The result was that the Accies half-backs, following up the pass, found the ball flying back over their heads while they were hopelessly out of position. Wilson never had a chance. Hid inside support were running about with 56lb weights round their ankles. It was a day for the sudden flick. But Keddie and Kennedy had sodden feet! Accies only chance lay on the wing. It was expected in some quarters that Chris McNee would have stop-gap McKillop reeling. Nothing of the sort happened. It wasnt until the second half that Chris got much change out of Tom and Rangers victory was pretty well established by that time. On the other wing, McNeil was keen until he seemed to lose his temper. A fatal thing in a game where only goals count and free kicks often lead to them. McNeil came to inside-right in the second half and missed the pinch of the match. Right across the floor in front of Dawsons goal came that ball from the right. Mac, standing four yards out, lifted his leg to tap it into net and missed it altogether. But the simple truth is that Hamilton were beaten by a side that had them well whacked in the arts of the game. The Light Blues turned on the heat, and Accies cup hopes melted away like a penny slider in the sun. Rangers had dozens of movements that should have led to goals. Some of them a sheer delight to the eye too. Yet the first goal, when it did come, savoured more of the individual burst through. Brown completely surprised his immediate opponents by intercepting and passing in the one movement and art that comes with thought and experience. Thornton made for the ball at midfield, with Lowe in his tail lamp. Out of the corner of his eye, he must have seen Lyness moving up, for he suddenly back-heeled the ball right in the path of the inside-right. And there was Lyness, about 40 yards from goal, tearing down on Morgan with Accies defenders closing in on him from either side. It was all a question of timing. Had he delayed his shot, it would have been smothered. He didnt and he was smothered, by his joyous pals! From the kick-off Accies almost equalised. The ball went plunging about the Light Blues goal area like a mad thing. Finally, George Brown, facing his own goal, desperately flung out his foot to keep it from itching toes of Davie Wilson. Crack the ball hit the cross-bar and rebounded out, with Dawson standing like Al Jolson in Sonny Boy! That one nearly took the curl out of Jerrys hair! But these Acas attacks didnt have their genesis in thoughtful planning. They were spurts more than anything else, though mighty dangerous for all that. They were shabby in comparison with some of those Rangers attacks which actually started as far back as the Ibrox goal area. Hamiltons best period came just after the interval when, apparently acting on instruction, they crowded on everything. For a minute or two, Rangers defenders didnt look too pretty. An amazing incident happened when Symon missed the ball three times in front of his own goal and then managed to cut it out to Waddell on the wing. Before the Light Blues could complete a whistle of relief, the ball was back in the same place again. Waddell, meaning to hook the ball upfield, toed it right back into goal. When Rangers had lived through this spot of panic, there was noting likely to stop then winning. The Venters-Thornton-Lyness axis claimed all the territory it wanted. The second gaol was a peach in sympathetic and synthetic football. Another defence-shattering back-heel by Thornton to Lyness. A quick flick to Venters and the Fifer was there on the 12 yards nark for his usual. Dawson was fine. McKillop surprisingly good in the circumstances. And Shaw is steadily making it impossible for the selectors to pass him by. Airdrie gave him his chance to be a star. Rangers have completed the job. Symon was the best half-back, though Brown and Simpson had a thoroughly happy afternoon. Rangers weaknesses were on the wings. Waddells shooting was poor, while Turnbull turned down so many pinches there might have been a turn-up! You know about the inside trio. Let me add a word about Lyness. He will be Rangers class very shortly if he isnt there already. Hamilton lost the game where it should be won in the middle. Keddie and Kennedy were tied-up from the start, and that meant Wilson had to go into the parcel too. The half-backs were over-run, though one couldnt but admire the tenacious fighting qualities of Johnny Thomson. The same applied to Morgan, Wallace and Scott. The ball was coming back to them so quickly and generally with an opponent attached, they seldom had a chance to place a clearance. Frankly Hamilton have no grouse. They were asked to do too much, and being human, failed. But their courage and scorning of the defeatist spirit made it a fascinating game all through. The Referee Mt Marton has often been better a lot better. He gave two offside decision which were almost laughable but might not have created laughter had the free-kicks been capitalised!
