Divers 22
A Venters 23
Murphy 34
C Johnstone 39
Gillan 44
Match Information
Attendance: 33168
Referee: J Henderson (Kirkcaldy)
Match Trivia
Rangers and Celtic have been eulogised, perhaps ad nauseum, for the many thrilling football exhibitions served up, but once again we must indulge in a paean. They are a wonderful pair. From the opening minute exciting situations abounded and continued until the closing seconds when two Rangers players, Symon and Venters, desperately attempting to equalise, clashed to the ground in a tangle with the Celtic goalkeeper, and the ball skidded past the goal. This was merely one of the many hard-luck moments for Rangers chief of which were the two occasions when Smith struck the Celtic woodwork and Bolt battered one against the upright. But Celtic, too, had their misses, notably when Paterson failed at a penalty kick and Lynch hit a post; and when everything is taken inro account, I think the verdict must unquestionably be that Celtic deserved their narrow victory. Outstanding factors in their triumph were the cool, skilful dribbling of the inside forwards, Divers and Gillan and the commanding play of McDonald, Waddell and Paterson at half-back. The first-named excelled in making the ball do the work. Divers, in comparative football obscurity for weeks, evidently found the occasion inspiring. His suave control and coolly-clipped passes when others players were slipping and stumbling made him the outstanding player afield. Venters and Marshall of Rangers were not nearly so happy under the conditions, and at the interval changed places. Lynch rose to the occasion as a stop-gap outside right for the winners, while Murphys contribution was a glorious goal, a full-blooded shot from eighteen yards raging across the penalty box to bury itself in the net. Smith and Gillick worked tremendously hard in Rangers attack, the former without much luck. Johnstone was not conspicuous at outside-left, where Hoggs instantaneous tackling often proved too much for him. Celtics half-backs made a slightly stronger appeal than the Rangers trio. With two victories at Ibrox (one in the Glasgow Cup Final) and a draw at Parkhead, Celtic have so far enjoyed a wonderful season against their old rivals. Divers, at close range, scored Celtics first goal in 22 minutes from a square pass by Crum, and Venters quickly equalised from nearly twenty-five yards. Paterson missed given against Woodburn for clumsily stopping Crum, but Murphys great goal followed, and then Rangers equalised again through Johnstone, whose half-hit bouncing shot was misjudged by the Celtic keeper. Just on half-time Gillan, with insouciance reminiscent of Venters at his best, dribbled through Rangers defence, passed to Divers, took the return and scored. Second half was not quite so hectic, but the issue remained in the balance until the referee sounded time up. Attendance seemed round the 30,000 mark
