Hansen pen 22
T Cairns 87
Match Information
Attendance: 25000
Referee: JM Dickson (Glasgow)
Matchday: Tuesday
Match Trivia
Umemployed Relief Fund Cup. As we awaited the turning out of the players prior to yesterday’s Lord Provost’s Medal final at Hampden Park, there seemed to be a feeling existing – unwritten and unspoken, perhaps – that we would see nothing very special; it would be another namby-pamby game. You know what I mean – the ‘Old Firm’ are again running a neck and neck race for the League championship; a score or so days hence they meet in their sterner points battle at Parkhead. Therefore, they would not let themselves go; some folks imagined. How wrong were those who thought so. They were speedily disillusioned, and the fact brought home to them in double quick time that there can be no half-measure in a Rangers-Celtic contest be the stake ever so small. The men can’t help themselves. They must go all out. Proceedings started very quietly, but very soon they were at it hammer and tongs in true Celtic-Rangers fashion. Both teams have played much better football many a time – as a matter of fact it was a scrappy show – but the men never were more in earnest. Rangers, the sweeter moving side, were the more dangerous to begin with, indeed, they were so for most of the time, save for the first fifteen minutes of the second half, during which the Celtic attack struck quite a bright patch by comparison with their earlier and later showing. Before and after this there were several things sone which we could have got on very well without. Yes, tempers were on edge. Most of the saving was done by Shaw, who was as safe as a house. So, too was McNair and Dodds was in the same category for an hour. Yet, Alec was sometimes at a loss what to do with the unorthodox Hansen. But before the finish the ‘Stenhousemuir icicle’ had the little fellow’s measure. Alec waited, and invariably won. Yet Carl at times was a really dangerous Dane with his head and foot. He repeated the fault I referred to when last I saw him – he was too eager; he was too often out of his position. But he got the first goal from a penalty, and on several occasions caused Shaw to look lively. Let me tell you about the scoring. The one goal came midway through the first half: the other five minutes or so before the finish. On the way to gathering of the first one, Morton beat McNair, and would have gone through to try his luck had Cringan not intervened. Alan was up-ended, and as the infringement took place within the box, of course a penalty was awarded. Same folks said that the punishment more than fitted Willie Cringan’s crime; that in a match of this description MR JM Dickson might have let it pass. Certainly not – law is law. A sharp, short run and lob into the middle by Alan Morton led up to the second score. Cairns, who had taken much longer to come into the picture than usual, let himself go at the proper moment, and won. He risked something here. Tommy did is best work in the closing half, while Alan was seen to greater advantage earlier on, when he was particularly frisky and elusive. Cunningham is still something below par; Archibald was just so-so; and the Dane, of he wandered too much, came very well out of the encounter. But the best forward was seen on the other side – in the first half, and Gallagher was the man to provide it. ‘Patsy’s’ footwork was delightful then, but he fell from grace latterly. Cassidy and the others were fair; the effectiveness of the line was impaired much by McInally’s unfitness. Tom ultimately changed places with McLean. Among the half-backs Cringan stood out prominently, and Nicholson treated us to some hefty tackling. I like a strong player, but at time Jock was just a bit too robust for my taste. Dicon was his usual destroying self, and the Ibrox backs were first-rate. McCandless, clen, clever and brainy, was a treat. I have told you about McNair and Dodds. Let me add that Charley Shaw was his own nimble self. By comparison, Robb had little to do, Willie dealt smartly with a lovely first-time drive from Gallagher, who turned as if on a pivot to flash the ball in; in the second half he had a very clever single-handed save.
