WK Jackson 8
Walter Jackson 67
Match Information
Attendance: 26,000
Referee: William Bell (Motherwell)
Matchday: Saturday
Match Trivia
Aberdeen were heroic. Not a man failed his side in the lash with Rangers on Pittodrie. Aberdeen showed changed ar right half and inside right. Moore and McDermid were the absentees. Thor places were filled by Cosgrove and R Bruce respectively. The game teemed with thrills from start to finish. The 25,000 crowd were loud in their denunciations of some of Referee’s Bell’s decisions. When he disallowed a goal to Aberdeen shortly after half-time the multitude simply roared their disapproval. Mr Bell, in my opinion was correct. Walter Jackson fouled McCandless ere placing the ball in the net. The result 3-1 in favour of Aberdeen, clearly represents the run of the game. Aberdeen opened in business-like fashion. They swung the ball from wing to wing, and in five minutes the champions were a goal down. Loose defending on Rangers right gave W Jackson his chance. He took it fast and low. The ball beat Robb at his right-hand post. The Light Blues, undaunted, crowded on full sail, but the Aberdeen defence was like granite. Their half-backs were ever alert, and opened out play, with the result that the Ibrox defence was kept on tenterhooks. Rangers’ attack was hot and strong, but not a weak spot could be found in Aberdeen’s defence. It went through a gruelling such as it does not often ger. With flying colours, the Dons defenders emerged from it. The second half was even more thrilling that the first. Aberdeen attacked persistently, having struck a game which all the power of the Rangers could not combat. In twenty-three minutes, Walter Jackson caught the Ibrox rear in a tangle, and like lightning he hooked the ball past Robb. All the thrills were at the visitors’ goal, and fifteen minutes from the finish further disaster befell Rangers. Reid cut close in, and best Robb with a ripping low shot. Rangers were staggered. Then Henderson was going through at the Don’s end, when Bruce brought him down unfairly. McCandless reduced the leeway from the penalty spot. The game ended with Aberdeen pressing promisingly. Aberdeen struck a true note in the opening minutes. Rangers’ defence was unsteady and unreliable, and to this must be attributed the loss of the first goal. The champions did not move smoothly, the halfs were prone to hold the ball too long and were apt to hesitate in tackling. The forwards could not get going in their usual style at all, though Cunningham did his utmost to start movements. Hutton and D Bruce were brilliant in their kicking and anticipation, and combined with the halfs in a harmony which was never present in the Rangers’ team. For only thirty minutes in the first half did the champions play anything like a team of their standing. The backs, when a strong clearance was the proper thing, were shaky. The wing halfs were overworked. Meiklejohn found Smith a hot handful, and the Ranger was not too wise in his method of combating the wily winger. The Pittodrie forwards worked as one man, and when it came to shooting Robb knew all about it. After the interval Rangers deteriorated rapidly. It is no exaggeration to say that at times the Dons’ front line toyed with the defence. Desperation seemed to posses the Ibrox ranks when steady heads and quick action were needed. The halfs, too busy striving to thwart the Aberdeen forwards, found little time for feeding their own, but when they did find an opening over-eagerness often wasted the chance. The Light Blues’ raids were spasmodic, and generally dull. There appeared to be too much ‘leave-it-to-the-other-man’ style going when first-time decision were necessary against the keen tackling of Hutton and Company. Ere the finish Rangers were soundly beaten. After they lost the second goal, they never looked like pulling even one point from the match. The defence must bear the brunt of the defeat. Neither Manderson not McCandless were steady. McCandless certainly steadied up latterly, but too late. The halfs were only middling. None struck his true form. In attack Cunningham and Cairns were the men who mattered. Andy tried hard, but there was little response. Cairns, lion-like, essayed several times to break through, but numbers beat the Ibrox captain. Morton was certainly missed. In defence Aberdeen sparkled. Blackwell was wonderful in that hot half hour when the Ibrox guns were going hard. Hutton was the better back. In the middle MacLachlan was best, while Reid, the Jackson and Smith were ever dangerous in front.
