Woods 60
Match Information
Attendance: 4,000
Referee: T Small (Dundee)
Matchday: Saturday
Match Trivia
Anyone who was not present at Broomfield might imagine there would be something of a thrill in seeing the Cup-holders beaten so soon after their triumph. But the only ones to get any pleasure out of the game were probably the perfervid supporters who get their enjoyment from the victory of their own side, no matter what the football is like. That neither Airdrie nor Rangers played well was the fault of an almost end-to-end wind, which was less of a help than a hindrance. And one could not deny that the home side deserved their win. They were more dangerous with the wind, and though the winning goal came from a free kick, they showed more eagerness than the Ibrox men to have a pop at goal. Wood took the point for Airdrie with one of those left-foot drives at the standing ball at which he is such an adept. He had four free kicks in all down the wind in the second half, and worried Hamilton with every one of them. Near the close, when the gale abated, and the ball, wetted by several showers, was easier to control J Paterson missed two golden opportunities of putting Airdrie further ahead. With the wind in the first half, Rangers found the pitch too short. The ball was over the bye-line before they knew where they were. And when real danger threatened the Airdrie goal, Crapnell was on the spot. He played a grand spoiling game, judging the strength of the wind to a nicety. Once he kicked away a terrific grounder from Meiklejohn, which Paterson could never have reached. The first half was a monotonous period of fruitless Rangers’ pressure with very few decent shots. Only on rare occasions did Airdrie get away, and only for five minutes before the interval was Tom Hamilton called into activity. Rangers made team alterations to try to get goals, but all to no purpose. Early in the second half Osborne was injured and was of no use afterwards. He limped along at outside right, and Marshall, who deputised for him, needlessly gave away the free kick from which Wood scored. Rangers were as closely hemmed in in the second half as Airdrie had been in the first and made little progress against the wind. Meiklejohn saved them time and again, and Tom Hamilton stopped some dangerous shots. Apart from these two, none of the Ibrox men rose above mediocrity.
