B McPhail (3)
Fleming (3)
Ross
Match Information
Attendance: unknown - to be confirmed
Referee: unknown - to be confirmed
Matchday: Saturday
Match Trivia
It was the most heartening experience I have had for a long while to see a Scottish team capable of playing the football Rangers exhibited at Airdrie yesterday. Such a balance in attack ar wing half and forward was football in its essence, and no defence could possibly have withstood it. That is the explanation of how Airdrieonians came to lose seven goals. They never at any time a demoralised force, and no praise can be too high for the spirit in which they faced this football KING-KONG. Rangers overbearing, however, was entirely due to skill, and Airdrie took their drubbing in the best-natured way imaginable. It was an outstanding clean and sporting game. It must be admitted that rangers were always in the happier circumstances. Two goals up within eleven minutes they, were entirely comfortable, and could shape the play to suit themselves. There was flutter of surprise when Airdrie reduced the lead to one in half-an-hour, making the game far more interesting than the final score suggests. Even when rangers had struck six times there was no blow Airdrie reeled from. The spirit of retaliation was never failing, and I suppose Airdrie stood up as well as any team in the country could have done. I can say no more, and no less, of Airdries performance. If anybody is making comparisons from this game (are you listening, Kilmarnock?). I warm them. Rangers would have smothered anything in Britain on this display, and few teams could have enjoyed the recurring breathing spells Airdrie contrived. The key criticism must be on the wings. Airdries flanking half-backs were puzzled to impotence against the flashing cohesion of Meiklejohn, Venters and Main, Brown, McPhail and Nicholson. The fullness of purpose in Main and Nicholson has never surely before been demonstrated so boldly, a complete sign of happy partnerships. Main was master of himself and of the opposition (maybe local rearing, but nevertheless significant), and Nicholson replaced himself on the pedestal as Alan Mortons natural successor. I need waste no words on McPhail, the supreme forward if all; but would need more space than I am allowed to write of Venters. The Fifer is now part and parcel of this magnificent Ibrox attack, and I cannot see how he can possibly be left out. Whatever doubts there were of his taking time to accommodate himself with Rangers were entirely dispelled in this game. Venters is in his real element among the Ibrox artists, and I will pledge myself that he is one of the best inside forwards Scotland has discovered for many years. I have already said all that is needed about the Ibrox attack, except that Jamie Fleming is not yet the wasted flower or mere hopeful but that Alliance football would make of him. His two headed goals and foot-hooked third were models of opportunism. In Rangers defence Gray was worried by Mooney. Gray was puzzled what to do when Mooney was on the ball and probably so was Mooney. Yet Mooney was the most prominent Broomfield forward, though Harrison gave Simpson much to think about, the big Ranger clearly never being at his ease and not blameless for either Airdrie goal. Jenkins was a strange mixture, but what else could one expect under such novel conditions. He was a brave fellow when the ball was high punching and intervening out in a fashion that pleased Ibrox eyes. My advice to Jenkins, however, is to forget all his credentials in basket-ball play and keep practising at low and medium balls. His handling in this respect is not yet clean and certainly deficient along the ground. I have given Monney and Harrison prominence among the Airdrie forwards but liked them all. Eagerness often overran discretion and Grant I have seen do better. Collins was a grafter and Ross a very sensible player, his goal earmarking his sense of position. There were several cameo goals among the nine, more than is usual in the average game. Rangers never piled it on, as the fighting spirit of Airdrie always mad ethe contest a reality. McPhails three were a poor basket from so many attempts, he being the potential marksman in chief. Flemings high hook shot for the seventh goal was uncommon, but best of all was Nicholsons second for Rangers, the culmination of great triangular play, the out-winger running inside to anticipate Browns pass and sending home a brilliant rising shot from twenty yards. With a modicum of luck, Airdrie might have scored oftener, Harrison having several near things, and towards the end the haphazard Mooney shook the goal frame with a terrific shot Jenkins could only look at
