McPhail 50
Red Cards
T Cairns sent off
Match Information
Attendance: 27,000
Referee: J.P. Rowe (Glasgow)
Matchday: Saturday
Match Trivia
Rangers met their first reverse in the League yesterday. So far as play was concerned that was noting. They also lost their captain, Tom Cairns, who was sent to the pavilion by Referee Rowe. Have a heart ‘referee’ is what Carins said to the me he had no hesitation in putting Cairns off. “I could do nothing but put Cairns off,” said Rowe. As mist unfortunate incident in a game which thrilled throughput with all that goes to make the game good. From the very start it was evident that the men were out to watch one another. Clever in all their outfield play, there was not a Rangers forward capable of scoring a goal, and all the attacks, and many of them took place, resulted in – shall I call it aggressiveness? The Airdrie forwards were almost as useless in their attacks. They got a goal, and the boy McPhail who got it must have been as surprised as Robb when he saw the ball in the meshes. Vut that goal sufficed. It meant the breaking of the League champions run of success, and the wider spread interest in the competition. One could see even while the coin was being spun that there was high tension on either side. Airdrie started with that vim which indicated a team that was out to make good for their first defeat. Rangers were as determined to see io it that they would keep their end up. Keen tackling kept play in midfield. Gallacher was injured, but it didn’t keep him from sticking into his opponents after he had received the attention of George Carrol. Airdrie were masters of the situation in the first fifteen minutes, and yet Robb had only to clear once, with Gallacher on top of him. The first thrill came when Alan Morton went off on one of his own meanderings. He cut into the middle, beat a few opponents with consummate ease, and the result was a great shot from Henderson and an equally fine save by Ewart. But the Airdrie goalkeeper was not yet finished. Henderson came through and Jock had to extend himself to clear from the dangerous Rangers centre. Willie Robb then had a trying moment or two. Not that he had much to do, but the ball kept hovering in his vicinity. But when Gallacher got the better of Dixon and drove hard the Rangers’ goalkeeper must have been glad to see the ball go over. What a battle it was. It reminded me in a way of the Milligan-Brown fight. Gave and take all the time. Rangers were harassed for a time, and matters became worse for them when McCandless, tackling Gallacher, was injured. He limped badly as he was helped off but came on after being attended to by George Livingstone. The game was resumed only a couple of minutes when young Robert McPhail gave Airdrie the lead. Then we saw that incident to which I have already referred. Rangers didn’t lie down. With their captain off they got into their collar. Cunningham was almost through, but Dick got his foot in to clear. It was a stubborn fight to the finish. Rangers were unlucky to lose Cairns. His presence might not have altered the result. His absence from the Rangers team – if there is an absence – may make all the difference between the winning and the losing of the League Championship. There was no goalkeeping in the game. Twice Ewart had to exert himself, but that meant nothing to a Bellshill man as he is. Dick and Allan were as safe, and probably safer, than Manderson and McCandless, but I could bee no better back in the four than Belfast Bertie. Regarding the half-backs, I have not the slightest hesitation in declaring for Preston as the best. He was supported by two worthy henchmen in McDougall and Bennie, and as a line they were superior to the Rangers’ trio. And therein lay the superiority which led to Airdrie’s victory. The forward play all over was scrappy. I wouldn’t put one before the young lad McPhail, and that is apart from his scoring of a goal. Jimmy Reid put balls across as he did in the days beyond recall. If he fails in representative matches, he never lets his club down. Rangers’ forwards got the funk. Naturally they were upset by the loss of Cairns. No one regretted the incident more than I did myself
