Tolland 21
Fleming 28, 65, 84
Match Information
Attendance: 18,500
Referee: A.B. Williamson (Glasgow)
Matchday: Saturday
Match Trivia
Rangers are getting a week-end’s rest at Turnberry after their tussle with Ayr United at Somerset Park yesterday. It will be well earned, for they had to fight every inch of the way to get the better of stubborn, determined Ayr side. At no time could one say that Rangers were not the better side, but for all that Ayr, with their first-time methods, looked a very likely lot, and when they scored first it looked as if anything might happen. As a matter of fact, in the minutes that followed Tolland’s counter, I saw suspicions of uneasiness in their rank. If Ayr had been able to keep their lead a little longer than five minutes a different story might have had to be told. However, Rangers had a centre forward who refused to be rattled in front of goal, and it was his fine individual work, and the genuine co-operation of Morton that turned the tide. Fleming’s hat-trick was one that will stand out. All of his goals were top-class efforts. The first was the result of a beautiful Morton centre, but the others were off his own bat, and in scoring his third he had to run almost half the length of the pitch. It must be said that Fleming won the match. The Rangers team as a whole did not gibe of its best. McPhail struck me as not yet being back at his best, while Muirhead failed to get things running smoothly for him. Archibald too was in difficulties, and it was really only Morton who gave his centre adequate support. The defence was fair, the half-back line being tireless workers, but I thought both Gray and Hamilton at back ran risks to an excessive extent. Had the Ayr attack been more incisive they could have turned many chanced to better account. But that was the trouble. Ayr’s front rank was ragged. They lacked experience, and Jimmy Smith, like Fleming on the other side, was left to bear the brunt of the attack. Smith impressed me very much, indeed. I should like to see him with good support. Like Fleming, he had many brilliant solo runs, and I fancy he was unlucky twice in not finding the net. Even the watchful Meiklejohn could not hold in the Ayr leader, and when he broke loose, he was a man to be feared. Rangers did not get their winning goal until well on in the second half. They Ayr defence, which was boldly led by Robertson, Price and Fleming, stood up to the onslaughts pluckily. Hepburn saved the side on numerous occasions, and his handling was very safe, Like Smith, he was in his beat form, and some of his saved from Fleming bordered on the classic. As is the case with all Ayr-Rangers’ games, the pace was a cracker all the time, and quarter was neither given nor asked. The result was that at times tempers broke out, and although nothing in the nature of scenes took place, I thought Referee Williamson might have taken a firmer stand than he did. At one spell in the second half, first when Rangers were attacking, and then when Ayr was aggressive, players took things into their own hands. I have said that Rangers were not at their best, but there was no denying their superiority over the locals, who failed to combine from the start. They relied on hurricane tactics, and for a time these succeeded. However, had it not been for Smith’s heartening runs, I fancy Ayr would have been beaten long before they were. Ayr have no reason to grumble at their crowds. The ground yesterday was well filled, and the attendance would reach 15,000. Rangers quickly showed that business was meant, and a series of blunders by the Ayr defence gave them a corner, which Hepburn fisted clear before Fleming dashed in and looked likely. Fortunately for Ayr, Price and Hepburn were on the spot and the shot was smothered. Brae, who had given Rangers’ trouble in the opening raid, dashed off and centred an accurate ball which went right to the goalmouth, where Smith and Hamilton came into collision and a score was narrowly averted. Rangers’ craft brought them back, and Muirhead registered disgust in skying a sitter near in. A brilliant save from a Fleming header roused a big cheer for Hepburn, who was again in the limelight saving a dangerous pass back. Ayr, urged on by Robertson had a look in, but Rangers were playing the better game, and it was touch and go when Hepburn and Price fumbled away on the line with a McPhail shot. The Rangers claimed that the ball was over, but a corner was all they got. Twenty minutes had gone, in which Ayr had played the part of under-dogs, when Nisbet shot in a long one from the wing. Hamilton fisted out, but Tolland was in line with the clearance, and without a moment’s hesitation he sent in a low drive that beat Hamilton rather simply. Immediately after this Rangers were attacking, but Ayr were buoyed up with the success and defended lustily. Rangers discarded the finer points of the game, and that gave Ayr their chance. Smith dashed off a great solo run, and after keeping off the defenders disappointed badly by shooting over. Rangers came back again, and Morton whose crosses were always on the mark, gave Fleming a chance. The centre got his head to leather, and the scores were levelled again. Twenty-eight minutes had gone. Ayr improved after this and gave the champions as good as they got. A little more repose on the left wing might have given them a goal, while Sharp with a high ball that swerved deceptively gave Hamilton some trouble. Rangers had a piece of bad luck in not scoring from a glorious Muirhead drive that struck the bar, but Hepburn was full value for his wonderful save from McPhail’s shot off the rebound. Half-time – and the teams would welcome it – arrived with the scores still level, a state of affairs that the Ayr defence could feel particularly pleased about. The first incident of the second period was a foul against Hepburn for carrying. This was cleared without difficulty, but Jimmy Fleming presented a more difficult problem, and had he not stumbled a goal seemed probable. Jimmy Smith tricked Gray neatly, and only a desperate lunge by Meiklejohn took the ball away for a corner. In Ayr’s next raid, and they ere raiding to a merry tune, tempers rose, and the referee had to deal out cautions. From the toss-up Smith shot hard, but Hamilton was on the spot to save. This unsatisfactory squabble led to another at Hepburn’s end, during which time Robertson and Willie Fleming were injured. After more cautions, play settled down on quieter lines, and Rangers pulled out an extra ounce to get the lead. McPhail and Muirhead shot wildly past before Fleming dodged his way clear and with a glorious drive scored his second point. Twenty-five minutes still to run, and Ayr tried to make the most of them. Smith, the spearhead of all their attacks, whacked in a towser that a defender blocked. Robertson saved Ayr from another Fleming disaster, and Hepburn did likewise with a Muirhead smash from the wing. Ayr fifteen minutes from the end put in their endeavour, but once this was mastered Fleming again broke loose and with a grand solo run, he controlled the ball from the centre to the back of the net. It was a glorious goal to celebrate his hat-trick. The backbone of the Ayr team was broken. They had put up a good fight, but the Rangers carried too many guns for them.
