A Cunningham
McKenzie
Match Information
Attendance: 13,000
Referee: J.B. Stevenson (Motherwell)
Matchday: Saturday
Match Trivia
Ayr’s Somerset Park was a bit hard yesterday, but Jamie McDonald had done everything possible to make it playable. The surface was liberally strewed with sand. In the circumstances the game was quite a good one. The players seemed to forget all about the footing and went into their work hammer and tongs. Rangers had slightly the better of matters to begin with; still, they enjoyed a little bit of luck by crossing over a goal to the good. Their lead came along eight minutes after the start. Nisbet had just cleared a corner, a misunderstanding between Smith and McCloy followed, and then Hogg pulled down Alan Morton. From the free kick the ball came out to Cunningham and Andrew tried his luck. It was in. He didn’t get the ball just as he would have liked, but if found its billet – off the inside of Nisbet’s right-hand post. That was all until the interval; then Ayr took a stronger grip of the game. They had the better of matters in this half, but there was nothing doing until seven minutes from the finish. Then a ball came across from the left, Robb got hold of it and let it go, McKenzie came in, and the scores were equal. Rangers came again, and Nisbet saved cleverly what time a cinder or two was aimed at his head. The referee made his way to the front of the stand to lodge a complaint, and Jamie McDonald went round to remonstrate. Slade also got the ball into Robb’s net, but Mr Stevenson’s whistle had gone before it reached its haven. From what I have already described as a good game, Ayr came out with the more credit. Indeed, they might have won had their inside forwards made a point of being up. McKenzie and Slade are clever, but both must get a move on. Crosbie improved, McBain makes a right good outside left, and Richardson was as eager as ‘they make ‘em’. James shoved out several good balls to left and right, he sent in a truly great shot at the beginning of the second half, but far too often he was one or two yards short. Hogg was a great little destructive half-back, and Gibson is a young fellow who looks like coming on. Gillespie was quiet, if fairly effective, and both backs were class. On the day Smith and McCloy were a better pair than Manderson and McCandless. Nisbet dealt with several lovely high balls in the first half like a master. He was a better goalkeeper than Willie Robb on the day. Dixon and Walls were the more useful Ibrox middlemen, and forward Cunningham was on his own. Andrew’s goal saved the Rangers a point, in addition he distributed the ball nicely. Archibald was so-so, Henderson did nothing special, and Cairns stuck too long to the ball. Alan Morton while he did lots of clever things, found the heft Hogg and Smith a bit too much for him
