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Match Details

Ayr Utd

2-2

Rangers

League
Somerset Park
18 February, 1931

Ayr Utd

Hepburn
Willis
McMain
Turnbull
McLeod
McCall
Ferguson
Tolland
Murray
Brae
McLean

4

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11

Rangers

Tom Hamilton
Dougie Gray
Robert Hamilton
Davie Meiklejohn
Jimmy Simpson
Jock Buchanan
Sandy Archibald
Dr James Marshall
Jimmy Smith
Bob McPhail
Willie Nicholson

Match Information

Goals

J Smith 7
Dr Marshall 8

Match Information

Manager: Bill Struth
Attendance: 7,000
Referee: unknown - to be confirmed
Matchday:  Wednesday

Match Trivia

Any knowing person would say that when Rangers – the Rangers that smothered Clyde at Shawfield – are two goals up, they should win. Ayr United didn’t think so. And this suggests a point - if Ayr United at Bo’ness had played half-an-hour of the cup-tie kind of football they served up in the second half yesterday, they would probably have been interested in the fourth-round draw. Perhaps Rangers got their goals too early. At any rate, after Marshall had opened the score, and Smith had got a second goal two minutes later, there was a distinct tendency to ease off. The United, by the time the interval arrived, were getting their tails up. When Ferguson beat Tom Hamilton three or four minutes after the turn, there tails were right up. The ball was made to travel, and every man in the United team put his heart into his work. It was ‘Up, Guards, and at ‘em’, and no mistake. The end of it was that Brae equalised, and right to the finish it was as exciting as a Cup final. It was a well-earned point for the United. Hepburn kept a good goal, and Willis and McBain went into their job, especially in the second half, with a fearless dash which gave the Ibrox forwards no time for seconds thoughts. All the Ayr half-backs gave the ball plenty of boot, and the forwards followed up and took and the chances. The tackling was keen, and the half-backs marked their men well. Tolland played the best football in the home front line, the others being more intent on getting ahead, and getting close up to the Rangers’ goal. Tom Hamilton was sound in the Ibrox team’s goal, and Gray was steady, but R Hamilton made the mistake of not keeping in close enough touch with Ferguson, who although not attempting much, played his part in swinging the ball into the centre. He took his goal with his left foot in splendid style. Meiklejohn was playing well until he was injured late in the game, but Simpson took some time to settle, although he was steady and safe latterly. Buchanan, who came in for Brown, was consistently workmanlike. The forwards were uneven, and certainly did not live up to their Shawfield reputation. Archibald did not make the most of his chances. Marshall worked hard, and took his goal snappily, but should have had another. Smith also accepted his scoring chance nicely, but on other occasions, was slow in getting away. McPhail was a disappointment. He was not nearly so ready to take, or go into a tackle as he usually is, and when scoring chances came to him, he smote the ball when an easy ‘place’ was all that was necessary. Nicholson was a success
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