S Archibald 10
Dr Marshall 22
Match Information
Attendance: 55,000
Referee: W Bell (Motherwell)
Matchday: Friday
Match Trivia
I want right now to congratulate both Rangers and Celtic on having played a right good sporting Neerday match at Parkhead. Rangers as winners, I congratulate twice over first as winners, and second because they played football in the first half that was a refreshing tonic. It was the best football I have seen from any team this season. It was the kind of football that knocked the stuffing out of the dreary grumblers, who allege that the art has been lost altogether. It was fast, accurate, on the ground passing. The ball found the man nearly always. There was a fine clip, clip about it, with all the parts working in harmony. Some more of this Rangers stuff all round, and the game would be restored to its old place. I am sure the 55,000 crowd Celtic partisans and Rangers partisans, and the folk from the far North and South would enjoy it. Celtic, if less of a piece because of one or two misfits, had all the old courage. They battled bravely against superior talent all through the first half and fought right to the end to save a point. The only two mishaps were to Meiklejohn and McGrory. The Rangers captain sustained a blow on the kidney when the second half was about five minutes old. He was off the field for ten minutes. McGrory injured a knee. He went behind the goal for a few minutes and then hirpled back again, in time to score Celtics only goal six minutes from the end. Rangers victory would be generally acclaimed as thoroughly merited, but the main point to my mind is that the match was worthy of the two old rivals, to whom followers of the game look to set an example in what is best in our grand old sport. With the wind behind them, Celtic made a whirlwind start. In the very first minute, a scoring chance in a thousand was developed. Bert Thomson got a ball swung across from the left. He anticipated the skid, took it on the run and crossed for McGrory to head. Hamilton, however, advanced, and punched out, but the ball landed at the feet of Napier, wo was standing alone some fourteen yards out. We waited for the shot, and I am certain everybody expected to see the ball go swishing into the net. But Napier failed to get properly over the ball, and it rose from his boot to go flying over the bar. Then we saw Rangers roused. Their forwards came on in great style, and Kennaway had to throw himself full length to make a marvellous save from Marshall. In the next instant, Marshall again pounced on the ball and away pounced on the ball and away went another tearing shot which Kennaway beautifully punched clear. English met the ball as it came out, and he flashed it back at Kennaway, who once more punched it out with his clenched right hand. It was great shooting, great saving worth the money alone. A breakaway by the Celtic forwards interrupted the Rangers attack, and then the opening goal after ten minutes. Fleming sent the ball away over to Marshall, who instead of stopping it, gave it a touch onward to the unmarked Archibald. The winger advanced quickly a few yards, and then shot hard and low. The ball travelled at high speed across Kennaways front and entered the net at his right hand. Rangers remained on top, but a sally by McGonagle almost brought the equaliser. He ran down the field with the ball, and his shot brought a corner. Bert Thomson placed it, and the ball went out to Hughes, who made a clever attempt to beat Hamilton, but the goalkeeper made a fine save with both hands. In 23 minutes, Rangers went further ahead. This second goal showed the value of the inside forwards being up with the centre. English got the ball and feinted to go through. Cook and McGonagle were drawn towards him, whereupon he tapped it to Marshall, who rain in and smashed it into the net. Kennaway had no chance at all, so fast did the ball travel again. From this on to the interval Rangers were masters, but Kennaway was grand. Just on the interval, McGrory almost got one home with a header. In the second half Rangers played a new kind of game. Marshall and McPhail lay back more which I thought was a mistake. These tactics were more justified when Meiklejohn was injured, and had to go off, but on the whole, full power attack would have been the better plan. Celtic kept plugging away, but the man who kept them in it was Bert Thomson. It was from his shot and Hamiltons save that McGrory was able to intercept the ball and net it. McGrory was lame then, and it was all he could do to get his foot to the ball. Hamilton had not the same opportunity as Kennaway to catch attention. Rangers custodian made just one mistake when he failed to clutch a dropping ball, but he recovered. Kennaway gave a masterly display. He got his chance in his first match against the Ibrox rival, and he took it with both hands. As quick as a cat, he got at high and low balls equally well. On this form he is good enough to play for Scotland. Gray was the best back on the field. His anticipation was perfect. He was out to intercept Napiers passes to Hughes, and his timing never failed him. Cook was another splendid back. He showed head, an placed the ball in something of the style of Alec McNair and David Crawford. Just one point to the young Celt. When an opponent beats you fair and square, let him go on. It pays in the end. Some of McAulays clearing was misdirected, yet he was a profitable defender, just as was McGonagle, who seeing a weakness in front of him, tried to make up for it by putting in a bit extra. Rangers half-backs were a cut above the Celtic trio, with Meiklejohn in a class by himself until he was injured. I never saw him play better. He and Gray had a complete understanding. His heading back to Gray and Hamilton showed a fine sense of touch. He is an undisputed master of that form of defence. Brown was not much behind the captain in the first half, when his long passes to Marshall were a telling factor. In the last half-hour he and McAulay had to go all out to grapple with Bert Thomson. Simpson did his job in his own way and was effective at that. Although Morrison wrought very hard, he was not quite able to fit in. Both McStay and Wilson went through a gruelling first-half, when all the rangers forwards were playing in line. They came more into the game in the second half but could not get their front line to function. I do not blame Hughes, as I heard some do. The lad did well considering how eccentric Napier was. No one could tell how or when Napier would give the pass. He was too irregular. Alec Thomson had all the idea, but the play seemed too fast and strenuous for him. McGrory did not appear to be perfectly fit, and so the line was too often disjointed, with Bert Thomson the never-say-die fighter and clever and clean as well. I have told you of the Rangers forwards brilliance in the first half. It had it mainspring in Marshall. Strong and fearless, he drove ahead as if nothing could stop him. He was like a lion refreshed. His old fault of holding to the ball disappeared for this afternoon, and many of his sharp, short transfers to English and Archibald were perfectly done. English was on his toes all the time. I saw more of him than most people when he was an Intermediate, and I would saw that he is better now then ever. The skidding ball did not trouble him at all. He was an artist. He got the chance he wanted in the first half when McPhail and Marshall were playing close up with him. When these two fell back afterwards, the effect was seen at once. We saw some of the real McPhail touches, but I am more convinced than ever that he is a natural inside-right. He had one move in the first half, after taking the ball away from McGonagle which seemed to me corroborate the point. It was only Kennaways wonderful goalkeeping which prevented the move ending in a goal. Archibalds goal was a beauty, but apart from that he played well all the time. Fleming put his back into it, bit of course, he was a disadvantage, and now and again failed to get contact when a chance was going
