McGrory 54
Match Information
Attendance: 69,000
Referee: A Leishman (Falkirk)
Matchday: Monday
Match Trivia
We look for a lot from these two traditional rivals and we don’t always get it. But this was a match worth seeing, worthy of the high repute of both teams. It is doubtful which of the two – winners or losers – deserve the greater praise. Here were Celtic, with a weekend’s calm repose, fresh and conscious of meeting a team that had been through a testing contest at Perth. It was giving away a handicap without any doubt. So, to be beaten by a solitary goal was no disgrace; far from it. More than that, Rangers took the risk of playing Alan Morton. Quite clearly, he was not a hundred per cent fit, but it was difficult to leave him out when everyone realised that his presence in the team would give the others a certain feeling of confidence. There need to be regrets, however. A team that takes the risk must stand by it. From first to last, it was a tense exciting struggle. On the sloppy, slippery pitch, a great deal of excellent football was played, mostly by the Rangers in the first half, and by Celtic after they had taken the lead. The goal was scored ten minutes after the long interval. It was the result of a nicely engineered movement begun by Thomson, who pushed the ball out to Connolly. The winger centred head-high and McGrory, for once, was left clear to head home. Hamilton had no chance at all. But we may be going too fast. Just before this, Meiklejohn, in stopping a thrust by McInally, received a bad knock on the knee which left him limping badly. Up to this point, McGrory had been held in subjection by the Ibrox centre-half, but with his limp, he could not recover as before and when the ball reached McGrory, he was completely unmarked. That is how this pulsating struggle was won and lost. Of the many exciting incidents before and after the goal it would take a long time to tell. There was McInally’s opening dash and a shot which almost grazed the post. Then Thomson nearly beaten by Cunningham’s shot, which he dropped and then scraped away with difficulty. Mid-way through the first half, Rangers became stronger and stronger. Cunningham and Archibald were profiting by the fine service from Muirhead, and it was from clever manoeuvring on the right that Morton got his chance to whip in a shot which struck Thomson’s left hand post. But the escapes were not all at the one end. It was touch-and-go for McLean going in when Hamilton went out and failed to clear. Over the first half, Rangers were the better, but Celtic put a new complexion on the game on turning round. They began with a great flourish and in almost the first minute, McLean, from a centre by Connolly, was left with only Hamilton to beat at close range. He shot hard but the goalkeeper was on the spot and saved. Then back to the old straining tug-o’-war, Meiklejohn injured, and next the vital goal which I described. One could see with half-an-eye the change that took place in Celtic’s play after this. The strain was off. They moved with freedom and their pace quickened all across the forward line. Rangers had to stretch themselves to full to ease the pressure on their defence, but they continued to play fine forcing football whenever a chance cropped up, and four successive corners showed how they could swing the game round. Morton had one more glorious chance and shot wide, and Fleming let go a tremendous shot which Thomson saved. But at the other end, danger was repeatedly threatening, and once McGrory headed against the post while, with goalkeeper Hamilton out, Thomson had an open goal but found his shot turned round the post by Ulster Hamilton. And so, to a gruelling finish with Celtic holding their lead and acclaimed good winners, even if a draw would have fairly represented the swing of the game. On the winning side, the man who impressed me most was James McStay. When things were going against this side, he was cool, steady and resourceful. He held his team together as no one else did. But the defence was sound, even if Thomson, like Hamilton, found difficulty in holding the slippery ball. McGonnigle, though frequently beaten, stuck to his guns and William McStay was usually just where he was most needed. It was only after the goal was scored that Wilson and MacFarlane sailed into their stride, and then they forced the play to some tune. McInally justified himself. He was a tremendous factor in pulling out the forward line, even after his injury close on the interval. Except for scoring the goal, McGrory was not mush seen until the last half-hour. It was then, also that Connolly and McLean were able to cut a dash. Thomson was good all through. Two things’ Rangers will find palliative – Meiklejohn’s injury and Morton’s partial unfitness. But they played well enough to feel satisfied. I can sympathise with Hamilton in the loss of the goal for otherwise, he did well. Gray and his partner came through the test with credit, and all the half-backs played up to standard, leaving aside Meiklejohn’s mishap. As a line the trio were in advance of the Celtic mid-line, No one excelled Muirhead in trapping and flicking the ball through to his forwards. In the first half, Craig touched the high spots and he never fell far below that standard. Archibald and Cunningham were the strong wing, but Fleming found difficulty in shaking off James McStay. McPhail did a lot of clever things, the effect of which would have been more apparent had Morton had his usual nippiness. It was a fine New Year tussle; everybody said so.
