J Smith 36
J Crum 49
Match Information
Attendance: 39,763
Referee: H Watson (Glasgow)
Matchday: Monday
Match Trivia
Two times cut, two indecisive battles. The League match drawn at Ibrox, The Glasgow Cup semi-final drawn at Parkhead, yesterday. This was a good draw, Rangers the better team in the first half, led deservedly by a goal which might have been more at the interval. In the second half the young Celtic forwards rose to it, and after a clippy equaliser, the game was fought out on hard, strenuous lines. There was a spot of wind blowing from the east, and it had a bigger effect than might seen likely. The pitch was in beautiful condition, with just enough hold to give the players a chance to get a grip of the ball. Rangers forwards were into their stride right away. McPhail led out with clever footwork and swinging passes. Main danced down the wing and swept the ball across. The others all worked into the scheme. Kennaway was early in action. In the first four minutes he saved grandly from Smith and Stevenson. A breakaway and a corner for Celtic was followed by a lot more Rangers. Time and again it seemed as if they were bound to get through. In saving a header from Main, who ran in to get a centre from Fleming, Kennaway caught the ball, turned inward and went over the line. Rangers appealed for a goal, which it was, but the referee was too far away to be sure, and he gave the defenders the benefit of any doubt he may have had. But the goal was not long delayed. A swinging right wing movement and Main shot from well out. The wind helped the ball onward. Kennaway put his hands up, pulled the ball into his body, and before he could do anything more, Smith charged him into the net, still with the ball in his grasp. Back came the Rangers forwards, and Kennaway saved thrice in quick succession. Celtics front rank could not get going with any effect, but H ODonnell, lying clear, got well away, and racing fast ahead, he cut in and shot a beauty. Dawson was equal to it; his save was masterly. With the wind, Rangers should have had more than a goal to make them safe. On the play they might easily have been safe; but with the turn, the young Celtic forwards came on in dashing style. Only four minutes of the second half had gone when the equaliser came in snappy fashion. Frank ODonnell went ahead strongly, drew the defence and crossed. Crum was waiting unmarked, and when the ball reached him, he shot with his left foot and Dawson had no earthly chance. The goal put the Celts on to a go-ahead forward game, and it was Dawsons turn to show his quality. When H ODonnell puzzled the defence and ran close up. It looked a winner, but Dawson threw himself on the ball, and then we saw something resembling a miniature Donnybrook, until the referee called a halt. This was a good spell for Celtic, during which they might have put Rangers out of the cup. The Ibrox forwards were not in the swim for a while, but they came together again, and Kennaway saved well from McPhail and Main. In the closing minutes the ball was too often out of play. There was some weak kicking, as if limbs had tried. We have goalkeepers, anyway. Kennaway and Dawson can be hall-marked eighteen-carat. The Celtic custodian was injured in the first half. The ball staved his hand, and one of his fingers was bleeding. He was in pain for some time, and it is to his credit that he gave nothing away. He need not blame himself for the loss of the goal, for he had no time to get the ball away. Kennaways throw-away is a strong point, for it puts his half-backs in possession, and turns defence into attack. I remember Ned Doig how good he was at this sort of thing, and how often he surprised the opposition. Dawson suggested supreme confidence, but he is not better than when I saw him with Camelon. By that I mean the he required to be no better to play for Scotland. The back play was not distinctive. They can all do better, but perhaps the four of them were feeling the strain. With the wind they each, in turn did beat. McGonagle caught a Tartar in Main in the first half, just as McDonald found Crum an elusive boy after the interval. Gray and Hogg had each a good half and one not so good. Ut was the same with the half-backs Rangers trio superior in the first half, and the Celtics afterwards. Brown was the most consistent. He did a lot of hard, effective tackling. I liked the way Hughes stuck to his work. He has come on. Without trying too much, he put the ball about to good purpose, and in the second half had a lot to do with the prominence of the two ODonnells. Simpson was invaluable in the first half, but after the interval he seemed to be struggling a bit. Kennedy was always taking the most out of himself but was slow in getting back on occasion. After a difficult first half, Wilson and McStay joined in the Celtic rally. If the rangers forwards were on top in the first half, Celtics reconstructed line came bang into it in the second, more in an individual way, but still in a way that was likely to bring results. Then the ODonnells both made their mark. Dunn was plodder, and Crum, who often finished badly, came out of his shell and took his goal like a Chicago gunman with a rapid draw. Buchan wandered a bit, but on the ball he was clever. The swinging play of the Ibrox forwards in the first half was a s good as anything you would wish to see, but in the second half they lost the place, and only recovered it near the end. Main and Stevenson worked well together up till the interval. McGonagle could nit get Main any way. That is the sort of thing I know Main can do, for I saw him do it every week as an Intermediate player. Smith was always in the tick of it. He is string and uses his strength, but I was always taught that strength was given a man to use. When I played in England the half of our work was dodging the heavy charging of the other side. It was a first-half McPhail and Fleming wing. I was sorry to see incidents that should have been left out. In the replay I expect to see ninety minutes of sporting entertainment.
