A Cunningham
G Henderson 42
Match Information
Attendance: 55,000
Referee: Tom Dougray (Bellshill)
Matchday: Saturday
Match Trivia
At Parkhead yesterday it was like being at a Sunday School picnic compared with some of the games we have seen Celtic and Rangers play. I heard some singing at the east end of the ground, and that completed the simile. There were no Jimmy Quinn dashes, no Alec Smith flashes, no Neilly Gibson cleverness, no Loney trustfulness. The play cast me back to the days of these and other games – not physically mind you – in the game. And the comparison was not to the advantage of the present-day lot. And with these few reflections lets me say that Rangers were full value of their victory. It was their day. Everything seemed to go right for them. But what team is there that doesn’t find it so? What the men of Ibrox did was to accept the gifts the gods sent them, and for doing so they were entitled to victory. The match had its regrettable feature, Joe Cassidy, the Celtic centre, went for a ball which Billy McCandless was meeting. Their heads met, and the result was that the Celt was taken from the field suffering from a fractured jawbone. That was hard luck. As a matter of fact, it means that Celts will be without Cassidy for a week or two, and they will miss him. To be just to the Rangers I must say that the accident had little or no effect on the result. When the Celtic centre went off Rangers were leading comfortable by three goals. Nothing Celtic seemed likely to do even with their full complement, would have altered the destination of the points. There never seemed to be that penetration in their attack, which could overcome the big handicap, and although Gallagher did get a goal in the last minute, from a lovely McAtee centre, and might I say a mistake on the part of Robb, that does not alter my opinion in the slightest that Celts had not sufficient strength to carry them through. Where players like Cunningham and Henderson shot, McFarlane, Cassidy and Gallagher endeavoured to walk the ball through. In that respect some of their movements were delightful, but profitable – no. When the referee sounded the players off, Celtic were first to attack, and McFarlane was fouled when constructing a movement between himself and his attacking colleagues. For almost ten minutes Celts were the aggressors, but it seldom seemed as if they would penetrate a defence which was sound. The Celtic forwards played the Celtic game without having a finisher. When Rangers found their feet, they made ground quickly. Cunningham swing the ball about, and when Gilchrist, in a feverish haste to get rid of the ball, kicked it against Cringan’s arm the Ibrox boys claimed a penalty. That, of course was a ridiculous claim. Following that Cunningham let go a rasper which Hilley diverted past, the while Hughes was on all fours. Sixteen minutes from the start Morton beat McNair on the run, and centring the ball, Cunningham was allowed time to select a place for it. Quite a simple goal, and – perhaps saveable. The goal made the Rangers. They played with confidence, and with everything running smoothly for them they were often dangerous. With thirty-three minutes gone Henderson got a second goal. Working hard, as he always does, he got the ball in front of him, and veering to Hilley’s right, delivered a shot which crossed the goalkeeper and found the net. Rangers’ ought to have been three up a minute after the resumption. Archibald had a grand run in which he practically beat the whole Celtic defence. He laid the ball at Alan Morton’s feet, but the outside left hit a post with his express delivery. Clever Celtic forward play followed this, and Gallagher just missed getting one on. Following close upon that Cunningham got Rangers’ third goal with an oblique shot, the ball striking the inside of a post before crossing the line. Then came the accident to Cassidy, after 14 minutes of the second half had gone, and with that interest in the game practically vanished. The game had only a couple of minutes to go when McTee sent over a ball which Robb didn’t gather cleanly, and Gallagher popped in to give Celtic their little bit of solace. Rangers were in the mood. The defence, never sorely tried, did very well. I liked Bert Manderson, the sounder of the backs, for early on, when Celtic did a little bit of pressing, his partner made one or two mistakes. Robb was at fault when Celtic scored. Muirhead was the cleverest half-back of the six, and Meiklejohn did better than I have seen him do recently. Dixon was untiring in his efforts to defend his goal after success had been assured. Forward, Cunningham, Morton and Henderson were the success. I still want to know why the centre-forward should be deposed. I don’t wish to dishearten the Celts when I say they are just about the poorest lot I have seen wear the jersey for a long time. They had no luck, but that doesn’t excuse them. The defence was none too sound. Hughes had a chance with two of the balls that beat him, but I won’t say he should have saved them. Men with greater reputations have fallen similarly. Alex McNair was only a shadow of his former self, but Hilley come on. The half-backs were weak, and only Gallagher of the attack is worthy a pat on the back. He worked heroically. Cassidy did not so badly until injured, but centre is not his position
