W Reid
Gallacher
Match Information
Attendance: 35,000
Referee: unknown - to be confirmed
Matchday: Saturday
Match Trivia
I expect to hear shortly that Rangers have invested in a specially powerful telescope. They would use it to discover if a League win over Celtic is on the way, and whether it has stopped, by mistake, at Mars or Jupiter. Only in Glasgow Cup ties, it seems, are Rangers able to put the fluence over their old rivals. Rangers were due to have won at Parkhead in this encounter, because Celtic were favourites, and it is an old story that the fancied side in the Celtic-Rangers combats goes down. But the principle of opposite did not work out this time. Celtic began favourites, and finished worthy winners. In some ways the losers did better than their followers were justified in expecting, as in defence, for instance. Celtic disclosed their own defects, which are an admitted, an inevitable, feature of a team that includes several old campaigners, but they were strong where they most needed to be strong. Because of that they won. While the game only occasionally sparkled, it was interesting up to the finish because of the determined manner in which Rangers fought out the issue. The first half was easily the better, and the score of 1-1 at the interval was eminently fair, but in the second half Celtic were clearly the abler side, and though a little fortunate in the manner in which they got the winning goal, that point was balanced by the luck they did not have on a few other occasions. Celtic opened the more confident team, Rangers giving the impression of caution – a sort of disposition to feel their way before letting out at it. This led to their being on the defensive for a time, but soon they became courageous, and the game opened out and increased in pace, though you could never have called it a whirlwind affair. Both right wings were kept well employed, and it was over this route that Celtic brought forth their first goal, though McMenemy had the pleasure of scoring. McAtee had been finding an easy passage past Craig, and when he came again on one of his menacing runs Pursell dashed across to assist. Close on the line Pursell checked the Celt, but at the expense of a free kick against Rangers. Young swung the ball away over to Browning, and as Lock made out to prevent a shot taking effect from that quarter, Browning pushed it to McMenemy, who had only to ram it into the net, with Lock pretty helpless. It was only then that Rangers threw off the fear of themselves. They loosened out all over, and both wings made good play without, however, being able to effect much impression on the Celtic defence. McNair was the biggest factor in preventing the Rangers attack from thoroughly welding. He repeatedly countered Bennett and Paterson when these two had been left to round off the attack. It was like drawing the tiger’s teeth when he was getting ready to bite. When it became apparent that little was to be hoped for from that quarter, Gordon began to ply Duncan for all he was worth, while once he went through himself and swished along a shot that Shaw was severely troubled to save. But Celtic did not allow that sort of thing to continue. With McAtee going like a steam engine, and Quinn making straight dashes for goal that were calculated to shake the nerves of the defenders, they were able to give the Rangers rearguard something of a gruelling. Here I feel glad to say that in a resolute Rangers defence Kelso did his full share. Quinn, as keen as a young one with his spurs to win, was almost through. Closely chased by Pursell, he got in his shot, and Lock Saved with noting to spare, while a Little later the centre intercepted a centre from McAtee and gave Lock such a trimmer that only a desperate save prevented a score. When this big effort of Celtic’s failed to produce a further score, Rangers seemed to improve suddenly. For a time they took charge of the game. Gordon kept sending Duncan away with delightful passes, and the winger swept the ball into the centre so accurately that the Celtic defence had its share of the gruelling. From one of Duncan’s centres Bennett got in a hurricane shot that beat Shaw and hit the bar, while next Reid turned in another of Duncan’s centres, and this time Shaw saved with difficulty. Then Paterson, who had been finding McNair too cute for him, brought out a corner with a clever run, and following a corner kick a shot by Bennett was making for goal when it was luckily turned over the line for another corner. This was the happiest spell Rangers enjoyed in the whole game. The Celtic defence was not always reliable when pressed, yet no one expected that the equalising goal would come as it did. Paterson made a nice run down, and some close work with McNair resulted in the back apparently foozling his kick. Before the ball could reach Shaw, or Shaw could reach the ball, Reid stepped in, and fastening on, dribbled towards goal at an angle and shot into the net. There were only four minutes to play, but they almost sufficed to let Browning put Celtic ahead again. He raced clear of Kelso, and whipped in a shot that would have burst the netting had it been a yard or so lower. I imagined, from the way Rangers restarted, that they were going to make a great match of it. Both Kelso and Craig seemed like taking a grip of the Celtic wingers, and the Ibrox forward were moving better together. But this impression did not last long. Celtic ‘found’ some steam and same pace, and after McMenemy and Quinn had each, in turn, almost got through, a free kick some yards outside the penalty line changed the aspect completely. For a goal resulted. McMenemy took the free kick and passed out to McAtee, but the referee ordered the kick to be retaken. I thing he erred there, for it the attacking team fails to claim its ten yards before taking the kick, I cannot see that the referee is called upon to insist. Anyhow, at the second attempt, the order was changed and Quinn tried a straight drive at Lock. The goalkeeper did well to prevent an immediate score. The ball rebounded off his hands some yards out, and Gallagher, rushing in, returned it into the net. Only eight minutes had gone of this half, yet somehow the loss of the goal seemed to take the sting out of the Rangers. It was left mainly to the defence to fight out the game, and right well the defence did so. Lock had two specially brilliant saves from Quinn and McMenemy, while on other occasions weakness by the Celtic forwards lost excellent chances that had been cleverly developed. When the Rangers’ forwards attempted to raid the Celtic goal they found themselves usually unable to get within striking distance, although Duncan and Gordon each came near it from long range, and once McNair’s finessing nearly let Paterson in. At the finish Rangers were being well held. It may seem curious that though Celtic were so often within range of Lock they had to thank two free kicks for their goals. That, however, was due to Lock chiefly. His was a gallant day’s work. Shaw also made some good saves, though his task was nothing like so difficult as Lock’s. Celtic’s defence in the outfield was not at all impressive. Under pressure McNair was the only one who was certain in his clearing, and he, I thought, was given too much to playing the ball. No one can do that better than McNair, but why risk it? Dodds was not quite fit, which would explain why he did not kick with his wonted accuracy. Kelso played surprisingly and he was helped by the fact that he seldom went too far away from
