S Archibald
Brander
Match Information
Attendance: 14,700
Referee: unknown - to be confirmed
Matchday: Saturday
Match Trivia
Those who lunch big ships at Clydebank and who, no doubt, believed that the burgh could have no greater distinction, have now to look out for rivalry. There possibly never was more bustle and stir than was witnessed on Saturday, or more enthusiasm when the local team emerged from a pulsating encounter merited possessors of a point captured from the Rangers. Rangers may have pressed more and with greater method, but the home forwards, in their own way, were just as dangerous. Then we must not forget that in the first half Clydebank had what I considered a good claim for a penalty disallowed, though against that there was something like an infringement on ‘Brown’ during one of his innumerable dashes inside the ‘box.’ The game was intensely interesting and exhilarating, and precious few of the 14,700 odd spectators left the ground before the last kick up till which the result was ‘in the clouds.’ Opening with marked confidence, Rangers had a shade the best of the deal for a little, but the tackling of the Clydebank halfs was so keen and Fullarton and Ferguson were so effective in clearing that McTurk saw a good part of the game before actually being brought into it. With the ‘Light Blues’ forwards it was a case of being reduced to feeling for an opening and failing. But then Brander, with an elusive dribble and a shot that swept the ball across Hempsey’s goal and narrowly out, made us aware that the home attack had also to be reckoned with. Blair had to intervene to save a dangerous situation created by Thornley and Croot, and hard on top of this Croot again led in, and Hempsey had to dive to save at the foot of the post, being injured in the performance. This was one of the recurring periods when Clydebank, forwards were able to give the Rangers’ defence some real anxiety. It was followed by hard Rangers’ pressure, contributed to largely by the splendid forcing work by Pursell and Dixon. The Oldham man was in magnificent form, for besides dealing effectively with Yarnall; he departed from the customary fault of skying the ball, and was of great help to the forwards. Rangers did not end this bit of rampancy until they had scored. From a ‘corner’ Archibald, with his head, met a ball beautifully placed by McDiarmid, and deflected it sharply beyond McTurk’s reach. I think the succeeding ten minutes were the vital ones for Clydebank. Rangers, played with all the assurance of a lead, threatened to take command of the game, and it was only the most indomitatable spirit on the part of the home defence that saved them. ‘Brown’ more on the ball than in any game I have seen him play for Rangers, kept darting in with those twinkling feet of his, and once his shot was only touched by McTurk’s outstretched foot, and the ball spun upwards and seemed bound to go over the line into the net when it suddenly curled outwards again. These were thrilling moments, but not more so than when, the Clydebank forwards coming in again, Brander created a likely scoring chance, and then found himself embracing mother earth. Blair swept the ball and feet away from the Clydebank winger, A penalty it seemed to me, but, of course, the referee decides. Early in the second half the home forwards changed their methods. They had previously been playing the ball too close but now they let it swing. The game took on a new phase, and we saw Manderson and Blair being pressed as hard as ever the rival backs had been. Yarnall got through to hit the bar an awful whack, and Croot was getting in his centres in fine style, so that play for a time was all around Hempsey until the equalising goal arrived. In one of many breezy encounters between Manderson and Croot, the Saxon prevailed and got the ball over and Brander, waiting, headed it in. The goal seemed preventable, but the Rangers defence was a trifle flurried and the one left the business to the other, so that none did it. There were some fifteen minutes to go, and they were characterised by a mighty effort by Rangers. It used to be said that the Ibrox team could not fight for a win. That delusion must go by the board. No team ever fought with sterner resolve. Once ‘Brown’ laid the ball in the net from Bowie’s pass, but he was clearly offside. Time and again the winning goal seemed on the way, but the Clydebank defence won the day and earned the draw. I am inclined to believe that the smaller Clydeholm ground cramped the Rangers’ game a bit. There always seemed to be three Clydebank men on the top of the man with the ball; but in any case, there was no real weakness on the side. Hempsey had comparatively little to do, much less than McTurk, although the home defence, to a man, did their part well. Manderson had a big handful in the stalwart Croot, and they were quits at the finish. Blair was the steadier back, but as a pair they did no better work than Fullerton and Ferguson. There were two spoiling half-back lines. Neish, because of his qualities as a feeder, was perhaps the best of the home trio; but both Forrest and Walker had a great share in the draw. Dixon excellent himself, and Pursell tackled with great power. Rangers’ forwards played the prettier and more sustained football. Archibald and Bowie were the best wing afield, and ‘Brown’ was so often on the road for goal that his failure to score can be directly attributed to the three-men-after-one tactics of the home side – tactics which are, of course, quite in order. Cairns worked hard to get his wing going, but somehow McDiarmid did not seem to catch the fiery spirit of the contest. Clydebank’s forwards were best when they opened up their game in the second half, but even before that their stabs at the Rangers’ defence were always dangerous. Brander played the game to suit, and had in Travers a player with a perfect pass, Yarnall was held most of the time, and Thornley only blossomed in the second half, where he and Croot gave the Rangers’ defence some anxious moments
