Match ended 0-0
Match Information
Attendance: 22,000
Referee: P Craigmyle (Aberdee)
Matchday: Saturday
Match Trivia
If I werent such a charitable fellow I could tell you a few things. For example, I could tell you that I saw an ordinary Dundee side and an extraordinary Rangers one! That there was scarcely one real thrill in the game. That there were no purple patches of play, and in fact, that I was more than a trifle bored. But as I dont want to offend anyone, I shant saw a word! The most amazing thing to me was the undisguised satisfaction on the faces of the Dundee fans around me at the finish. They seemed to be delighted at holding the great Rangers to a draw. Well, that might have been justified had they seen even glimpses of the great Rangers. But to me, it was an Ibrox team that asked to be smacked. No rhythm, no ping no sustained subtlety. Any smart movements were incidental and as such were so rare we remember them! They were like a male-voice choir whod been handed out the wrong music sheets. Wee Alec Venters was miles ahead of any other forward, yet he has often played better and been scarcely noticed. I know it was a first-of-the-season game and all that. But I an not asked to make excuses for players mu job is to tell what I saw. And, in truth, I saw a game that made me think that the season was just ending instead of beginning. Dundee were not any better than Rangers but then we didnt expect so much from them. At the same time, they lost a rare chance of catching the Light Blues with one leg out of bed. Having got all that off my chest, let me concede that there was no lack of endeavour on both sides. But its very jerkiness and speculation made the ball trundle through the game. A draw was a good result, for the simple reason that neither side did enough to win. In the first-half, Rangers had a slight advantage in attack, mainly through hastily-conceived movements quite foreign to the Rangers we all know. But the first scare came at Dawsons end, when a far-flung cross by Kirby enticed Jerry out of his goals and along the bye-line. He failed to reach it, and Cheyne surprisingly headed the ball back across goal, where, luckily, Brown was in position. Georges pass back to Simpson. Georges pass back to Simpson, who had taken Dawsons place on the goal-line, was a masterly brain-wave, though its effect on the Ibrox fans was just too bad. Throughout the game, the Light Blues had more than one lucky let-off like this. But then, so had Marsh in the other goal. When Souter lamed himself in screwing a ball back to Venters, all hope of the Rangers forwards swinging in the one key disappeared. I was sorry for the ex-Queens Park man. He was terribly keen, and never made a fuss of his injury. At the same time, I think he must realise that playing for Rangers makes an extra demand on a player. Frankly, on this form, Souter has a lot to learn. Throughout the game, the Light Blues had more than one lucky let-off like this. But then, so had Marsh in the other goal. When Souter lamed himself in screwing a ball back to Venters, all hope of the Rangers forwards swinging in the one key disappeared. I was sorry for the ex-Queens Park man. He was terribly keen, and never made a fuss of his injury. At the same time, I think he must realise that playing for Rangers makes an extra demand on a player. Frankly, on this form, Souter has a lot to learn. He must think more quickly and act ditto. His headwork was excellent, though Latimer on the other side made a better debut. Up to his old Love Street tricks again. One sudden switch-over with Coats in the second half laid the Ibrox defence open as wide as a chorus girls smile. But Jerry Dawson left the ground as if catapulted and grabbed the ball in the nick of time. Yes, wee Latimer was a success and will be a greater when his new colleagues discover when to expect him and where! After a lot of jerky passing and quaint ballooning, Venters supplied one of the few memorable moments. Snapping up the ball at midfield, he raced over to the left with the field in full chase. He waved an arm inwards to Kinnear, and when the winger took his cue Venters stroked the ball in between the Dundee defenders. It was not only a peach of a pass it was a whole fruit salad. So precise was that pass that Kinnear could not have got out of its way had wanted to. Automatically he met it first time a crashing shot. Next, we saw was the ball birling about fifteen feet high off Wilson Marshs knuckles. The Dundee keeper nursed that hand anxiously for a long time afterwards. Later, Kinnear had a lovely touchline run and pass to Smith. The big centre side-stepped Evans, and from an acute angle brought out another great Marsh save. Dundee, mainly through the purposeful play of Guthrie, scampered to the other end in spasms. But the nearest things were a dropped ball by Dawson and a spanking shot by Baxter, which tore along the side-net. And so, to half-time, and ten minutes later a repeat of the first half. Dawson was terribly lucky when the nippy little Coats shot hard. The Rangers keeper dived outwards, and the ball hit his chest and rolled invitingly to two of his mates! Round about this time Mr Craigmyle started to impress on us the fact that he really had come back from the Faroe Islands (in case we had not noticed his sun-tan). He cautioned Innes, McPhail, Guthrie, Venters and Evans, and then, as even this failed to give us a thrill, he shut his wee book as if to say, Whats the use? Something was always threatening, yet nothing ever happened. If ever a goal was needed to rouse a crowd, it was now. The fans were standing round all corked and sizzling like fresh lime juice and soda awaiting relief, but none of the players had a corkscrew. Cheyne played a fine, thoughtful game for Rangers. Dawson and Gray both made mistakes. Kennedy plodded along rather heavily. Simpson hated the sight of Coats before the finish, while Brown was surprisingly ordinary. The front line hung like a pair of wet plus-fours. Souter did not respond. Venters hit on all cylinders, but Smith and McPhail were marked absent for long spells. I believe if Kinnear had been properly serviced he would have livened things up. He and Venters saved the line from utter mediocrity. Marsh had some brilliant work to his credit but dropped the ball rather often. Both Dundee backs were reliable. Evans stood up to Jimmy Smith more successfully than most pivots, but his wing men, Innes and Smith, had style of movement more highly developed than power of punch. Coats, Latimer and Guthrie were the main raiders. Rangers will have to do a lot better on Wednesday against Austria, or they may start another war.
