McMillan 40, 42
J Smith 50, xx
Match Information
Attendance: 5,000
Referee: J Baillie (Motherwell)
Matchday: Saturday
Match Trivia
Rangers were lucky to win. That was the view of Falkirk folks who watched the struggle between the big fellows and the little fellow of the First Division. And the Firs Park men started with a handicap before they ever kicked a ball. With half of the team on the sick list, and two players making their first appearances, the outlook for Finlay Potters men was dark. But at half-time East Stirling were actually on the lead. Rangers played the better football. Their outfield work was a joy to watch, but so far as goal getting was concerned Smith was the only man who could open the way to goal. The Ibrox centre, who by the way, is an old Shire player himself, took a tremendous lot of watching. He has certainly improved a great deal from the time he was leather slogging at Firs Park. Strange to say, although the Ibrox forwards found the way to goal, they could not find the net, and all their counters were simple ones. An accidental rebound from a defenders head led to the first goal. Smith, who was standing closer, took his chance to drive the ball through. The crowd thought that this was the beginning of the end, but they were wrong. With five minutes of the first half left the Shire got a free kick, and McMillan was on the spot to head through McCabes lob. What a tremendous roar from the home supporters. But when McMillan again beat Dawson a minute later, the Shire followers fairly made the welkin ring. The Rangers keeper was at fault here, he should have made for the ball sooner. Six minutes after the restart, McPhail got through the defence and slipped over a lovely ball to Smith, who banged the ball into the net. Then Watson threw away a point through bad judgement. He tried to kick the ball clear after an Ibrox raid, but Campbell running in shot out his foot and the ball rebounded into the net. The Ibrox men tried hard to put a better face on matters, but although they had many near things the Shire defence held out wonderfully well. It was a rather poor game from a playing point of view. Smith of Rangers, and Latimer of East Stirling were the best men on view, and they pleased the crowd with smart work. There was a lack of cohesion in the Ibrox rear line, and this suited the home attack down to the ground. English played disappointingly at inside right, and Archibald was a dangerous winger. McMillan and Hamilton, the new recruits of East Stirling, acquitted themselves extremely well. Craigie and McCabe played a hard game
