English 3
J Smith
Dr Marshall +5
Missed Penalties
Hamill pen miss
Match Information
Attendance: 12,000
Referee: P Craigmyle (Aberdeen)
Matchday: Saturday
Match Trivia
Rangers continue on their winning way, and at Brockville yesterday they won a hard game after having many anxious moments. Indeed, there were times when they actually looked like leaving at least a point behind. Falkirk made many scoring chances for themselves, but weakness in finishing spoiled them. The Brockville team have in Dougal the promise of a fine right-winger, while in Batchelor at right-half they had one of the finest layers afield. This was a game played under dreadful conditions. All through the piece a driving wind, amounting almost to half a gale swept the field, bringing in its train a lashing rain that blinded the players and soaked them to the skin. Nevertheless, the two teams stood up to the terrible elements and under the circumstances played a hard game that never lost interest until Falkirk were in a hopeless position so far as goals were concerned. And their defeat only occurred within a few minutes late on in the second half. An idea of the conditions may be had when I recall one incident in the first half when Rangers were playing against the wind and rain. At midfield McPhail tapped a dropping ball to Marshall, who was standing ten yards or so immediately to his right. The elements, not Marshall got possession and the leather flew towards Hamilton. The goalkeeper made a good save! It was the wind, too, that lost Falkirk their first goal. A few yards from the left touchline, McPhail sent a high shot to Thomson. The goalkeeper stood awaiting the coming ball. He jumped with plenty of confidence, but the wind deadened the ball in the air, and it was long in coming down for the keeper to secure a safe clutch. He Could do no better than stop its flight under the cross bar. It dropped to the muddied turf, and English rushing in, booted it to the back of the ringing. And only three minutes of the game had gone. Rangers did not deserve to win by the margin which separated the teams at the finish. There is no denying that under ordinary circumstances, the Ibrox lot are the superior, but in this game, they were decidedly fortunate in that they had the rub of the green. At times they were in distinct danger of defeat, there were spells when they were forced on the defensive and had to be content to play second fiddle. Falkirk winning the toss naturally booked the aid of the wind, and despite the early and unfortunate reverse that came their way within three minutes of the start, they played up with gusto encouraged by shouting and cheering that must have been an inspiration. McDonald and Gray faltered the latter particularly. Never have I seen Gray so ineffective as in the first half of this game. The skid of the ball beat him and the grease of it led to his fumbling his kicking. Gall went past him time after time. Brown also found it difficult to preserve his balance, and Morgan with the ball at his feet, was always an odds-on chance to beat him. Young Dougal on the right touchline was not lacking in confidence, and he had the ability to get past McDonald. Twice he sent in terrific shots that made up shout, This boy can shoot. On each occasion Hamilton as he did frequently during the game, brought off grand stand saves. But on the whole the Brockville forward line could not finish. Calder was an especial sinner. He always seemed to be facing the wrong way when the ball reached him, and by the time he got into the proper position he was ready to be bundled off the sphere or dispossessed of it in a simple manner. Twenty minutes after the start Morgan was placed to give his side as deserved equaliser. A pass from the left wing gave him the chance to score. In point off pact, he had nothing to do but slip the ball past Hamilton, but as one foot was raised to do the necessary the other was tripped up, Penalty of course, and Ill wager that the sequel to the taking of the kick was one of the chief items of discussion in Falkirk and district last night. Hamill was delegated to put his team on terms of equality. He was most deliberate in his spotting of the ball; he was most deliberate in taking in approaching the leather for the kick, but Hamilton saved. Immediately there was a rush towards the referee by the Falkirk players. They wanted the kick taken over again. Pressmen not now permitted to interview players, so I have no way of finding out the reason for Mr Craigmyle being surrounded. I give my own version of what happened. As Hamill ran towards the ball the wind blew it from the spot and it turned over. For the slightest fraction of a second the player hesitated in his stride but carried on and shot. As the ball ripped its way to Hamilton the referee ran forward, and he undoubtedly pointed towards the spot. Perhaps this gave the home lot the impression that he was ordering the kick to be taken over again because the ball had left the spot. Anyway, there was a rush towards him what time a Rangers defender kicked the ball into touch. And the majority of the crowd too, thought that Hamill would be given a second chance, but the referee decreed otherwise. However, Falkirk got their deserved equaliser, and it was a bonny goal. It came five minutes from the interval, and the scorer as Dougal. He took a pass from Calder, tricked an opponent, and from a difficult angle the space of entry must have been a very narrow one shot with great force past Hamilton. On the resumption I thought that Rangers, with the wind behind them, would make a meal of the opposition, but for fifteen minutes Falkirk did everything but score. Their backs played up better against the elements than those of the Rangers did, while the intermediate line kept forcing things on. The forwards got every chance, and there were at least two occasions on which they should have scored. Both Calder and Morgan missed certainties, although Hamilton was lucky to stop a shot from Morgan from four yards. The goalkeeper stuck out an arm, and the ball was deflected for a flag-kick. Calder, as usual slept in. During the period of this Falkirk assault, Rangers attack consisted of one man English. But when English did get away, he could be assured that some of his mates were following up to give him support. This follow-up brought its reward in the seventeenth minute. Away went English, but inside the penalty area he was repulsed. The ball was sent back only to be gathered by a Ranger. It found its way to Meiklejohn half-a-dozen yards outside the penalty area. David drove with his right foot. The wind gave the shot added velocity, and it whizzed into the net high up at Thomsons right-hand side. Eight minutes later a pretty movement, in which Brown was the worker, ended in the left half-back slipping the ball to Smith, who had worked his way inside, while the half-back was on the touchline. Smith tricked a man and show low with his right foot. The ball never rose more than a dozen inches from the ground, and striking the goalkeepers left-hand post, entered the net. The last goal of the game three minutes later, and the scorer was Marshall. His shot was a replica of Dougals. The best of the Rangers team were Hamilton and Meiklejohn. The goalkeeper played really brilliantly, and his anticipation was of the first class. The right half gave one of those quiet, but masterly display for which he has grown famous. Nothing ostentatious about his work, only a telling effectiveness, and what more could you desire. In this game there were several incidents, born of temper that could have been done without. Meiklejohn was never in the wars. Time was . . . but experience brings discretion. Rangers backs were not good; slightly better in the second half than the first. Simpson like Brown was worried by the lack of stability of Gray and McDonald, but we had samples of the real Brown in the latter stages of the game. The forward line was below par. It seldom produced football of a combined nature, but after all it depended more on the smash-and-grab stiff, with English carrying the brick to break the window, than on the smooth running football we are accustomed to see from it. Falkirk have impressed immensely since I saw them at Cathkin, and in Bachelor they have a grand right half-back, a strong tackler a confident defender, a skilful attacker. He and Meiklejohn were easily the best half-backs on the field. I have seen Thomson play much better in goal and his apparent lack of judgment could be attributed to anxiety for the safety of the two men in front of him. Richardson and Hamill played stoutly, better than their prototypes. Falkirks big weakness is in the forward line. Calder made a poor showing at centre-forward. With a more talented player as leader the Bairns might not have lost this game. His inside support were good sometimes, weak others. Morgan did many clever things, but at times he was slow to move, and in the second half tried to play too closely. Gall is worth his wages, and I had a feeling that he should have been played to more then he was. On the other touchline Falkirk have a youngster who may do big things in the game. I was taken with Dougal, and once he gathers confidence to carry the ball upfield he will be hearing about him. Hamill missed a 20th minute penalty
