McGowan 30, xx
G Brown <45
Match Information
Attendance: 12,000
Referee: T Small (Dundee)
Matchday: Saturday
Match Trivia
For nearly half-an-hour Falkirk made a real fight of it against Rangers. If anything, they were the more promising side, but during that period the Ibrox attack had not been functioning smoothly. After their first goal went on, Rangers continued to the interval as a powerful offensive force, with the result that they crossed over three goals to the good. Falkirk had a flash at the restart which produced a goal, but that was the limit of their performance. Play never rose to great heights but had its interesting features. The Ibrox forwards, once they found their feet, moved with freedom if not with perfect accuracy. There was quite a noticeable element of confidence about them, and even when mistakes were made, they did not lose it. They let themselves go, as contrasted with the cramped style they have shown too often this season, and the result was seen in the number of times the Falkirk defence was disturbed. Perhaps one of the reasons for Falkirks early good showing was the grip Kennedy had of Alan Morton. But Morton shook that off later, and became the trickiest, and at the same time, the most effective forward on the field. He dribbled tantalisingly, and his crossing of the ball was in his best style. The other Rangers forwards were go-ahead without touching Ibrox class as we have known it. McGowan got a couple of goals but should have had more. Brown did not do justice to Fleming. Behind them Craig was perhaps the most polished half-back, although both Meiklejohn and Buchanan did good work. Neither back made a great impression, and Tom Hamilton had little to do. He stopped one ball from Gall with his forehead instead of his hands. After all, Tom Ferguson did not turn out for Falkirk. Thomson did very well, his handling of Mortons crosses being safe in the extreme, while he had some good saves high up. Hamill defended dourly, and Mackrell was nearer the form that drew attention to him earlier in the season. The half-backs started well, but fell away, especially Kennedy, who dominated Morton at the start, but was led a merry dance afterwards. Hutchison was a sticker, and Hotson smart when the ball was on the ground, but curiously ineffective, for his height, with his head. Tom Morgan, from Hearts, did not get the ball coming to him as such a slightly-built centre requires. He lacked strength in going through, but a game or two more may make all the difference to him. Falkirks wing forwards were clever in the outfield, but their judgement in finishing was not of the best. Patsy Gallagher gave us several of his own touches, and he snatched his scoring chance in a way that left Meiklejohn, whose pass-back led to the goal, looking very crestfallen. Stevenson was below his usual. Falkirk started off with an attack prompted by Stevenson. A free kick helped, and Gall had a chance when the Rangers defence failed to clear a dropping ball. His shot, however, was badly directed. The first Rangers raid, led by Morton, produced a shot by Buchanan, which was a trifle high. Then Tom Hamilton had a remarkable escape. A simple-looking centre by Gall struck him on the forehead, and it was well that Gray was at hand to clear. The next time that Falkirk got going Morton twice missed his kick when a shot was on. Brown had very hard lines with a flying header at Mortons cross, which followed clever opening-up work by McPhail. Another run by Morton had the Falkirk defence in trouble, but Brown was too clever he deceived his own men more than the opposition. Gallagher raised a cheer by taking the ball well down, and when Gall returned the pass Meiklejohn was just in time to clear from the lively veteran. Brown was painfully slow in taking a shooting chance, and Jock Buchanan showed him how. Then came a couple of the most extraordinary escapes, one at each end. Morgan intercepted a faulty header by Meiklejohn, and with Tom Hamilton out of his goal in an attempt to cover up, the ex-Heart shot against the post. Then McGowan, after short-range shot against the cross-bar. McPhail and Brown, with a smart exchange of passes, tried to work a way towards Thomson, but the last move went wrong. Thomson fielded a Morton cross with Fleming and Brown waiting for a header, and a similar ball from the left winger was wasted because Brown, in almost certain scoring position, was unsighted by the wild leap that Fleming, away out of place in the centre of the field, made to reach it. But a goal came all right, and deservedly on Rangers pressure. The Falkirk defence chased several passes in vain, and McGown was left with a simple shot straight in front, which he took in decisive and workmanlike fashion. Half-an-hour had gone, and Rangers were definitely on top. Thomson distinguished himself in handling Mortons crosses and had a fine save from a powerful drive by craig which was going in under the bar. Rangers second goal, eight minutes from the interval was a scrambled affair, but the defence was in such a tangle that they deserved to lose it. McGowans effort was blocked, and the ball rebounded to Brown, who had a clear road to the corner of the net and took it. Three minutes later came another. This time Morton sent over one of his elusive lobs. The ball was apparently going into the net, or very near it, and McGowans head just beat Thomsons hands in the effort to get to it. The Ball went into the far side-net a foot behind the post. Things had looked blue for Falkirk at the close of the first half, but the start of the second brought a tonic. Barely a minute had gone when Meiklejohn tried a pass back from a crowded penalty line. Gallagher saw what was coming, and travelling faster then the ball, shot hard into the net. Thos was the start of a real bad spell for Rangers. For a bit they were none too certain in defence, and they had a narrow escape when a raking angular shot by Gallagher went just wide of the far post and was headed into the side-net outside by Gall. But play veered round. A flashing drive by Fleming from long range went very near, and so did a try by Brown. In between, Morgan failed to judge an awkwardly bouncing ball, and shot feebly from a good position. McGowan was offside when Alan Morton diddled the defence and left him with a simple shot, which he banged over the bar. The whistle would salve the centres conscience for an inexcusable miss. However, he had a very cute backward header soon after which tricked past the far post, with Thomson diving in vain to reach it. Falkirks purple patch had faded, and until near the finish the life went out of the game. Alan Morton had a splendid shot which missed by inches, and just on the whistle McPhails powerful drive touched the crossbar as it went over
