Harrison 65
Match Information
Attendance: 12,000
Referee: P Craigmyle (Aberdeen)
Matchday: Saturday
Match Trivia
The Light Blues have never found Douglas Park a happy hunting ground, and once again they had to bow the knee to Hamilton Academicians. Their latest defeat must have been particularly galling to the Ibrox, as they were well in the running for a fourth successive League Championship, but yesterdays defeat may mean their saying good-bye to the flag this season. Added to this id the fact that they were beaten by a crippled team, as during all the second half McLaren was palpably unfit, and although he hirpled along at outside-right, he was of little use to his side. The Academicals were good winners of a game in which the football never reached a high standard, but was always keen, fast and interesting. A troublesome wind, light ball, and fiery pitch were not conductive to the finer points of the game. Throughout, the Hamilton lads were fighters and never allowed Rangers to settle to a combined game. The re-arranged Ibrox side certainly never hit the high spots, but the opposition had a deal to do with this. The exchanges were very even in the first half, but Academicals in their weakened state were the more purposeful lot after the interval. Their raids on Dawsons charge always carried a menace, and it came as no surprise when they got the goal that earned the points, and a grand goal it was. Thomson, from his own penalty area, cane through with the ball and pushed ahead to Douglas. The winger promptly lofted the ball to Harrison, who gave the Ibrox defence the dummy and from twenty yards shot past Dawson, who had run out ten yards in a desperate effort to avoid disaster. It would have paid Rangers to have exploited the wings to better advantage. They played far too much up the middle. This suited McStay, who simply put the bar up. Smith was uncomfortable at outside-right but went to centre in the second half and did better, without, however, outwitting McStay, who was Hamiltons outstanding man. Not far behind him was Thomson, a real terrier who never knows when he is beaten. Harrison was the winners star forward and gave the Rangers defence no rest. Wilson was good and bad by turns, but Simpson gave him little rope. The Ibrox pivot was outstanding, although he suffered from an early knock on the face. Dawson, Gray, Cheyne and Brown were all up to standard, but the forwards were not on the day the usual Ibrox class. The generalship of Meiklejohn was sadly missed
