Gordon (2)
S Archibald
Match Information
Attendance: 12,500
Referee: J Lyons (Hamilton)
Matchday: Saturday
Match Trivia
Nobody need ask to see a finer exhibition of football in these times than with which the Rangers ushered in the second half of the game at Tynecastle. It didn’t last more than nine or ten minutes, but it was splendid while it lasted. A goal by Gordon began it, and a goal by Gordon brought it to a finish. Sergeant James had hardly expected to be called on to take up the centre-forward position, but with his club in difficulties there was nothing else for it. When I told him that he had Mercer to outwit, he remarked cheerily that he could never get a kick in the ‘Bob’s’ long legs. Well, before the finish James got in two kicks that counted in not bringing his individual goal-total up to three. Early on Mercer undoubtedly did keep Gordon in his place. Bowie got more rope, however, and grand work he did, not only on his own wing, but all over the field. His long passes were generally models of accuracy. All the danger to the Hearts’ goal in the first half came from the Ibrox right wing. Archibald put in some fine centres from the touch-line, and gave Black at least one difficult shot to hold. There was not much to choose between the teams in the rear, where Blair on the one side and Kiernan on the other stood well above their fellows. Nor was there a great deal between the rival forwards lines in the first half, although the Rangers’ lot always moved with more cohesion than the Tynecastle five. Gibson put over one or two good balls at the start of the game, and Miller and Sharp had passable tries at goal, but little real shooting was done. Gordon got his two goals – lovely things both of them – before the second half was fifteen minutes old. First the ball was sent up to him from behind, and he carried on nicely past McIntosh before beating Black. Then Bowie put him in possession, and he got home a strong drive from twenty yards’ range, the goalkeeper being caught at the wrong end of his charge. Hearts put up a plucky game after they were two down, and when Mercer came to the aid if the forwards ait was touch-and-go for a score; indeed Hempsey himself seemed to suspect that he had been driven over the line by the cannon-ball-like shot which the Bombardier sent in. I thought so, too. However, the point had no real bearing on the result, any more than had a good goal which Archibald scored a couple of minutes from the end. The marked superiority of their forward play in the second half made the Rangers fully entitled to their emphatic victory. While all five forwards did well at this stage, Archibald deserves a special word of praise for his consistency, Bowie for his skilful work at the start, and Gordon for his ready shooting. The foundation of the forward’s success was laid by the sound and solid work of the men behind, among whom none did so well as Blair, McKenna and the stalwart centre half-back. Hearts were outclassed forward. Miller could do nothing right, Newbigging failed to justify his selection in place of Drummond; consequently all the hard work of Sharp and Sinclair went for nought. Too heavy a burden fell on the half-backs. Nellies was hardly his old self, but Mercer put in a good game, and as a dogged worker Ross could hardly be bettered. Clean, ready kicking caused Kiernan to catch the eye most in the rear
