S Archibald 2
B McPhail 34
Match Information
Attendance: 43,669
Referee: T Small (Dundee)
Matchday: Saturday
Match Trivia
Even the most rabid Hibernian supporter must acknowledge that Rangers were the better team at Tynecastle yesterday. From the first kick the ‘Light Blues’ went into the fray with a determination and a disregard of possible injury that characterises a first-class Cup team. Indeed, the risk-taken tactics of the Ibrox men were the outstanding features of the contest. Another feature was suppled by Robb, who was beaten with two shots he should have saved. The third feature was the display of Fleming, to whom more than any other forward was the victory due. He barged in on Robb every time the keeper went for a ball, and I am convinced that his attentions rattled the old Ranger. Hibs, at no time, played like a confident team. They carried two or three passengers. Rangers had a great half-back line.’ Put punch into it’ seemed to be their motto. Buchanan, Meiklejohn and craig, on the day’s showing, are the finest in Britain. The backs did well. Simpson, in the attack, paid his way, although he was not at all up to Cunningham standard. Save McGonnigle, in the Hibs’ defence, the Edinburgh team were fifty per cent below League form. Dunn and Ritchie failed to play to reputation. McColl was the only effective forward, and Bradley hardly got one ball across. Something like a mild sensation was caused when it was rumoured before the game that Andrew Cunningham was unfit to play. We learned that Simpson, the ex-Dundee United player would deputise, and that Buchanan would fill the right half berth again. We were somewhat surprised to learn that Tom Hamilton earlier in the week was suffering from mumps, but the Ibrox goalkeeper decided to play. From the start we had typical Cup-tie football, a couple of minutes’ hard kicking and uncertain clearing, and then – sensation. Hibs’ left defence let Archibald make position. I got the impression that Sandy, who was fairly close to the bye-line, intended to cross for the benefit of his waiting colleagues. But the ball sped along the grass to the near foot of the upright, and flashed pass Robb, who dived desperately and unsuccessful. Remarkably hard were the succeeding exchanges. No player spared himself. Hibs continued to work their way up on Richie’s wing, and a likely cross reached McColl. The centre’s shot, however, went very wide. Rangers played the right type of game for the occasion – no holding – just hard tackling, hefty shouldering, long drives to Fleming and the wings. Twice Fleming failed to add to the score. On the first occasion he lobbed the ball into Robb’s hands; on the second he sent the ball wide. Hibs almost exacted a swift revenge for the opening goal when Dunn sent in a powerful header that the keeper stopped, and looked a trifle surprised at having got it. “That’s the stuff to give ‘em”, shouted a Hibs supporter behind the press-box, but as a matter of fact the real stuff was being served up by Rangers. Meiklejohn used as much energy in the first half as he is accustomed to spend in the whole ninety minutes. He kept the ball going forward to McPhail and Fleming, both of whom kept Robb on the move. The keeper, however, was out to redeem his former lapse, and saved splendidly when next the Ibrox centre gave him the opportunity. Bu that time Hibs’ halfs had lost touch with their forwards. Murray, Dick and Gilfeater were too busy in defence to attack. Some nasty work between Gilfeater and Buchanan showed the temper of the contestants. Archibald and Buchanan carried out a bewildering evolution that ended in nothing more profitable than a corner. Yet the ease with which it was executed showed up the weakness of the Hibs’ defence. More weakness a minute later, with Fleming, Simpson and McPhail scrambling on the goal-line, finished with the latter scraping the ball past Robb. Hibs were out of luck the nest minute, when Hamilton dropped the ball. It required only a toe to push it through, but there was not a toe in the vicinity. Gilfeater made a valiant attempt from a free kick, but his elevation was slightly out, the ball touching the top angle of the goal before going behind. Said Tom Muirhead in the pavilion at half-time, “Surely, we will win now. Isn’t Davie Meiklejohn playing a great game; he is the best half in Britian. It is a shame that he isn’t in the International team.” Certainly, Davie hard played a storm of a game, and he acted in the early stages of the second half, as if he could carry on in his herculean fashion for hours. A minute after the game started the crowd in the more densely packed part of the enclosure broke into an enthusiastic and prolonged cheer. What prompted it we did not realise until we saw that on the half-time board the score at Ibrox was given as Queen’s Park 2; Celtic 0. The disappointment of the crowd was obvious when an official reversed the figures. Rangers continued to dominate the game. Their half maintained their grip on the Hibernian forwards. Meiklejohn on one occasion jumped to a ball, and appeared to elbow Jimmy McColl, and to the surprise of the crowd Referee Small gave a free kick against the Hibernian. The Easter Road supporters longed to see Jimmy Dunn in operation, but Rangers’ defenders were giving the little fellow no scope, and even though Ritchie was less carefully watched than usual, the winger could do nothing to give his clever inside man a chance. Ritchie failed badly on several occasions when in possession in promising position. The tactics of Rangers’ forward when Robb was holding the ball surprised everyone. Fleming was down on him every time. Simpson twice caught him round the neck in the most obvious fashion. At least half a dozen frees were given against Rangers for their attention to the keeper. When the excitement died down a bit, and when Rangers were developing the telling and intelligent game that they display in League matches, Simpson notched the best goal of the game. With a wonderful back header, he deflected a cross from the right over Robb’s upstretched arm. This was undoubtedly the keeper’s bad day. Alan Morton was seen at his best at this stage. The Ibrox winger, with a quick touch of the outside of his right foot, beat Murray repeatedly, and kept McGinnigle on tenterhooks. Robb and Fleming had had so many duels, and so sharp were they, that I was not at all surprised when Mr Small called the pair together and endeavoured to put an end to the trouble. Ritchie, with a clear field, made a sorry mess of a great opportunity. Instead of shooting, he slipped the ball gently across the goalmouth, when a glance would have shown him that there was not a colleague nearer than fifteen yards to goal.
