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Match Details

Kilmarnock

2-1

Rangers

League
Rugby Park
12 March, 1938

Kilmarnock

Hunter
Fyfe
Milloy
Robertson
Stewart
Ross
Thomson
Reid
Collins
McAvoy
McGrogan

4

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11

Rangers

Jerry Dawson
Tom McKillop
William Cheyne
James Fiddes
Jimmy Simpson
George Brown
John Sowerby
Albert Lyness
Jimmy Smith
Robert Harrison
David Kinnear

Match Information

Goals

Kinnear 10
McGrogan 68
B Thomson 77

Match Information

Manager: Bill Struth
Attendance: 25,000
Referee: J.M. Martin (Fife)
Matchday:  Saturday

Match Trivia

So, Kilmarnock have brought off the big double by beating the Celts and Rangers in successive weeks. For about an hour yesterday it looked as if they would fail, as Rangers were easily the smarter-moving and more skilful team. By comparison Killie were sluggish and fitful and seemed to be suffering from the recoil of last week’s supreme effort at Parkhead. Reid and McAvoy usually constructive stars forward, were most disappointing and left little impression at all on the play, while only Ross of the half-backs showed any discretion in parting with the ball. Rangers got off to something like a flying start, scoring in ten minutes. Fiddes took the ball from Milloy, who had run too far out and sent it across goal. Kinnear met the ball in the middle and shot. Fyfe attempted to block it, bit only applied a spin to the ball, which twisted into the net near the post. Rangers immediately settled to some grand attacking play, in which all the forwards participated. Harrison and Lyness worked the ball skilfully. Smith was the usual spearhead and Sowerby got the ball over in slick and accurate fashion. Kinnear was the star, and looked like playing himself into a cap. He had nearly always the beating of Fyfe, was brimful of confidence and put over sufficient balls for Rangers to have established a comfortable lead. That they did not was not his fault. One glaring instance of missed chances was when Smith and Sowerby in turn missed Kinnear’s cross right in the goalmouth with no one near them. The second half looked like running much on the same lines for the first quarter, until McGrogan inspired Killie. He brought Dawson to the first of a series of great saves. Having found the way, Killie be-spurred themselves and only the superlative saving of Dawson prevented the equaliser. Rangers’ defence git rattled and McGrogan sent it toppling with a magnificent goal in 24 minutes. Shooting with his right foot, from just inside the box, he despatched a beauty into the top corner, well out of Dawson’s reach. Killie now scented victory, and Rangers bowed before them. Thirteen minutes from time came the winner. Fyfe drove a long free kick across goal. Simpson failed to judge the flight of the ball, and in darted Thomson from the wing to head into the far side of the goal, giving Dawson no possible chance. It was only at this stage that Killie could justify their victory and over the piece Rangers were rather unfortunate to lose. In this respect Killie were the better fighters, and that factor must be taken into account in assessing the merits of the teams. On the other hand, it must be remembered that Rangers were without Gray, Main, McPhail and Venters, and fielded an entirely new right wing in Sowerby and Lyness, both of whom were making their League debut. Fiddes played a steady game at half back but McKillop latterly lost grip of McGrogan.
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