McDiarmid
Match Information
Attendance: 10,000
Referee: unknown - to be confirmed
Matchday: Saturday
Match Trivia
Twas quite a cheery little Rangers’ official party I travelled from Kilmarnock with on Saturday evening. And they had reason to feel satisfied and grateful, for had they not turned a 4 to 1 defeat on their previous visit to Rugby Park into a single-goal victory? What matters though Dame Fortune had been kind to them? It’s all in the game, and goals, be they ever so suspicious, are the things that count at the end of the match as points do at the finish of a season. It is too early yet to say that Ibrox will house a great tem this term – I have yet to see Dundee Brown, Hibernian Muirhead, and Clyde Jackson perform, but it was apparent to the 8000 people at Kilmarnock that their middle line was strengthened greatly by the inclusion of Arthur Dixon, of St Mirren. The Oldham half-back, a veritable glutton for work, was oftener on the ball, I believe, than any other man afield; indeed, so keen was the Englishman that on two or three occasions he was penalised for being rather too severe on an opponent. I put these little lapses of Arthur’s down to excess of zeal. Archibald, a sturdily-built lad, is not a Scott Duncan yet, and may never become one, but he will do better than in this match. He will have to, for, although he got across a few good centres in the first half, his display was nothing to write home to Fife about. Once the ex-Raith Rover is better tuned up he will gather the ball smarter, I fancy. McDiarmid passed muster in the centre. He shoved the ball out fairly ‘slick’ to either wing, he fired one or two good shots at Tom Blair, and best of all, he had the satisfaction of putting the finishing touch to that all-important goal which won the match. Fifteen minutes of the game had still to run, when Cairns, seeing an opening in the Kilmarnock defence, proceeded to work his way through. I had the feeling that ‘Tommy’ was going on the beat Blair himself, but somehow or other, McDiarmid, who was a yard or two in front – in an offside position, as a matter of fact – got possession and drove straight and true into the net. Thus the points were won and lost. This was rather rough on Kilmarnock, for although the Rangers, with the breeze behind them now, were the top dogs this half, they had no more of the play than the home team enjoyed before the interval, and certainly Tom Blair’s goal had never the narrow escapes Hempsey’s had. In the first minute, thanks to a mistake by James Blair, Culley went right through, and the Ibrox custodian was from home when McPhail’s centre was shrieking vainly, I might say, for a friendly foot to help it home. Then James Blair just happened to be on the spot to clear a very dangerous ‘corner’; Hempsey was in luck’s way when he git in the way of a teaser of a shot; Blair came to the keeper’s assistance after he had dropped a trimmer from McPhail; and nearing lemon time, the Rangers’ citadel was simply besieged. ‘Corner’ Kilmarnock forced in galore, but no goals. The Ibrox defenders were in luck if ever they were. You must not imagine, however, that the ‘Light Blues’ attack were doing nothing against the troublesome wind and sun. Splendidly led by Bowie, and nicely supported by the intermediate line they called now and then on the other Blair to bestir himself. A particularly nice ‘hook’ from Martin gave Tom the opportunity to effect a fine save, and the next minute; he dealt in masterly fashion with a good try from the right. Lawson, given a prime chance, hesitated the faction of a second and was lost. Hamilton saw to that; and a few minutes later, following perhaps the best bit of concerted forward play’ seen in the game, Blair with McDiarmid on his top, played behind for safety. Kilmarnock started the second half as they had finished the first – pressing. Smith must have felt like kicking himself, as, after taking his shot badly in front of an open goal he watched the ball pass the wrong side of an upright. Manderson, all out, sent McPhail and Rutherford empty away, and save for a break through by Culley, which worried Blair and Hempsey, and a shot by Rutherford, which came to nothing, it was all, or nearly all, Rangers until their goal came along. Subsequently the Rugby Park boys made strenuous efforts to pull a point out of the fire, but their ‘reward’ was a ‘corner’ following one of Rutherford’s snap specials. There is not the least shadow of a doubt that Kilmarnock were unfortunate, and when I say that a draw would have been a better reflex of the runoff the play, I am not forgetting the grave danger the Rangers were in at the beginning. Had Kilmarnock, who fielded the identical eleven that smashed the ‘Light Blues’ on their previous visit to Rugby Park, scored early – as they should – there is no saying what might have happened. For, to say the least of it, the Rangers’ defence was wobbly to begin with. Hempsey got rid of several nasty balls, I admit, but for half an hour or so he was anything but happy. ‘Johnny’ became more like himself later, although throughout he was never so convincing as the big fellow between the opposite posts. Manderson and Blair improved as the game progressed, and the rollicking Irishman, if much less reposeful than his partner, finished the better of the two. But all the backs paled before Mitchell, whose mistakes were few and far between. I have never seen the veteran to more advantage. Hamilton kicked a nice ball, but was often far too easily beaten at close quarters. I have already eulogised Dixon, whose breezy display seemed to infect his partners. At anyrate, Martin resembled more than he has for a long time the lively and clever Dardanelles soldier who was such a power in the Tynecastle middle line in the days when the war was young; and Pursell did very well indeed, even if he roamed a bit in the first half. Yes, the Ibrox middle line was all right. Kilmarnock’s intermediate players did their bit also. Goldie was a tireless worker, and if Mackie and Henderson were both a trifle slow they were always sure. The old Petershill boy came within an ace of heading a goal from a corner beautifully placed by McPhail just before the interval. I was a trifle disappointed with the Rugby Park attack, which did not move with the same freedom as it did, say, four months ago. McPhail and Fulton have often done better on the touch-lines; Rutherford and Smith, although eager to a degree, were not up to concert pitch; and Culley was too individualistic. On the day the line did not contain a player of the ability of Bowie, who was the brains of the Ibrox attack, and easily the best forward afield. His opening out work was splendid. It was the intention of the Rangers’ executive to place him among the middlemen, where much of his value is lost. James isn’t a bad half-back, but he is an ever so better forward. Cairns, who came next on order of merit, showed form a cut ahead of anything I saw him display last season
