A Cunningham 60
S Archibald
Match Information
Attendance: 15,000
Referee: J. Bell (Dundee)
Matchday: Saturday
Match Trivia
About 18,000 people saw Rangers beat Kilmarnock at Rugby Park in what can only be described as a gruelling game. The weather was hot, frightfully hot, and the play was hot from the very start to the very finish. To begin with, Kilmarnock looked like winning. As a matter of fact, they led by the only goal scored in the first half when the cross-over came. They deserved to. But it was a game of halves. That is to say, Kilmarnock were the better lot the first half, although it was Smith, of Rangers, who actually netted their counter. I was sorry for the back. His was a desperate effort to save a desperate situation. Robb had lost the ball well out of his goal, with JR Smith in attendance, when the Rangers’ Smith with Matthew Smith looking after him, booted goodo, and the ball went slashing into the net. But for forty minutes of the second half, Rangers had the game will in hand, and with the light breeze behind them, they won because Cunningham and Archibald were successful with a couple of lovely first-timers. Taking the game as a whole, Rangers deserved their win, but by not a fraction more than the score indicates. They were stretched to their full limit. Kilmarnock, playing Ramsay at inside left vice Culley, got going right away. After Archibald had threatened a raid, McNaught made ground before parting to JR Smith, and it looked uncommonly like a foul when Meiklejohn edged the centre off the ball. There was no whistle, however, and a partial clearance was effected, but Smith got in his shot from a difficult angle. Robb cleared. Kilmarnock were always the more convincing lot up to twenty minutes from the kick-off, and it was no surprise when they opened the scoring. A cross by McNaught produced a corner. The kick was nicely taken by McPhail, Robb ran well out to his left, bur failed to catch hold, and Rangers left back scored as already stated. Morton had a characteristic dash down the wing, and a characteristic shot which Hillcoat did well to get rid of. And then while Rangers were making another raid the crowd threatened a break-in, or rather they ran clear of some fistic fellows near the barrier. The rowdies were soon quietened down by the police. Muirhead, from a fine centre by Morton, headed just over with Hillcoat out of his goal. That was the nearest Rangers came to scoring this half. Then Rangers began their winning half, but only at times did they play like champions. Ramsay gave them a fright after about five minutes play, and he had hard luck in having his parting shot blocked. After ten minutes play Cunningham equalised. It was a beautiful goal. Morton lobbed back a corner-kick by Archibald into the middle. The Ibrox centre positively spun the ball on his toe, and in a couple of movements flashed it into the net high up. About ten minutes later Rangers scored again. Cairns let Morton away nicely, and the little man centred. Gibson missed the ball with his head, but Archibald didn’t with his foot. Taking it before it reached the ground, he drove it safely home. Killie came away with a great closing rally. JR Smith tried a pop with Robb well out of his goal, and although it went over it might just as well have gone into the net. Robb made a couple of bad mistakes in running so far from his goal and failing to get the ball. The first was fatal, and the second not far from being so. Smith was a good as Manderson at back, and both were good. Meiklejohn was perhaps the best half-back. The front line with Bowie off and Muirhead in his place, lacked punch. The extreme wingers were the men who mattered most. Hillcoat dis some really clever things. He could not have saved either scoring shot. Hamilton played a great game, and Gibson was not far behind in merit. The half-backs were workers if none too particular at times, and it may be safely said the forwards were all on a par -all good
