Match ended 0-0
Match Information
Attendance: 12,000
Referee: A Allan (Glasgow)
Matchday: Saturday
Match Trivia
Rangers’ defence will not readily forget the gruelling to which they had to submit in the first half at Rugby Park, and to some extent in the second half also. For minutes at a time Kilmarnock bombarded the Rangers’ goal. The wingers raided the area defended by Robb, Manderson and McCandless, and only some wonderful clearance by the goalkeeper, when his citadel seemed doomed, kept Killie from the reward to which their play fully entitled them. Still, one point these days is something to be grateful for, particularly when it is won at the expense of the formidable Light Blue brigade. Though I gave much credit to Kilmarnock for their nippy and dashing display, it must not be forgotten that the conditions were dead against Rangers. First of all, the ground was somewhat bumpy, a factor that militated against the precise football usually displayed by the Light Blues. Then Kilmarnock’s captain on winning the toss, wisely placed Rangers against the blinding sun and against a wind that, though not strong, was yet in Kilmarnock’s favour. Even so, a lack of virility was discernible in the team. McCandless accomplished much useful work, and Manderson stuck to his task well, though the big right back very often kicked far out of the field. At half-back, however, not one of the three touched his usual standard, and but for the assistance of Cairns, their task would have been more difficult still. But more important was the manner in which Cunningham’s guns were spiked. Gray at inside left for Kilmarnock followed the big Galston man round all the first half. Even when Andrew did manage to elude Gray, McEwan, as a rule, butted in time to prevent him opening up the play as he usually does. In this game I can recall only three occasions on which Gould was troubled by the Rangers’ attack – a tribute, surely, to the solidity of the Killie defence. Robb, on the contrary, had one of his busiest days, and he will probably never accomplish a more brilliant save than a headlong dive towards the upright as the ball came sweeping in near the finish. An incident which calls for some comment occurred at a critical stage of the game. Gray, who had taken the centre-forward berth, was making his way through the Rangers’ defence, when McCandless came across to tackle him. The centre, however, prodded the ball clear, and was in the act of following it up when he tripped over McCandless, or was tripped by the Rangers’ man, a yard or two inside the penalty area. The majority of the crowd were convinced that a penalty should have been given, judging from the excited roar when Referee Allen allowed play to proceed. The referee, however, was within a few feet of the players, and was certainly in an excellent position to observe exactly what occurred. Had Gray managed to recover himself I feel sure his shot would have beaten Robb, as there is no doubt about his marksmanship. An interesting point in the game was the appearance of Bobby Brown at outside right for Kilmarnock. Bobby showed wonderful liveliness, and his dozen or so crosses in the first half set the Rangers’ nerves on edge. With a little more height, Walker or Gray might have been able to get more punch into their headers. As it was, very often they got up, bit only managed to touch the ball rather softly in Robb’s direction. Little Lindsay at outside left did not so often work his way to the corner flag. He preferred a quick transfer to the centre, or a long pass right across to the other wing, rather disturbing movements for the Rangers’ defence as it happened. But the brains of the line was undoubtedly Matthew Smith, who was not merely an effective inside forward, but very often was a fourth half-back. Dunlop received a rather severe knock midway through the second half, but all through his play was excellent. Hood and Gibson defended stoutly, Gould, although he was not at all busy, showed signs of nerves. To beat down the Kilmarnock defence Rangers found an impossible task. The tackling of Morton and Archibald by the wing halfs was very deadly, and George Henderson too often was ploughing a lonely furrow.
