W Reid
A Cunningham
Match Information
Attendance: 8,000
Referee: A Allan (Parkhead)
Matchday: Saturday
Match Trivia
The absence of Dickie from the Kilmarnock team meant the re-arranging of the defence against Rangers, but apart from that the soldier was much missed, for Hamilton, who occupied the position (not new to him), failed to force the game, and his cool judgment was badly wanted against such clever forwards as the Rangers’ five proved themselves. But for a little feeling which occasionally manifested itself, the game was a pleasant one to watch, and both teams have credit by their display. The three-goal victory is a little inflated, for while all the goals were cleverly taken, and Blair saved as many others, Kilmarnock, on the other hand, proved themselves everything but finishers. There were times in the game when some of the players showed a fondness to overdo their cleverness, and while it brought forth joy to many of the home supporters, it nevertheless would have paid their side better to have taken a leaf out of Rangers’ book. The Ibrox team’s motto was ‘The quickest way to goal, and don’t return empty-handed’. Ere ten minutes had gone Reid found himself clear possession, and Blair, noticing that Murray was unable to catch up the centre, came out and spread-eagled himself. He spoiled Reid, but Cairns, following up, got the chance and quickly seized it. In like manner Reid again got the best of it for speed in taking a pass forward, and although badly hampered managed to get his foot in sufficiently to glide the ball into the net. It was then that Kilmarnock’ s forwards put forth their best efforts, but a resolute defence and careless finishing made all the difference. Right away from the re-start Cunningham found himself in possession with only Blair to beat, and Rugby Park folks know that their old favourite makes few mistakes with such opportunities. On went the third goal. Kilmarnock laboured hard to reduce the score, and were often in the vicinity of Lock, but that gentleman, although being kept more on the move, got nothing like the shots that Blair had to negotiate from Duncan, Reid and Gordon. However, the game had lost much of its sting in the closing twenty minutes, the early work, which was marked by downright earnestness on the part of the contestants, having told its tale. In an excellent all-round Rangers team, Muir, Manderson and Gordon shone above their mates in the defence. Cunningham, who was playing his first game against his old club mates, was prone to keep the ball too long, but his play was nevertheless marked by judgment. The others were equally serviceable. Blair had nothing to learn in the way of goalkeeping, as his manner of stopping some stingers proved. Murray and Mitchell stood up to a hard job pluckily, but the former found Paterson as elusive as an eel. Shortt was the best of a hardworking half-back line, who were a shade slow in comparison with their opponents. Fulton was easily the master mind in the forward line, Culley suffering from the passes meant for him going the way of his opponents. The others were clever at times, but a little opportunism all round would help what otherwise is a good team
