S Archibald 35
Missed Penalties
Ferrier pen miss
Match Information
Attendance: 25,000
Referee: T Small (Dundee)
Matchday: Saturday
Match Trivia
Perhaps I expected too much for an opening game. From two such well known exponents of all that is brightest and best in our national game, I certainly looked for a display worthy of their reputation, but in this respect, I was somewhat disappointed. However, this disappointment had its compensations, for I witnessed one of these breezy, full-blooded ninety minutes’ display which delight the hearts of the partisan. It was a game in which spoiling tactics played a big part, with the result that the rival front ranks were seldom allowed to settle down to concerted effort. True, there were occasional flashes of combined brilliance, but there were not sustained, and on the whole the game may be written down as a triumph for the spoilers. Over the piece there was little to choose between the teams, but that little lay with the Rangers, just because they possessed more punch forward. A solitary goal victory would, however, have done justice to their superiority. Right away the Ibrox lot were on their toes, and after an Archibald header had missed the mark by inches, McPhail let go a rasper, to which McCloy responded with a full-length dive. With ten minutes gone, Motherwell made their first serious incursion into the Light Blues territory, and here a Cameron volley grazed the upright, while a Stevenson crasher was palmed out by Hamilton. Next, Nicholson was given a glorious opening from an Archibald cross, but he made a sorry mess of it. Not so Stevenson. Beating Buchanan in a tackle, he Carried on to deliver the finest shot of the day, and Hamilton must have heaved a sigh of relief when he found that the ball had rebounded off the timber. After a McMenemy volley and a deceptive Craig shot had been disposed of by the rival keepers at the expense of corners kicks, Archibald accepted a Fleming pass, and from short range had no difficulty in piloting the ball past McClory. Time, 33 minutes, and before the half-time whistle went only a brilliant save by McClory deprived the Rangers of a second success. The reopening ten minutes were uneventful, but at the end of this period excitement rose to fever heat when in the midst of a melee a penalty award was given against Rangers for handling. Personally, I should bit have been inclined to give the extreme award, as it seemed a case of the ball being banged against a defender from two yards’ range and not a case of deliberate handling. Be that as it may, the spot-kick did not materialise, as Ferrier’s low, hard shot flew straight at Hamilton, who easily cleared. Play became extremely lively following this incident, and some ankle-tapping and elbow-work was introduced, but Referee Small was having none of it, and free-kicks were for a time, rather numerous. Marshall, who had not been much seen in the game, came into evidence with a screamer which skimmed the bar, a fate which met a highly creditable effort by McMenemy. Thirty-six minutes of this half had gone when McPhail cleverly opened out the ‘Well defence and slipped through a picture pass to Fleming, who finished the movement with a well-directed shot. The game to all intents was now finished. Rangers had captured their first brace of the season, and Motherwell had proved that they would again be in the first flight. Of the players who distinguished themselves in this stirring struggle, I would unhesitatingly place the Motherwell backs first. Frame’s judgement and timely kicking were ever in evidence, while ‘Sandy’ Hunter played up to his best Hamilton form. Craig was a grand spoiling middle-man, and Stevenson the schemer-in-chief in front. Cameron was a plucky and daring leader, McMenemy gave of his best in the second half, but Ferrier was disappointing throughout. He showed a tendency to get rid of the ball too quickly. Buchanan was the safer Rangers’ back; Meiklejohn was invaluable as a defensive half, and Craig was conspicuous in purveying to the men in front. Fleming and McPhail were the stalwarts in attack, with Nicholson a lively and elusive second-half winger. Both keepers came through a trying ordeal with credit. Ferrier missed a 55th minute penalty
