S Archibald 1
McPhail 15
B McPhail
Fleming 40
Stevenson <45
McFadyen 68
Match Information
Attendance: 27,500
Referee: T Small (Dundee)
Matchday: Saturday
Match Trivia
I have never seen Rangers in such devastating form as they were at Fir Park yesterday. Poor Motherwell, pluckily though they played, never had a look in against this wonderful Ibrox machinery that seemed to reduce the art of scoring goals to the simplest of simple processes. Within a quarter of an hour of the start, Motherwell were floored, and Rangers were looking forward to their next-round fixture. While I fully expected to see the champions victorious, I expected the victory to be much harder of achievement. Motherwell are being criticised for playing far below their form, but I do not think that is entirely the case. They played as well as they were allowed to play by a Rangers team that was better balanced and had not a weak spot in its make up. Motherwell, in their endeavours to get an early goal, played into the hands of the Rangers, for they left their defence open, and within a few minutes the Fir Parkers’ weakness was discovered. Rangers, quickly transferring defence into attack, fell upon the helpless McClory like a thunderbolt, and with the backs all at sea before the brilliant combination of the Ibrox men, it is no wonder that the keeper was defeated. Once on the lead Rangers kept hammering upon young Nisbet and the over worked Hunter, and it seemed as if nothing could go wrong for them. Half-backs like Craig and Buchanan were to be found in the penalty area or at the corner flag lending a hand in the devastating work. They were a team inspired. Goals came in rapid succession. We had just watched McPhail head the ball into the net after a great movement, in which he had been the hero, when Archibald was upset in the area. Alan Morton took the spot-kick and made Rangers’ only mistake in the game. He seemed to think that goals could not be missed, so softly did he take it, but McClory dropped on it and saved. But no sooner was that incident over when Fleming made amends by scoring the third. For a spell Motherwell put in a stronger resistance until, just before the interval, there was another spate of goals, two more for Rangers and a consolation one for Motherwell. By half-time, the big thriller had been transformed into a fizzle. The second half was a dreich affair, for Rangers were content with that they had got, and it was merely a case of filling in the time. There is not one single Ranger o would single out either as a success or a failure. In their wonderful display self was forgotten, and every man-jack of the Ibrox party pulled his weight and did his share. The forwards, particularly McPhail and Fleming, were deadly near goal, and were the chief cause of the Motherwell anxiety, but their work would not have been possible but for the co-operation of the wingers and the half-backs. With the International so near at hand, it was good to see caps in form. Gray and Craig played their best games for a long while. The honours must have spurred them on. Meiklejohn was his own steady self. Davie surely is the soundest [pivot playing the game today. The Irish people, too, would be delighted with Bob Hamilton. The man from Newry gets better every week. Tom Hamilton in goal was safe, although he was beaten by two long-range shots. The one from Stevenson had a swerve on it that beat him all the way, and in McFadyen’s case I think he cannot have had a clear view. The two Rangers I have not mentioned – Morton and Brown – played a valuable part in the victory. Morton was up against an inexperienced man, and he made full use of his advantage, while Brown was again a star turn with his positional play. Motherwell never impressed in the sane way as Rangers. In attack they lacked the snap and finish of the Rangers. Stevenson alone could call quits with the Ibrox wonder men. The lad from Kilbirnie played a lone hand in wonderful fashion, and his goal was a treat to see, by far the best of the whole seven, it was a grand solo effort. Ferrier and McMenemy were rarely in the picture, while Dowall only found his feet in the second half. There is something good about this lad, though and I expect to see him improve with experience. The Mother half-backs were overrun. Telfer and McFadyen could bot stop the Rangers attack at the source and did not give much help to Nisbet or Hunter, of whom the latter was by a long way the more sound. At centre-half Craig was rarely in the picture, but I cannot blame McClory for any of the goals. The big Armadale boy was sound as a bell in his keeping. Raight from the start it was obvious that the conditions were not too good, and slips were frequent. Motherwell were the more forceful early on, but Rangers’ defence was sound and resisted the onslaughts of Stevenson and Co. The first cheer was awarded to Nisbet for a plucky recovery after he had missed Morton, but this gave away a corner, and from this Rangers went on to their opening score. After McClory had cleverly stopped a header from Brown, Buchanan sent the ball away to the unmarked Archibald, who wasted on time in banging it into the far corner of the net. McClory fell for it, but he had no chance of stopping the Fifer’s hard grounder. It was typical Archibald goal. Motherwell were disheartened at this blow, but they recovered well, and Stevenson was just inched off turning a free-kick from McFadyen into goal. But it was of no avail, Rangers were in the most brilliant form, and before 15 minutes had gone another goal had been scored. McPhail, after a dazzling run up the middle, passed out to Archibald, who lobbed it back for McPhail to head into the net. It was hardly believable this play purveyed by Rangers! Poor Motherwell looked poor stuff indeed before their attack. Just after the cheers for the second goal had died away, Archibald broke away, on the edge of the penalty area was brought down by Hunter. A penalty was the only award, and the referee did right in pointing to the spot. Rangers’ new penalty expert, Alan Morton, took the kick, but his slow-motion stuff for once failed to act, and McClory, full length, stopped the ball for a corner. The third goal was only delayed, however, for in the next offensive Fleming headed home a free-kick taken by Craig just outside the box. McClory appealed against the count on the score of off-side, but his plea seemed a frivolous one. Rangers could afford to take things east after the whirlwind, but in spite of this, they went on to score their fourth and fifth in quick succession. The first of these was a peculiar affair. Archibald struck the bar with a free-kick, and from the rebound McPhail put the ball in at the corner. The ball certainly struck the net, but it bounded out into play. Just on top of this riot of scoring by Rangers, Motherwell got a belated look-in. The Fir Park International, Stevenson, took the ball in the middle, battled past two defenders, and with that grand swerving high shot of his, beat Hamilton from about 15 yards range. The second half opened on a more subdued note. Rangers now seemed satisfied with their lead, and Motherwell were not so hard pressed. Nevertheless, Rangers were a vital force, and McPhail and Brown both came near to counting. The latter’s well-directed shot was caught on the run by McClory. Following this more was seen of the Motherwell attack, and Dowall was prominent in his endeavour to break through past Meiklejohn. Archibald and McPhail had to receive attention from the trainer, and just after the man with the bag had departed Motherwell got a free-kick. From this kick McFadyen took possession, and from long range banged one past Hamilton, who was evidently blinded by inter-lying players. Had Motherwell been awarded a penalty in the next attack, instead of the free just outside the area – a wrong decision in my opinion – it might have been a fight to the finish, but with this attack being repulsed and a shot by Ferrier being stopped by Hamilton, Rangers ran out the easiest of easy winners. During the whole of the second period, they had not a care in the world. Round four was staring them in the face. Towards the close they tried to increase their lead, and Fleming was preciously near to doing so when McClory stepped in and saved brilliantly
