W Reid <45, >45
T Cairns (2)
Waugh
Match Information
Attendance: 8,000
Referee: T Robertson (Glasgow)
Matchday: Saturday
Match Trivia
There was more than football craft put to the test at Fir Park. Stamina was also on its trial, and I never saw two teams more anxious to quit the fray. The last fifteen minutes of the game were braved in a blizzard such as would have justified a premature stoppage. From the Press box it was quite impossible to closely follow the play, and the faintest trace of the lines could not be discerned. Up to that point the game had been a notable one, marked by some of the cleverest forward play it has been my lot to see at Fir Park this season. In a very business-like manner Rangers set about their work, and if that has scored early in the game nobody would have been surprised. Luck, however, attended the Motherwell defence, and the best-intended efforts of Reid and Cairns were frustrated in unexpected ways. The initial pressure over, Motherwell settled down to a surprisingly fine game, in which the right wing was conspicuous. So bewildering were Waugh and Nicol in their movements that Hendry and Muir were at their wits’ end to know what to do with them. It was a concerted scheme on the right that led to the downfall of Lock’s charge. The twain having got rid of the opposition, Waugh gave McLean a perfect slip forward, and the new Motherwell centre made full use of it by driving the ball into the net out of Lock’s reach. This goal, secured at the end of Fifteen minutes play, had a good effect on the Motherwell men, and for the remainder of the first half they were the more prominent side. It was then that the Fir Park forwards touched their highest notch. To see Gordon and Craig look silly against Gray and Fairgray was meat and drink to Motherwell’s supporters; but all the pretty work notwithstanding, there was no addition to the score. Why? Because the art of finishing is not a notable accomplishment of the Motherwell attack. Several times they were within the proverbial ace of doing the trick – but they didn’t do it, and there’s and end on’t. It was left to Willie Reid to secure the next goal, and he secured it in his old-time style, a pass from Paterson to Cairns, and from Cairns to Reid, then a sudden flash and the ball was in the net. It was an object lesson for Motherwell forwards. But Reid was not consistently good in his shooting, for he had some tries that caused one to marvel. The next goal also came from Reid, at least to him is due the credit. Two minutes before the interval, Paterson lobed over a delightful corner kick which Allan caught in his arms all right, but before he could rid himself of the ball Reid was in upon him and Allan and the ball fell together in the net. Some referees in whose sight goalkeepers are precious might have awarded a free-kick against Reid. Mr Tom Robertson, whose decisions are rarely challenged awarded a goal, thus by two goals to one Rangers led at the interval. By virtue of their superior finishing they deserved their lead. It was in the second half that Rangers’ superiority made itself manifest. The front line moved sweetly, not by short passes which Motherwell’s vigorous half-back line might have intercepted, but by steady wing-to-wing open method which the Motherwell defence could not effectively deal with. In these passages Duncan stood out a prominent figure, and Kelly was no match for him. Indeed, the particular weakness of the Motherwell team was in the back line, which is usually its strong part. Neither Kelly nor Penman played up to his reputation. When Cairns capped a combined run by scoring a third goal it looked all over for Motherwell, but a flickering revival Waugh, who had been doing a lot of useful work, managed to beat Lock, and a little more life was infused into the faltering Fir Parkers. It petered out, however, when Cairns notched a fourth goal, and Motherwell looked all over a beaten side. The game was a free and open one all through, and it was chiefly by superior finishing that Rangers came out on top. The Ibrox backs, though not faultless, were steadier than those of Motherwell, but in half-back play there was not much to choose between the sides. I liked McGlade and Gordon for their whole-hearted work. Of the forwards, Duncan, Reid and Cairns were good on the Rangers’ side, and Waugh, Gray and Fairgray on that of Motherwell
