A Morton 87
Match Information
Attendance: 53,000
Referee: J.B. Stevenson (Motherwell)
Matchday: Saturday
Match Trivia
Kenneth Campbell held the fort against the Rangers at Firhill Park yesterday until about three minutes from time. The Partick Thistle goalkeeper had greatly distinguished himself in the second half of a hard, punishing game, in the course of which the Rangers asserted themselves in the closing stages, but were thwarted by a defence that took every risk. The closing minutes were fatal to the plucky men of Firhill. Campbell was injured in contract with Henderson and knocked against the off post from the stand side of the field. The game was stopped until the goalkeeper had recovered. When play was resumed the ball was thrown down well out to the left, and in the following play the quickness of Alan Morton to seize an opportunity that a colleague failed to grasp gave the left-winger the chance to score. The probability is that if the game had not been interrupted by the mishap to the goalkeeper the result would have been a draw. After being examined by Doctors Ward and Reid, the Partick goalkeeper was to be taken to a specialist. The injured arm – the left – was fractured at one time, and the probability is that Campbell may not be seen in a Thistle jersey for at least a month. At this critical stage of the Scottish Cup competition the loss of Campbell’s services is unfortunate for the club, while it deprives the goalkeeper of another international cap in the near future. With ‘Rab’ Bernard in the form he showed against Celtic recently, the Thistle had a good reserve for the position. “I hope we meet the Rangers in the cup final once again.” Remarked Mr W Ward to Manager Struth of Ibrox at the finish. It was a right good sporting game, and over all there was nothing between the two teams. “I hope your wish will be gratified,” replied the Ibrox man. “We had a fine game today.” The features of this engrossing struggle that held the attention of the biggest crowd that ever assembled at Firhill were the last ten-minutes’ burst of strength of the Thistle in the first half, and the sweeping attacks of the Rangers over a similar period midway through the second half. To judge by the numerous corner kicks that fell to the Rangers, who were grabbed in while, was evidence as to where most pressure was exerted. In combined play between one section and another the Rangers were superior to the Thistle, whose best efforts were mainly of an individual character. Over the first half Robb was more frequently tested than Kenneth Campbell. McColl, who had at least two wonderful straight stinging drives for goal, which the Ibrox custodian saved in fine style, had the first shot of the match, whereas it took Rangers five minutes more ere Cunningham got in a left-foot drive at the other end. McColl was an earnest trier for the Jags. He shared in an early movement twelve yards from the Rangers’ goal, when Blair and Salisbury assisted him in the effort to baffle Robb, who brought off a series of successive dodges and side-steps that fairly tickled the Ibrox visitors. The nippy young centre never shirked contact with Arthur Dixon, whom he made perform an involuntary double somersault., much to the amazement of the man from ‘Owdham.’ Then there was the great race by the Thistle centre to anticipate the catching up of a long back pass, when Robb just got there first, to show how very much alive he was to profit by the slips of his opponents. These incidents illustrate many things that happened on both sides. Cairns had the best shot of the first half after seventeen minutes, when a long, low, raking drive went wide of the post and no more. So earnest were the players on their game that you saw McMenemy calling the referee’s attention to a ball that had gone over the line before Alan Morton got across a centre that might very well have led to a goal. This happened after the ball had gone out of the danger zone. In that closing portion of the first half, when the Thistle were most desperate, Gibson knocked Robb off his balance with the power of a shot from a free kick, and then Blair, McMenemy and Kinloch shot into goal in succession. The grim struggle reached its climax midway through the second half, when the Rangers were at their best. The Thistle defenders never gave in, and there was only that interlude in the dying stage of the contest when Campbell got hurt that decided the issue. Alan Morton was the brightest forward on the field. The left winger touched his highest form of the season. He sprinted well, kept a good control of the ball, and had more difficult shots to trouble Campbell than the rest of the Rangers forwards combined. Now and again, Morton gave you the impression that he was an inside forward, so frequently did he run across with the ball into the centre in a desperate effort to ‘pinch’ a goal. He emerged the match-winner, and none was more worthy. The Rangers’ defenders were well played on to in the first portion, when Manderson, the ‘Safety-Valve,’ put many balls into touch, so persistently did Salisbury play into him. And McCandless had more running to do than usual and was more often rounded by Blair for his peace of mind. Of three hard-pressed Ibrox half-backs, Muirhead was best. On the day he was of more use to his team than Meiklejohn, and at times he was a sixth forward. The nearest approach to Muirhead was Joe Harris, who was almost as good, and a shade better when it came to heading the ball. The Ibrox right wing was not so good as the left, and Cairns was as forceful and as difficult to knock off the ball as any forward on either side. Henderson was never comfortable against Lambie, whose weight and height were invaluable to his team. Gibson was another clever intervener for the Thistle, and his passing on the ground was a feature of his game. The Thistle forwards were at their best in the first half, when Kinloch, McColl and Blair were oftenest seen in attack, with Salisbury as dangerous as any, and McMenemy spreading the game as none other could. They did not last so well as the Rangers’ five but were always dangerous in their breakaway. Of their backs Struthers kicked better than I have ever seen him, and in spite of the brilliance of Morton, he made good all through a game in which the backs had a lively time. Willie Bulloch, who captained the side, was unsurpassed for judgment, as was best shown when he yielded a corner kick with Campbell at his back, rather than risk the loss of a goal. Bulloch’s open kicking was good, and his mistakes were few. The only mishaps occurred in the last ten minutes. The victims were Blair, Struthers and Campbell, but only the goalkeeper was seriously hurt. The official attendance was returned at over 50,000 spectators. The weather was ideal, if cold, and a softish pitch was no handicap to the players.
