B McPhail 4
Torbet 70
Match Information
Attendance: 43,400
Referee: T Dougray (Glasgow)
Matchday: Wednesday
Match Trivia
Firhill retained its reputation for providing thrills. As the first half was proceeding, with Rangers making all the running and crashing ball after ball at Jacksons charge, I fancied that by the interval we should see the Ibrox team with a substantial lead. But I was mistaken. Had the inside forwards, however, been as crafty in the scoring zone as they were clever in keeping their partners going with long swinging passes, the second half might have been a much duller affair. As the play ran, Rangers were value, I should say, for about five goals; the only defect in their game was their reckless shooting. Not but what plenty of driving was done, but too often it lacked direction. Morton was in a merry mood, and fired in several terrific drives, but on several occasions, it might have been more profitable had he left the final touch to be applied by Smith, Marshall or Archibald. I must also give a word of admiration to the Thistle defenders for their heroic work during the Rangers hectic storming period. Under such pressure mistakes were excusable. Several times McAllister endangered his goal by faulty passes back, and Calderwood wilted now and again, but generally speaking Jackson and his defenders had reason to feel elated with themselves at the interval. In holding their Ibrox rivals to a goal under the circumstances was a wonderful performance. McPhails scorer, which came along in the fifth minute, was unsaveable. He got his head to a perfectly placed corner kicked by Morton and the ball went into the net like a rocket. Seldon up to the interval did the Thistles straggly attacking part get into touch with Hamilton; I didnt think Tom had to handle half-a-dozen balls. What a difference with Jackson! He must have felt almost dizzy watching the flight of the ball as it was coming towards him or screeching to the outside of the posts or over the bar. All the rangers forwards joined in the sharpshooting, while Brown also had a low drive which fully tested the custodian. It was a pulsating forty-five minutes for the defenders, who surely enjoyed a slice of fortune early on, when Jackson misjudged a Morton cross. Smith looked certain to count with a header, but when the ball was only inches from the line a Thistle man rushed in and scraped it away for a corner. We saw an entirely different Partick front rank after change of ends. I think the improvement was due mainly to the forcing work of the wing half-backs and to the awakening of Ness and Torbet. Elliott and McLeod made no attempt now to hold the light, bouncing ball, and their first-time smacks opened up the play and gave the Ibrox defenders mush more running to do. Grove and Ballantyne also went about their business with greater zest, and soon it became clear to everybody that the Rangers lead was in danger of being wiped out any moment. Still the Ibrox forwards, if not moving quite so smoothly or with the same sparkle as they had done before the interval, were by no means lying low, and the home crowd gasped during a short attack when Calderwood rather carelessly passed the ball back without looking to see if Jackson was in position to clear. As it happened, the custodian was out of his charge, and only by a super-human effort did he manage to get his hand on the ball and divert it behind. Exciting incidents were frequent at both goals. Hamilton was completely beaten by an express drive by McLeod, but the ball rebounded from the crossbar with a thud, and a full minute elapsed before the attackers were shaken off. This near thing had an inspiring effect on the thistle boys, and within five minutes they had collected the equaliser. Archibald came running over to the left with the ball and passes it to Morton, who miskicked it to Calderwood. The back belted the leather upfield, and a quick interchange of passing on the Thistle left found Torbet in possession inside the penalty area. Without hesitating a second, Torbet crashed the ball into the net from a somewhat difficult angle. Hamilton having not the semblance of a chance to save. The players were now on edge, but the game continued to run evenly, and a header from Grove was counterbalanced by a snappy shot from Archibald. With four minutes to go, the Rangers made a spirited bid for the lead, and a confident appeal was made for a penalty when a cross shot from McPhail was diverted in its progress by a defenders arm. I thought the appeal was fully justified, but Tom Dougray was of a different opinion. A shot from Ballantyne in the closing stages caused Hamilton to hop across the goal, and the game finished on a high not of excitement. Thistles second-half display was an eye-opener. It was a tribute to their staying powers and their fighting finish must have been something of a nightmare to their opponents. In a game which was not marked by much individual brilliance, I considered McAulay was most conspicuous. He timed and kicked with rare confidence, and he made use of both feet with equal facility. I fancy his experience of baked grounds in America was of immense value in this game where the light bouncing ball played some funny pranks. Meiklejohn maintained a complete grip over Cunningham until he met with a mishap when he fell heavily to the ground in heading a ball. Davis was not quite the same player afterwards, and the Thistle centre, who was not supported earlier on as he deserved, came more into the limelight in the closing stages. Rangers half-backs were more consistent than the thistle trio, with Brown the artist, and Jock Buchanan never knowing when he was beaten. I liked McPhail best of the Ibrox forwards, but I feel more than ever that his proper place is at inside-right. Marshall was a tremendous worker but made a lot of bad passes. Smith did plenty of running about, but through his over-eagerness he frequently failed to anticipate the moves of his colleagues. Most consistent, and at times brilliant, was Jackson. The Thistle custodian can take a major portion of the credit in his sides draw. Rae appealed to me more than Calderwood; while I was much impressed with young McAllister, who has good recovery qualities, but is still deficient with his headwork. Ballantyne was the number one Partick forward. He never spared himself, and in the second half some of the footwork was very good. Ness and Torbet took a long rime to come into the game, but they finished strongly
