Match ended 0-0
Match Information
Attendance: 35,000
Referee: G.W. Hamilton (Motherwell)
Matchday: Saturday
Match Trivia
If a trifle cold, Saturday was an ideal day for the spectator, but a very bad one for the game. I am, of course, only speaking of Firhill, where a tricky wind which blew almost diagonally across the field proved too much for the players. Late in the second half, it is true, the Rangers did obtain comparative mastery over this nasty swirl, but after making all due allowances, I don’t think I will be accused of overstepping the mark if I describe the match – and the first half especially – as a long continued series of miskicks, mistakes and miscalculations. A drop or two of ‘gentle rain from the heaven upon the place beneath’ might have kept a few hundreds of the thirty-two thousand present at home, and inconvenienced just a little those who did turn out, but it would most assuredly have helped the play. Good football we often have even in mud, but in these turning and twisting cross winds seldom or never. In the circumstances the result is the best that could have occurred. I would have been sorry to see either fall after such an unsatisfactory exhibition. Rangers were no doubt the superior side on the day, and I think will be superior side any day, still Partick emerged with the most glory from a tie which, if it was not productive of much commendable football, gave us plenty excitement. Only for twenty-four minutes were they at full strength. Hamilton was not long off the field, but the injury which caused his temporary retrial made him practically a non-combatant in the extreme left berth, where he swung out time. As a matter of fact neither he nor McKenzie should have left the dressing-room after the interval Dr Ward told me that the slightest movement caused Hamilton excruciating pain, while McKenzie was to all intents and purposes blind in the right eye. Was it surprising then that the Rangers should ultimately have the pull? To me the surprising thing was that they did not take advantage of Partick’s misfortunes and run out fairly comfortable winners. But in McKenzie, even after he sustained that injury peculiar to boxing men, and Adams, the Ibrox forwards met a pair of backs, who gave them little rope. The Bo’ness veteran did not kick so cleanly as against Third Lanark, yet he was scarcely less effective. His young partner, however, was the best back afield. Opposed for the greater part of the time by four forwards, and one of these – Gardiner – now and then assisting his intermediate line, Saturday’s match is perhaps not a good one to judge the Ibrox backs on. Still one can only comment on what he is privileged to see, and on this latest showing Campbell and Robertson, although neither was brilliant, appeared to me as safe as they make ‘em. Campbell is certainly a trifle ponderous and unorthodox, but he invariably managed to carry out what he intended, and in doing so his weight as often as not stood him in good stead. Robertson kicked too much with his stockings for my taste, yet he early obtained almost a complete mastery over the flying Callaghan, and this despite the fact that Joe Hendry never touched his usual game. Gordon was immense, both in attack and defence and Galt, like Raisbeck, shone in the latter connection. The Partick captain’s head in contact with the ball and otherwise was ever in evidence. Wilson terribly in earnest and none too fit, was not so successful as against Third Lanark, but opposed to Bennett and Smith could it be expected he would? On the other hand Bulloch was a top-notcher; indeed if I did not know the man so well I might have had some difficulty in recognising him as the player who performed so moderately against Rankin and Gemmell a fortnight ago. Partick’s attack was jerky even before Hamilton’s injury. The Dunfermline man did not strike me as a likely centre-forward. Gardiner, even if he did throw away a fine scoring chance in the first half, was the best of the Partick attack, in which King was unaccountably weak. It is a pity circumstances conspired to draw Gardiner back, for he and Branscombe, who delivered one of the two best shots of the match, looked like setting up a profitable combination. Bowie was however, the cleverest forward afield, and Bennett came next in order of merit. The shooting of both left much to be desired, although Bowie’s grand late effort was worthy of a better fate than the underside of the cross-bar. Alex Smith got across a lot of more centres, and Hogg latterly gave a few fleeting glimpse of what were wont to expect from him twelve months ago. You must bear in mind, though, that most of this favourable criticism of the Rangers’ attack concerns the closing stage. The first half was almost barren of even passable forward play. None of them could rise superior to the excitement, the conditions, and the never-say-die Thistle defence. Reid was given little opportunity to display his sharp-shooting qualities. The score or the absence of it, proclaims the efficiency of McTurk and Lock; and for the reason that he got most to do the Partick custodian bore away the palm.
