T Cairns (2)
Match Information
Attendance: 30,000
Referee: T Robertson (Glasgow)
Matchday: Saturday
Match Trivia
If the general play seldom or never touched a very high standard in the Glasgow Cup game at Firhill, where Partick Thistle fell by a goal registered in either half by Cairns, the Rangers’ whole-hearted inside left wing forward, there was a reason for it. It was a knock-out Cup tie, and our players nowadays are not used to this strenuous kind of football/ Maybe it was the fact that if need be, the match would go for two hours, and that corner-kicks would determine the winner if necessary, that accounted for it, but whether or not, most of the players were decidedly ‘nervy’. Even the officials didn’t escape the infection. And the nervousness, or feverish excitement – call it what you will – was reflected in the play, which, while hard and peppery enough in all conscience all the time, was decidedly scrappy. Rangers, the better team won, as they deserved to, chiefly by reason of their superiority forward; still, the play of the line, and more especially in the finishing sense, was nothing to go into raptures about. Had it been, Partick Thistle, undoubtedly handicapped by the retiral of Morrison when the game was 40 minutes old, must have been more decisively beaten. Why, in the second half Archibald threw away as many scoring chances as might have won two or three cup-ties. I grant you the little fellow obliged with a few tricks and got across several quite nice balls, but the gloss was taken off his good work by his crop of messed opportunities. Then C Duncan was not blameless as a finisher. The ‘East Fifer’ hadn’t much luck, and he had something to get round in ‘Gardiner’, the hefty Firhill centre half-back, but played to as he was by Cairns, Bell and the other Duncan, he should have got goals. They were there for the picking up. Scott Duncan, while not the brilliant outside right I saw in Edinburgh a fortnight ago, nevertheless got along the line very slick, and centred finely, but Cairns was unquestionable the hero of the division – the number one man of the match, for that matter of it. If ‘Tommy’ had a fault, it is in being too fond of the ball, and one of his most pleasing characteristic – his very keenness – is, I believe, responsible for this failing. A less enthusiastic forward than the Larkhall man would never have snatched the opening goal, which came along a couple of minutes before the interval. He simply threw himself at Scott Duncan’s beautiful centre, and Neil – and scored. He had to wait till seven or eight minutes from the close before C Duncan gave him the chance to go through and whack the Thistle goalkeeper for the second time. I was well pleased with Dick Bell, even if he was too often in a line with his own half-backs, and was disinclined to have a pop for Neil. His brainy, accurate forward passes were delightful. Logan, the best, as he was the most powerful, half-back afield, I have seldom seem do better. His keenness was responsible for him being called to attention by the referee, Mt Tom Robertson, who ‘said a few words.’ Riddell played splendidly, especially in the first half, and McKenna if a trifle slow, was very useful. He is not yet my ideal half-back, but he more than paid his way. He reduced the Thistle right wing to impotence almost when GS Ramsay was operating on that part of the field. Pursell, who kicked in first-class fashion, was the better of a couple of sound backs, and Lock, brave and reckless as ever, was his old self behind them. Once Herbert dived out and picked the ball practically from off Bowie’s toes; later he retrieved a mistake by plunging in among the eager Thistle forwards. Daring, but successful. I was not impressed by Neil at the other end, where Adams and Bullock put up sound defence so long as Partick were at full strength. After that Adams did fairly well by Himself, but Bulloch has evidently forgotten much of what he knew when he was a half-back. Morrison was a nippy, forcing intermediate player until he met with his injury, and ‘Gardiner’ I have never seen do better. McMullan, much more useful in defence than attack, saved a ‘pinch’ goal in the second half, when he flew in from somewhere and got rid of an apologetic shot from C Duncan ere it ‘trundled’ home just inside an upright. Forward, where Bowie and McTavish pleased me more than the others, the Thistle never got settled. It was one of George S Ramsay’s bad days; Logan blanketed Neil Harris, and although Honeyman got across a good ball or two, he was mastered by McKenna, another Ashfield product. And both master and mastered knew it
