J Smith 8
B McPhail 47
Match Information
Attendance: 50,376
Referee: W Webb (Glasgow)
Matchday: Saturday
Match Trivia
Thousands of nice shiny bowler hats made their way to Hampden yesterday prepared to commit suicide in a sheer paroxysm of joy. Alas, every one of them is still alive, but finding their new span of life a disconsolate affair. Queens Park were beaten, and beaten very easily, by Rangers in the final of the Glasgow Cup. It was a one-horse race, and for most of the second half the Light Blues were on a tight rein. Indeed, one would have been pardoned late on for thinking that the Ibrox lot were racing for the kidding stakes, as they simply toyed with Queens. From the very beginning it was obvious that Rangers were the superior lot, and the fears of the Hampden faithful were fully justified when Smith headed home a Morton cross eight minutes after the start. For a short spell thereafter, Queens came in as an attacking force, and a great roar accompanied a shot from Crawford. It looked a scorer, but Dawson rose gloriously to it and deadened the danger just under the cross-bar. The Amateurs tried to fight back, but they were strugglers for the remainder of the first half, and in the second they simply were not in it. The Rangers half-backs took a firm grip of affairs, and when that happens well, there is only one bet. I had not seen Queens Park sine the opening day of the season, when they fell badly to Motherwell. Recently I have been led to believe that they had found a team that would cause a stir during the rest of the season. I am afraid the prophets must have been sadly disillusioned. Queens in the past few games have played as the opposition permitted them to play. Rangers, they found, had a different mind on the matter, and the result was that the weaknesses of the Amateurs were sorted out and laid open for inspection. McAlpine, with his unorthodox methods, has played many valuable games for his team. He has thrilled the crowd and brought forth the cheers, and he has caused plenty of laughter by his antics. Yesterday he caused a lot of laughter, but it was of a brand entirely different to that which usually penetrated his ears. McAlpine must accept a big share of the responsibility for his teams defeat. Very early on he started the David Devant stuff, his long legs performing all sorts of twisting and turning over the ball. Meek refused to be mesmerised. The right half discovered that all he had to do was to stand and wait and the big fellow would beat himself. McAlpine got himself into amaze instead of the opposition. Ball after ball he lost when he as in grand position to make use if it. Instead of a quick pass to either wing or up the centre, he fox-trotted round the sphere, tumbled over it, or kicked in the direction of an opponent. Twice he completely missed. His antics upset the whole forward line, of whom Crawford was the only one who really impressed. Fitzgerald was seldom seen, with the result that McKenzie was alone figure on the touchline. McLelland spent the afternoon sincerely hoping that his colleagues realised he was a member of the team. In the half-back line Gillespie, as usual, was the dominant figure. He played, for the most part, the role of third back, which he has persisted in for years, despite his critics. More frequently than usual however, he left his lair to go on the prowl, and he brought the house down in the first half with a thrilling half-field run, in which he shook off the close tackling of four opponents. Less than a dozen yards from goal, he was mowed down by a whole army clad in blue. It was sheer doggedness, allied to strength of limb and body that carried him the length he went. He was unlucky not to get in a shot. Gardiner, I liked in the first half. His positional play was quite good, while he showed satisfying intelligence in his distribution of the ball. He worked with Crawford in a way that revealed a measure of understanding. Morton, however, gradually got the measure of this youngster, and after that the Rangers left wing were making whoopee. Grant was useful at times, although English had to be strong and nippy to round him. The backs lasted well, although sorely harassed at times. It occurred to me that they lay too square on and were easily decoyed into taking up false positions at crucial moments. Smith, I do not blame for the loss of the goals, even though he did punch one into the net. Dawson improves with every game. He will shortly be the best goalkeeper Rangers have had for years. Gray was the better back of the two. McAulay, in fact, tarnished his reputation as a Scottish Internationalist. Crawford proved an elusive customer to him, and too fast. The result was the man from America refused to take the slightest rick. He found refuge far too often in touch, and for a player of his recognised ability it was rather disappointing. Meiklejohn was the star of the half-back line. Wot a bewty, as the racecourse tipster would say. McAlpine could make nothing of him. Meek had the opposing wing ripped open and tossed it back with apparent ease. He forced on Marshall and English, and twice he covered up the fitful Simpson with desperate dashes to midfield when the Rangers defence was spreadeagled, and a Queens man was boring in on goal. Brown was always on the canvas, but not with the same definite colouring as usual. Simpson played slightly better than in his recent games. I have little criticism to offer the forward line. English is sure to get other opportunities at outside right Marshall was less individual and therefore more effective than usual. He and his partner provided some pretty movements in collaboration. The left wing was the better of the two. McPhail was responsible for that. He played grandly all through the piece, with all the strength and resource of which we know him capable. His goal a few minutes after the start of the second half was a thing of beauty, one of the best I have seen this season. H e got the ball near the left touching, a few years inside Queens half of the field. He tricked Fitzgerald, rounded Gardiner, and strode on. The Queens defence expected him to transfer. He deceived them, and from just outside the penalty area he drove a right footer with terrific force well out of the reach of Smith. His goal was a sickener for Queens, and when a couple of minutes layer Gillespie headed the ball int eh direction of his own goa, and Smith taken by surprise, tried to punch clear, but knocked it into the net it was all over. Smith, of Rangers was quite satisfactory as a leader. I imagine, however, that he is not a soloist. His style of play yesterday made me think that he is fond of having his inside forward up with him. There is none of the single-handed bursting through about his play. When he was alone, he was lost. One man I have barely mentioned. Alan Morton. He is still the best outside-left in Scotland. He is one of the few who make football easy, and particularly in the second half he played as he liked with the opposition. There was something thrillingly entrancing about the wee blue devil careering in and out with two or more opponents striving vainly to stop his progress. How cleverly he rounded his man. Like a greyhound rounding the last bend in pursuit of the hare. Blue is usually associated with No 2 at the dogs. Alan is No 1. A football critic is inclined to boredom continually planted in the seat of a Press-box, with wyes glued on games and players of all sorts and descriptions. With Morton playing it is different. He is an entertainment.
