B McPhail
Match Information
Attendance: 95,722
Referee: unknown - to be confirmed
Matchday: Monday
Match Trivia
The students, with their gay garb and tricks, were the brightest feature of the Hampden Cup-tie. They yelled for ‘Samoa’ and got it. The crowd sighed for samoa football and were sadly disappointed. The eagerly awaited Cup morsel fell short of expectations, and only on rare occasions was the play up to First League standard. For some mysterious reason, the game never got properly going – it was all like a preliminary canter – and at the finish it seemed as if much more had still to come. In my opinion Rangers were to an extent responsible for the lack of bite about the tie. They deserted their usual fine open play and adopted safety first tactics. These paid them well, but it did not add to the enjoyment of the crowd, who in the whole 90 minutes did not get more than a dozen shots. Rangers were the better team by a long way. They might easily have gone on and won the tie by a handsome score, but instead the half-backs could not get away from their original plan of sitting on the doorstep of Queen’s two sharpshooters and were content to play a more or less spoiling game. Queen’s Park have gained the reputation during recent weeks of being heroic fighters and being possessed of a relentless spirit. If they do, they much have lost it on the way to Mount Florida yesterday, for the way in which they fought back in the second half after losing the only goal of the match is best described as half-hearted. In the opening half, when Queen’s had the advantage of the breeze, play was of a very level nature. Defences predominated and attempts at constructive play were early nipped in the bud. There were shouts of anticipation when McAlpine got possession, but they quickly faded away when it became apparent that, without support he was going to be blotted out. It was the same with the Rangers’ attack. Before the study Queen’s half-backs and Campbell and Wiseman they were always in difficulties. The better chances to score, however, occurred at Peden’s end of the field, and once or twice Fleming – who was given a glorious chance by a Gillespie slip – might have run on and scored a goal. Morton, too, was desperately close in an endeavour to turn a ball into the net. In reply to this, Queen’s sent a number of good shots round about Tom Hamilton, but these were from long range, and for the most part were wide of the target. Those that were correctly directed were easily saved by the keeper. The just on the interval Rangers got the goal that put they into Round 2. Willie King upset Archibald as he was cutting in from the wing, and Referee Bell awarded a free about a dozen yards from the penalty area. Peden jumped up to the kick as it sailed goalward and fisted it out. Here two defenders tried to get it away, but Alan Morton took possession, and seeing an opening, shot for goal. The ball looking like going past when Bob McPhail sprang forward and got it with his head. Going at full strength from Morton’s foot, the impetus added by McPhail’s head sent the ball into the net like lightning. Peden – nor anyone else – had the slightest chance of bringing off a save. That was the one notable feature of the game, and a beautifully taken goal it was. I wonder how many times since he came to Ibrox McPhail has managed the winning goal in a big game such as this. It seems to be just repeating the story of other days to say that McPhail pulled the rangers through. The old Airdrie man is at his best in taking his chances. He very rarely misses from close range. This was anything but a pleasant tea-time prelude for Queen’s, and when the teams restarted it looked for a time as if Rangers were going to annihilate them, for in the first few minutes of this period they were in their best form. Peden was called upon time after time to save from Fleming, Brown and McPhail before the Queen’s defence found its feet. During this time Rangers might, with a little luck, have finished the tie for good and all. When Queen’s rattled down to Hamilton’s end, McAlpine raised Hampden hopes with one of his unique runs down the middle, and the big fellow was not far out for his shot whizzed past the post close enough to send a shiver down Big Tam’s back. With this to hearten them on, I expected to see Queen’s full of fight, but they failed to respond, and seemed quite content to let things remain as they were. As time wore on, it became increasing obvious that Queen’s would not draw level, and the chances were ever so much greater that Rangers would go on and score more. Rangers carried the day because their attack were undoubtedly below their best form, they at times showed their best constructive ability. Just before the interval, when they got the goa, just after the interval, and towards the close they were a power. Queen’s Park, on the other hand, had no bright moments in attack. McAlpine and McLelland were expected to do all the spade work for the attack, and when they were blanketed, the attack simply did not exist. The Queen’s right wing was never in the picture. I cannot remember Dodds giving Crawford a single pass throughout the whole game. Crawford, as a result, got few chances to show his speed, and Bob Hamilton had an easy afternoon looking after the flier. McKenzie, on the other wing, was given more of the ball in swinging the ball up the middle and this simplified Meiklejohn’s task. I was sorry for McLelland and McAlpine. They did their best to turn the tide and get the attack moving, but what are two men against six? That was just about the odds they had to fight against. In the Rangers’ attack I was most taken with the displays of the two inside wing forwards. McPhail, for his goal and many nice touches besides, was s man of note, but the best of all the forwards, perhaps, was Brown. He played done of his best games and was the unluckiest player of the 22 not to have a goal to his credit. Fleming had more chances than McLelland, but he was not on his shooting form, and missed what should have been a goal when Gillespie made a faulty pass back to Wiseman. Archibald usually does well at Hampden, and it cannot be said that he was a failure, although he was hardly at his best. In dealing with Morton, one must first mention Kerr Campbell, who was the best back on the field and the hero of the Queen’s defence. He played Morton as he has rarely been played before and came out of the contest with flying colours. The contests between these two wee fellows were about the best bits of the tie and when at the finish Alan went over and shook his opponent by the hand the crowd yelled its appreciation of a very sporting attitude. The honours of the defence on the Rangers’ side must be divided between the three half-backs. It was their breaking-up work that made the passage an easy one for the men further behind. Meiklejohn held McLelland like a leech, while Buchanan’s shadow was never far out of McAlpine’s way. It was the younger members of the Queen’s defence that came best out of the fray. Kerr Campbell, I thought the star of the team, and next to him must come Bob Grant. He was a grand half-back, always there at the critical moment ready to step into the breach. Gillespie was less sure than usual, and Wiseman was liable to take risks, but the fault of Queen’s defeat was not theirs. Neither was it Peden’s for the keeper saved all that could have been expected of him. Rangers go on to the second round rejoicing. And well they may, for they have got over as difficult a hurdle as they are likely to be asked to face.
