McKenzie
Sommerville
Unknown (3)
Match Information
Manager: No Permanent Manager
Attendance: 4,000
Referee: unknown - to be confirmed
Matchday: Saturday
Match Trivia
The importance of this match brought a large crown to New Hampden Park, the ground of the senior club, where a close and exciting game was played and ended in favour of the Queen’s Park by three goals to two. The afternoon was fine and the ground in splendid condition for a display of football. In the first round the Queen’s Park asserted their superiority by scoring against a slight breeze early in the game, but in the second half the Rangers fought with remarkable pluck and determination and besides having the most of the play acquitted themselves in a manner which clearly demonstrated the fact that they still maintain their position as one of the best clubs in the country. If anything the play was just a shade rough, with an absence of fine dribbling. The Queen’s Park lost the toss and kicked off against the wind; which was much fresher at the start than during the last half. Some really good back play was done by both teams in quick returns before the forwards took to serious employment, but the Queen’s Park were the first to distinguish themselves in that position by a fine run on the part of Watt, who showed remarkable speed and had the ball close on the Rangers lines in a twinkling. The other forwards, led by Allan and Harrower were following close up to receive the ball when McHardy succeeded in getting it away at the last moment. Smith afterwards had some hard tackling to do near the Queen’s Park goal in consequence of fast run by Sommerville and Gossland, and Walters completed the work by one of his brilliant relieving kicks at back. This was the signal for a combined run of the Queen’s men and Lambie getting the ball passed to him by Hamilton at a good spot made a goal from a smart header. This was considered a bad look out for the Rangers as the score was made against the wind, but subsequent events proved that they too could score with the wind in their teeth. The next kick-off soon saw the black and white stripes again in front of the Rangers lines, but Chalmers and the backs kept matters square, and a smart bit of work by McIntyre cleared the goal and let the forwards have a chance. Gossland and Jones were on the ball in an instant and the latter passed to Sommerville who missed a fine chance to get the ball through. Once up on the Queen’s Park goal, however the Rangers were not easily cleared away, and a bad miss by Watson nearly lost a goal. After some hard back play the Rangers succeeded in obtaining a corner flag kick, which was so well managed by Vallance that McKenzie scored a beautiful goal by a shooter. This made matters even, and a few minutes later the Rangers hard pressing their opponents completely besieged their goal, and form a free kick they sent the ball through but as it touched no one on the way the chance went for nothing. After this the Queen’s Park warmed up a bit, and a dispute having occurred about a foul some of the Rangers stopped playing and while a counter claim for a similar infringement of rule was being made the Queen’s Park headed by Harrower, Christie and Watt bore down on the Rangers goal, and Harrower by a beautiful shot sent the ball under. The Rangers appealed for no goal, but it was not sustained. Not long before halftime as Sommerville made a hard shot at the Queen’s Park goal the ball bumped up and landed mysteriously in Watson’s hands. A free kick was given a few feet from the posts, but Campbell by a dashing piece of tactics saved the goal. In the second round the Rangers profiting by the kick-off, soon put the ball on the Queen’s Park lines, where some severe tackling occurred between the backs and halfbacks, and Campbell by a brilliant piece of kicking saved a good shot from Sommerville from taking effect. The Queen’s Park then assailed the Rangers goal with great determination and after some of the best passing in the match by Harrower and Christie the latter made a third goal for his side. The match now stood at three goals to one in favour of the Queen’s Park, but in a few minutes after the kick-off from midfield this record was broken by the Rangers, Peacock and McKenzie in a nice dribbling run came close upon Watson and the latter missed his kick. This enabled Peacock to get clear and had a capital shy at the Queen’s Park goal. Gillespie returned the ball all right, but Sommerville following close on got it on the rise and breasted it clean through. After this the Rangers had fully the best of the game till within a few minutes of the close, when the Queen’s Park forced them down on their goal, but no more scoring occurred and the match ended in favour of the Queen’s Park by three goals to two. The visitors goalkeeper had hard work at times in warding off determined attacks from his old club companions – attacks which only a first-class man could meet with confidence – but Sommerville beat him on one occasion by one of the finest pieces of breasting up we have seen on a football field. Walters made a capital back in tackling when it was required and as the day was an excellent one for displaying good back play, showed the spectators how to judge the attacks of an opponents first and clear the ball away from a dangerous point near goal. The Edinburgh University man is improving and gradually developing that magnificent form which served him so well last season when it was urgently required. At halfback Campbell seems never to grow old, and could give a few points to most halfbacks in the gentle art of heading clear and taking the ball away from the very toes of an opponents provoking certainty. Watson had still a little to learn in displaying how the leather can be prevented from passing him without failing back too close on goal and confusing the other backs by missing his kick, but there can be no doubt whatever about his ability in tackling successfully with an opponents when it comes to a matter of close quarters. Christie showed a marked improvement on his last Saturday’s form and with Allan and Harrower in company, Harrower does his work well. The Rangers goalkeeper was very good, Chalmers showing no lack of pluck; but McHardy at back was scarcely up to his usual standard; he seemed completely out of form, and was totally unable to resist the powerful rush of the forwards who opposed him from the right. Two years ago he was really a grand player, and second to none in Glasgow for the clear way in which he tackled, but his right foot seemed on Saturday to have completely lost it cunning. His companion however made ample amends, and while he could not be expected to be here, there and everywhere, like the well known lowly railway official, he at least made a bold attempt to do two men’s work. The halfback play was fairly successful after the second round, and the clever and accurate kicking of McIntyre was frequently cheered by the crowd. Among the forwards we should certainly by universal consent single out Sommerville and Pringle who kept close on the ball whenever a good chance was forthcoming.
