Stewart
W Reid >45, xx, xx
W Reid
Match Information
Attendance: 30,000
Referee: T Dougray (Nitshill)
Matchday: Saturday
Match Trivia
Nothing misleads like success. This is particularly true of football, where success too often paralyses reason and perverts judgment. I trust it will do neither of these things where Rangers are concerned. It would be a very great pity indeed if the Ibrox directors were to become unduly elated over their latest victory against Queen’s Park, or, worse still, lulled into a false sense of security thereby. These gentlemen have of course, grounds for quiet satisfaction over the acquisition of two additional points – points made all the more valuable by Celtic’s lapse at Brockville. They have also reason the be pleased over the return of form of young Paterson and successful reappearance of Alex Smith. But, if success had not closed their eyes to the fairly obvious, they will see that, as presently constituted, their eleven will never do. Despite the sweeping nature of the Rangers’ triumph at Hampden, I could see the writing on the wall. And, as the wise men of Ibrox appear to disagree as to what precisely that writing means, I shall made bold as act as interpreter. Lest this seem a direful opening to what might have been a song of praise, let me explain. Rangers beat a woefully weak Queen’s Park eleven by six goals to nil. Just because the home eleven was so weak, what happened at Hampden was – if one excepts that deplorable mishap to Young – of no immediate importance to Queen’s Park. The Amateurs have, for the nonce, souls above mere League points. Nobody could therefore, be expected to worry about the fact that a depleted Queen’s Park team was pitiably feeble; but somebody ought to be worrying about the fact that even that pitiably feeble Hampden eleven was able to make salient certain serious weaknesses in the ranks of their conquerors. These weaknesses were, naturally, thrown into greater relief during the first forty-five minutes of the game, when the Amateurs mad something of a game of it. Indeed, in the opening minutes Logan and Lock were hard put to it to save shots from Walker and McKenzie respectively. Thereafter, the home attack almost died away, but they were always good enough to expose the extreme unreliability under pressure of the Rangers’ backs. That unreliability would have cost Rangers goals but for the splendid energy of Logan, and the lack of harmony among the opposing forwards. Fortunately for Rangers there were unreliable defenders at the other end, and any old kind of attack spelt danger to Kerr’s charge. After sixteen minutes a scramble occurred, and Alex Smith – looking strangely unfamiliar with white pants neatly tucked under light blue jersey – crashed the ball past Kerr from close range. From that time onwards Rangers were masters of the situation. But just as a spell of defending had revealed weakness in the Light Blue’s rear, so did a spell of attacking reveal weakness in the vanguard. Stewart did many pretty but few really effective things, and never did he show an intelligent appreciation of the respective needs of Paterson and Reid. Cairn’s shortcomings were more forgivable, if only on the score of inexperience. Nevertheless, it has to be remarked that he failed to ‘draw’ the defence ere parting with the ball, so that his best executed passed often arrived at awkward moments for Smith and Reid. It was the comparative failure of the two inside men that prevented Rangers’ forwards from harmonising as they might easily have done against so irresolute a defence, and it is, perhaps, not too much to say that Paterson, Reid and Smith were successful in spite, rather than because, of the feeding they received during the first half. Alex Smith’s goal stood alone on the register until the second half. Queen’s now took the field with ten men, and it was learned that Young had sustained a nasty hurt to his collar bone. This seemed to make Rangers’ task all the easier, for the Amateurs made a poor shape at the one-back game. Gordon was the first men to let go at Kerr, and the big goalkeeper had not long cleared his lines when Reid got a chance. At least it was what Reid considers a chance though he was quite twenty-five yards from goal. Anyhow, a shot from the centre’s left foot sped past Kerr at some sixty miles an hour. The Rangers’ goal-getter had tasted blood, so it was no surprise when a few minutes later he whipped another ball – also with his left foot, I think – past Kerr from closer range. Then Paterson put across a nice ground pass which several people missed. Reid got a look at it - and Kerr never did. That was Reid’s hat-trick, two with the left foot, and one with the right. Twice again within the next few minutes Kerr had to extend himself to keep Reid’s scoring record down. Then the Ibrox centre had a solo run, but at the last moment was forced to pass to Stewart. What a friend gets is never lost, however, and the Saxon beat Kerr with his side’s fifth goal. And now the goal of the match. A perfect three-quarter field cross from Alex Smith funds Reid in position. With a sudden twist he brings the ball to the left, and in another instant a glorious pivot shot had beaten the Queen’s Park goalkeeper ‘to the world’. It was Willie Reid’s day out. I have never seen him play neater football than he is doing at present, and he is incomparably in the finest shot we have. His goal scoring feat in this match must not be too much discounted; for against the undeniable weakness of the opposition must we place the bad feeding Reid received. And now for the writing on the wall. As I read it, the interpretation goes thus: - Rangers must, just as soon as they can, restore their forward line to last season’s formation. Paterson and Alex Smith only require help of Bowie and Bennett to repeat their erstwhile brilliance. As for the back problem, I do not think it can be solved by Ormonde and Muir. Meanwhile, the half-basks are saving the situation; but they are being overworked in the effort. All three were good with Logan supreme in defence, and Gordon a great feeder. Lock’s handling was hardly so safe as usual. I have said very little about Queen’s Park, for the simple reason there is little to say. I was sorry for Hector McKenzie, who was far from successful. His restless nature makes him unsuited to the task of shadowing a centre-forward though that would often pay his side best. Garvie was the best half, and Alan Morton the best forward. West did fairly well at back in the first half; afterwards he got no chance. Kerr was not at fault with any of the six goals, and did several very smart things. He should, however, try to remain unconscious of the gallery. That is merely a word of friendly criticism to a most promising young keeper. The game showed Queen’s Park to be weak in reserves, but it cannot be taken as any indication of what will happen in the Cup-tie against Hibernian this week.
