Sommerville
A Cunningham pen
Match Information
Attendance: 14,000
Referee: R Innes (Glasgow)
Matchday: Wednesday
Match Trivia
There were few pulsating moments at Ibrox – compared with the clash between the same teams a year ago the game was a drab affair. Airdrie took a grip of things at the start, and a goal in the fifth minute from Sommerville stiffened them up. It was a freakish goal – an overhead kick from a seemingly impossible scoring position and dropped over the goalkeeper’s head into the net. Almost fifteen minutes had clasped before the Rangers attack showed real animation, and their first raid raised some excitement. In rapid succession Cunningham and Muirhead rapped in express drive, which Ewart disposed of in fine style. Another crasher from Andy topped the bar, and then an innocent looking cross from Morton was foolishly handled by McDougall just inside ‘the box’. Cunningham’s drive from the ‘spot’ gave Ewart no chance. Time, 18 minutes. For a time, the ‘Light Blues’ mattered much, but with McDougall keeping Craig at arm’s length, and Neil and Bennie pegging away, play opened up again. Airdrie’s forwards spread themselves out, and every run menaced the Ibrox rear. Still, the leading goal, which came from a ‘corner’ was rather soft and unexpected. Murdoch placed the kick nicely, but Tommy Hamilton seemed to misjudge the flight of the ball, and McPhail’s ‘header’ sailed between the tenantless posts. Just on the interval a Cunningham ‘header’ was stopped by the crossbar, and a low drive from Andra was cleared on the line by McQueen with Ewart helpless. These were narrow squeaks for Willie Orr’s team, but following this Ewart was not often troubled. Once by shoving out a leg he diverted a Morton drive – the Rangers’ nearest attempt to find the net after crossing over. It was altogether a colourless second half. Airdrie continued to work in open formation, and with Bennie free most of the time to join with the Forwards, owing to Archibald having strained himself, Gray and the Hamilton’s had many anxious moments. But there were few thrills this ‘forty-five’, or for that matter at any time. Tommy Craig did not solve the Rangers’ centre-forward problem. He was full of running, but with McDougall dogging his every footstep, and failing to get the necessary support from the men at his either elbow, his afternoon’s work produced very little result. I was more impressed with Anderson, who led the Airdrie vanguard. He was a real live wire all the time. As a line the Lanarkshire fellows showed greater craft, and Sommerville and Murdoch were more nippy and enterprising then the Rangers touchline men. Even before he went lame, Archibald could make little of Bennie. Cunningham was a grand forager and the only ‘Light Blue’ likely to find the net, while McKay, artistic enough, failed when it came to parting with the ball. I liked better both Weldon and McPhail. Airdrie’s middlemen dominated things. They never relaxed their efforts for a moment – each of the trio did his part manfully – Bobby Bennie the artist and McDougall a giant defender. Meiklejohn, making his first reappearance since he broke down in the Ne’erday game, took matters easy, but he came through the test successfully. The longer the game lasted, the more like his true self he became. Dixon was tireless, and Muirhead moody – Tommy put in a power of work in the early stages of the second half, but the men in front did not respond as they should to his prompting. Four doughty backs were on view, with McQueen and Gray the more graceful kickers. But neither was more effective than J Hamilton and Dick. Goalkeeper Hamilton was not too impressive in some of his clearances, in others he was grand; but he did not inspire the same confidence as Ewart. Several of Jock’s saves in the earlier period were masterly.
