A Thomson 4
S Archibald <45
Match Information
Attendance: 61,969
Referee: T Small (Dundee)
Matchday: Saturday
Match Trivia
Happy New Year! For rangers, certainly, and nothing they got in their Ibrox stocking at Christmas, nor any present They have got since, could have been welcomed more than the two points they so deservedly earned against Celtic, their greatest rivals, yesterday afternoon. Deserved I say, and deserved I emphasise, for no team could have done better against the elements than they did in the second half. And nothing was more worthy of the victory than the tenacious manner in which Marshall, their young centre-forward, held to the ball when tackled to get that goal which brought joy to the unswerving horde of Rangers supporters. It was all that was required to make the hearts of the Ibrox faithful glad, and of cause them to have one of the happiest of Ne’er Days. For why? These same people to whom I have referred were on the point of being in the doldrums. Points upon which they had counting had gone astray. The only medicine that would effect a cure was a victory over Celtic. And it worked miracles. A hurricane of wind spoiled what might otherwise have been a grand game. Under the circumstances the play was good. But the great thing of all was the magnificent fight which the Rangers put up in the second half when against all the odds, they pulled of off the leaves of success. The goal in itself, while the thing that mattered at the finish, only reflected what the team throughout did in the second period. My own opinion, when the teams turned over on equality at half-time, was that the celts would win. They scarcely ever looked like it. While not wishing to be severe I consider that the Parkhead men played badly very badly. There was scarce a shot in the locker of the forwards; the half-backs never seemed to take a grip of the opposition; and the backs were at fault when Marshall scored. Summing it all up, and as I have already indicated, Rangers came out of this annual encounter with all the credit that cane be given. Rangers won the toss and played with the wind behind them. Right away they got on the move, and McMillan shot wide. Intricate work on the Celtic right followed, and Thomson from a free kick by McFarlane sent in a shot which struck a Celt and was helped on its way to the net. Hamilton was unable to reach the deflected shot. McMillan had another pot at Shevlin after McStay had conceded a corner, but the effort was wide. Archibald shot far over the bar when left with a gift close in. And then after eleven minutes Alan Morton was upended near the corner, and from the winger’s a beautifully placed free, Archibald, in a positive melee in the Celtic goal, pushed home the equaliser. Like a pendulum swing the play from end to end. McGrory cannoned one in, and it hit the post. McCandless had two free kicks from near the centre. One Shevlin pushed away for a corner; the next hit the bar. Excitement – I should say so. The wind proved Rangers greatest ally at this period, McCandless’ long punts downfield causing the Celtic rear some trouble. Two free kicks to Celtic brought the play to the Rangers’ end, but Hamilton was not trouble seriously. And then another free by McCandless – Shevlin knocked the dropping ball on to the top of the net for a fritless corner. As the first half was wearing to a close the Celtic wings got on the move, and there followed two corners, in which the Rangers’ defence got itself into a muddle, and on both occasions, it was the fair head of Cunningham that relieved the pressure. Back came the Rangers, but a foul against Marshall helped the Celts to clear themselves. The second half opened with the Celtic on the aggressive, but Archibald and Cunningham changed the venue with what in the circumstances were clever tactics. Just following this McMillan was carried off for attention. McLean sent over a nice lob, and McGrory connected with his head, but it was wide of the mark. Back came McMillan to the field of play, and incidentally the Rangers forced matters and a Meiklejohn free kick was put out of danger for a corner. Morton sent in one which screamed to be shot in, but a Celtic head got it, another free by Meiklejohn, and a miss by Marshall when he had no one to beat but Shevlin. This was Rangers’ pressure right enough. And at the other end McInally was wide in the few pots that Hamilton had to deal with. Donoghue’s long distance drive, which Hamilton held in his stride, was the best of it. McMillan missed a great chance in dealing with a Shevlin fist out. Alan scintillated along his wing with all the glory of past days, crashed in a shot which Shevlin fisted out. McMillan just failed to connect. Cunningham crashed one in, and then Meiklejohn, with perhaps the best shot of the match, grazed the top of the crossbar. Shevlin was penalised for carrying, but Cunningham’s kick availed nothing. A brief respite to the Celtic defence, in which McLean tested Hamilton with a lob from the wing and Archibald and Cunningham were back again. Thomson, left with a sitter from Connolly, shot weakly past. Morton struck a leg when he cut in, after leaving McStay standing, and the ball went over for a corner, which availed nothing. Half a minute to go, Cunningham let Marshall away, and the wee centre tenaciously hung on to the ball despite the determined tackle of McStay, and dashing down upon Shevlin, he whipped the ball into the, leaving the goalkeeper absolutely helpless. It was all over bar the shouting, for the ball was hardly in play ere the final whistle went. Now regarding the players. Let me take the victors first. Hamilton had very little to do, which is at once a bad reflection on the Celtic forwards. The backs were safe. It was a bad day for backs, as the ball, carried on the wings of the wind, was in a frolicking mood, and had to be nursed. Aberdeen Gray and Belfast McCandless did their part well. At half-back they had a pull over the Celts. No one did better than Tommy Craig, who, against his old club mates, put everything in that was of advantage. I liked the vigour of Meiklejohn – whole-hearted all the time, and it was quite evident that Shaw had a mission – to watch McGrory. He was successful. No forward of the ten compared with Andy Cunningham. He not only played well himself but made Morton go all the time. Marshall was sticker, and his goal glossed over many sins of omission, Archibald did better than he has done for some time. Now I come to the newcomer – McMillan from Armadale. It would be foolish to herald him as a great player. I hope to be able to do so someday, and if he is given the chance, and looks after himself in the proper way, there seems to be great possibilities where he is concerned. Even the most perfervid Celt will admit that his idols were scarcely deserving of the worship that they usually merit. Shevlin made no fatal mistake that I could discern, but the occasionally was in doubt as to what he should do. Let me say this – the defeat did not lie at his door. Nor at that of the backs, for skipper McStay played with judgment, and he had not a too bad support in Hilley. Where Celtic were weakest in my opinion was at half-back. At a time in the second half when they ought to have been making the result secure for their side, they were overplayed by the Ibrox forwards, and even on the ball neither Wilson nor McFarlane made it do the work it ought to have done. I liked young Donoghue as a young one; he comes on apace. The forwards were only so-so. They weren’t like a Celtic attacking line, and the finishing was woeful. Most danger came from Connelly’s side of the field, but there was noting sustained in their movements.
