McGrory 3
Muirhead 8, 41
Match Information
Attendance: 25,288
Referee: William Bell (Motherwell)
Matchday: Saturday
Match Trivia
Celtic let the 26,000 crowd at Ibrox down badly. Against the wind in the first half, they played with such keenness and spirit as to make the goal deficit at the inertial – 2-1 – nothing to bother about. It was Rangers who were entitled to look anxious, even with that goal in hand. But what happened? Celtic must have used all the stream in their boiler for, on turning round, they became a scraggy, ineffective lot, with no driving power in attack, and little resource in defence. Rangers had made the old Charity Cupsafe for another year long before the finish. Asd a full-blooded contest, the second half was a failure, and Celtic were alone to blame for that. But there was ‘needle’ in the game, and the referee had to hand out a few words of warning especially to Donoghue and McGonnigle. Buchana got a word or two early in the game, but afterwards he played as fair as fair could be and took some nasty knocks without a murmur. When McGrory cleverly put Celtic in front three minutes after the start – against the breeze, mind you – the game got just the right send-off. Hughes centred, and Meiklejohn headed straight into the air. The ball fell at McGrory’s feet, and he half-circled round Meiklejohn before scoring. This was rather a pacer for the Light Blues. It put them on their mettle, and after Thomson had saved one or two good shots, Muirhead nodded home the equaliser following Archibald’s corner-kick. Muirhead got in his header much too easily, and I would suggest that Geatons was at fault in not marking him better. It was rather dust-up after this, with the forwards and half-backs on both sides throwing off some nice rounds of passing. Rangers’ forwards kept the ball better among them, but Archibald was sending nearly every ball past, and Marshall, who was left with the best shooting chances, could not put power into the shot. Wilson and Jamies McStay did some very fine forcing work and it was mainly from this source that Celtic’s forwards came into action. Hamilton made one five save from Hughes and another from Connolly, who had cut into the centre to capture a pass from McCrory, who ran out to the right. The nearest thing to a goal, however, was from a header by Fleming after Morton had run through in his best style. Alan had another glorious run into the penalty-box, where he was brought down, but his claim went unheeded. With just five minutes of this half to go, Donoghue was reprimanded for bring down Buchanan. The Celtic defence were all out of position then Gray took the free kick, and placed the ball to Muirhead, who was lose in on goal. The latter judged his effort well, and Thomson, who made a good attempt to foil him, was better again. Then we got a big disappointment. Celtic lost all their snap. Rangers gained some. The Ibrox forwards began to give the Parkhead backs an awful gruelling and, ten minutes after the change of ends, Marshall, with his left foot, shot a bonnie goal after Craig, Morton and Fleming had each footed the ball. It was a long time before the Celtic forwards could raise a gallop. They never looked like scoring up to the point when Rangers got their fourth goal. Archibald had come on to his game, and Donoghue and McGonnigle could not subdue him. In 29 minutes, he beat the left half, and shot hard. Thomson could only stop the ball and push it out, and Marshall, always up and eager, headed into the net. It was all over now, but the Celtic forwards came with a late spurt, and from Connolly’s corner, McStay header through five minutes from the end. The winners had a clear superiority at back and forward, and in the second half, their half-backs also made their mark. It was refreshing to see McCandless exercising all his old craft. He was beaten sometimes, but the old head was always in evidence. Gray gave a fine display which was particularly meritorious against the wind. After having been caught napping with the goal Meiklejohn gave McGrory little rope, though in justice to the Celtic centre, it must be said he was poorly played to. With the wind, his inside forwards and half-backs should have been getting the ball well through to McGrory, but there was far too much fiddling about with it. Even Wilson who was so clever in the first half, was at fault in this respect. Archibald, in the second half, and Morton, all through, were going strong, but don’t forget that Muirhead was making everything easier for his colleagues by his ability to draw the defence. Marshall was strong in taking the ball on in the second half, and his two goals were splendidly taken. Fleming did his part by keeping McStay on the trot after him and bustling into the backs. John Thomson’s only poor save was when Marshall headed the fourth goal, and yet he could not be blamed either for there was great power in Archibald’s drive. Geatons needs experience. He will not often be asked to grapple with a pair of cute ones like Muirhead and Morton. I thought Wilson was the finest half-back on the field first half. I expected him to set a better lead afterwards. McStay worked very hard, and no one did more to keep down the score. Donoghue must learn to accept defeat. The forwards were too ragged, although individually doing clever things here and there.
