S Duncan
W Reid
Match Information
Attendance: 45,000
Referee: H or M Humphries (Greenock)
Matchday: Saturday
Match Trivia
I think you would say that at the finish of the game at Ibrox Rangers were winning in a romp. But it was not always that way. A favourite saying about these big matches between the old rivals is ‘The team that gets going first wins’. Well, Celtic got going first in this engagement. They should have scored first – twice first, it you like – for Gallagher got the ball over the bar when it seemed impossible to miss the net and McMenemy had a chance he wouldn’t always miss. These two accidents were full of meaning. They happened during the first quarter of an hour, when Celtic looked like taking the game in charge. Rangers were almost continually defending, and defending well, it is true, but how long could they hold out? That seemed to be the question, when suddenly their half-backs – Bowie, Logan and Hendry, mark you – began to take a very fair grip of the Celtic forwards. From that point the game was won for Rangers – or I should say, lost to Celtic. Rangers’ forwards were well supplied with the ball, and their speed, agility, and strength became along with the destructive methods of the half-backs, the deciding factors in the game. When put to the test, Celtic half-backs were pretty easily beaten, and though McNair and Dodds and Shaw held up the earlier Rangers’ raids in good style, it was already plain that the balance of power won on the side of the Rangers’ attack to the extent never once apparent in the recent Glasgow Cup final. Still, so long as a score could be avoided the natural cleverness of the Celtic forwards, and of Gallagher in an especial sense, made anything possible. They repeatedly ran in on the Rangers’ defence in a manner worthy of themselves, only to go to pieces in a most unworthy fashion. McAtee would shoot when he should have centred, and centred when he should have shot; McColl beat himself as often as the opposition did, and McMenemy found the pace too fast, and seemed to lack strength. But, for all that, Rangers had not yet got a fancy for themselves. Celtic in fact, were having more than their share of the game when a hefty kick sent the ball to Duncan. He was in his own half of the field, and when he began his race for the Celtic goal there was only Dodds to pursue him. Duncan won the race, swung the ball beautifully across – as he had done several times previously – and Paterson, coming up on the run, met it, and swept in past Shaw. The quarter of an hour that followed was worth seeing. Celtic, with all the courage of a team that has many times overcome the odds against them, went out for the equaliser. They had the Rangers’ defence pinned round their goal, and a rare spirited duel ensured, excitement running high all the time. At last the effort spent itself, and Rangers’ forwards came into the game again, playing now with an added confidence and freedom which they never afterwards lost. For though only by a goal could the Ibrox team lead at the interval, I fancy the feeling was by them pretty general that they had broken the strongest part of the Celtic resistance. And so the second half proved. Rangers re-started like a winning team, and, though Celtic shook them off and themselves set up a strong attack, in the course of which McColl had the ba;; lifted from his toe by Lock, and Gallagher was also nearly through, there was always the impression of straining on the part of Celtic, and of a certain reserve power on the Rangers’ side. In addition, the best efforts of Celtic, by some capricious influence which we often see in football, began to go all wrong. They were forcing the game again, however, when Manderson spun the ball away down the field. As it reached McNair, Reid was in on him, and the Celtic back, injudiciously allowed himself to be tackled was beaten, and Reid sped off for a long run towards Shaw with now nobody else between him and the goal. Shaw left his post in an effort to spoil Reid’s aim, but the Rangers’ centre made no mistake. This second goal set the whole Rangers’ team off on a great swing, and in only some three minutes’ time a fine round of quick passing was crowned by Duncan racing round Dodds and scoring a beautiful goal. Although the game was now hopelessly lost to Celtic, they never gave in, but just to prove that it was not their day, Gallagher, from a penalty kick, given for Muir handing, hit the post. After that Reid, Cairns and Paterson got precious near the mark, for the Celtic half-backs by this time had shot their bolt, and McNair was somewhat in distress. A team of eleven fit men won. Rangers’ half-backs held the key to the situation. They played as half-backs should, kept their places, watched their men, helped in the defence, and fed their forwards. Certain of these qualities the Celtic half’s lacked. Young was unable to cope with Paterson, Johnstone was often wild in his kicking, McMaster tried well to affect the correct manner, but found Cunningham – except in the matter of finishing – playing his best game for a long time, and with Duncan sharing with Gallagher the distinction of being the best forward afield, his commission was no easy one. Gallagher was in poor company, for McAtee simply squandered his passes, and McMenemy was off colour. McColl found in Logan his master for the day, and, in fact, Logan has never played better against Celtic. Browning could have been doing with a great deal more of the ball, despite the fact that Manderson, by his speed and vigour, was difficult to best. I fancy the young Irishman much have wondered what all the fuss was about when we doubted his ability to stand up to a Celtic attack. Paterson was delightfully clever, and was the more effective because he did not too often invite an encounter with McNair. Behind erratic half-backs, McNair and Dodds had some gruelling spells. McNair should have kept Reid from going through for the second goal. The best part of his game was his volleying of the ball.Gallacher missed a second half penalty
