McGrory 34
Connolly <45
Match Information
Attendance: 84,536
Referee: Campbell Bilney (Glasgow)
Matchday: Saturday
Match Trivia
Two small minutes turned the whole complexion of a Titanic game at Hampden. At the end of thirty-two minutes play Rangers were as good as their conquerors – before thirty-five had been clocked they were a beaten, demoralised crew. These were wonderful minutes for Celtic. Their forwards quick, sudden and deadly, spotted flaws in the Rangers defence, and twice they had Hamilton beaten all ends up. If Rangers had been splendid before this disaster, they certainly were not for a long spell after. They looked and were a well beaten force. In the end Cunningham reduced the leeway for them, but even then, Celtic were playing in the confident way that the knowledge of success beings in its trail. But the man who prevented Rangers from scoring on more than six occasions in the opening half-hour was the hero of the game. His name Thomson. This young man, just on the threshold of a very bright career, has never done better in his life. Rangers sorely missed the skilful guiding and forcing of their captain, and the half-back line was poor indeed in comparison with those of the past few weeks. Meiklejohn – in Muirhead’s stead – was the best of the lot. And what was more he never became disheartened. With the half-back out of tune so, too, were the forwards, and Morton and Archibald received few if the nice touches which they can turn into goals. The best play preceded the goals. Rangers had a hurricane start, and if Fleming had been a stride further on there would have been a first minute goal for the Ibrox men. There was Cunningham’s crasher, and plenty of other’s efforts by Meiklejohn, Fleming, Archibald and McPhail, but they all came the same way to Thomson. Despite this avalanche Celtic were trotting along very nicely. There was purpose in each move, and the nearest road to goal was the motto of both wingers and McGrory. These lightning jabs showed that the Rangers’ armoury was not impenetrable. When the goals did come, they were not undeserved. True Thomson had more work to do than his rival, but Celtic’s efforts were always deadly, which remark did not always apply to Rangers. Perhaps a single goal lead would have been a truer reflex of the game at the interval, but after that, although they scored no further, the Celtic clearly were the cleverer lot. Cunningham’s goal was the result of hard graft on the part of Meiklejohn and a spontaneous enlivening of the Rangers’ van and half-back. It was a dying kick. It succeeded in part, but it was not strong enough to finish its purpose. Before the game started, we were regaled to a triple contest between the Police Band, the Rangers Choristers, and the Celtic songsters. In volume the Rangers got the verdict on points. Then the game started. What an escape for Celtic in the very first minute. The Rangers right got moving, and Archibald beat McStay, and Fleming had the ball at his feet with only Thomson to beat. The keeper was alive, however, and the ball went harmlessly past. Cunningham, after Celtic had paid a couple of visits to Hamilton, let one rip. Thomson had the ball and tipped it over for a fruitless corner. Then Connolly put in one which Hamilton cleared, and then Archibald let go a piledriver that Thomson parried and was able to clear before a Ranger could reach the scene. When Connolly put an almost straight cross into goal, Hamilton snatched it away from the feet of McGrory, and when Meiklejohn delivered a piledriver that missed by inches, they were great minutes. They were as nothing to the great shot of Cunningham’s that Thomson saved splendidly, or too, the sensational scoring of the Celtic in the 33rd and 35th minutes. McInally was the man who led up to the first goal. He slipped the ball up the middle to McGrory. Hamilton did the only thing he could, dashed out, and McGrory, neat as you like, lobbed it into goal. Rangers were not long a goal down – 2 minutes. Then they were two down. McGrory wended in again, shot and Hamilton saved partially. McLean crossed back the ball that came to him, and Connolly, lying handy, turned it into the corner of the net. Two down, Rangers tried hard to get back to terms, but up till half-time they were unable to penetrate the Celts’ defence. Indeed, the celts had quite as many dangerous moves in these last ten minutes of the first half. Rangers pressed at the onset, and the Celtic goal was in danger from first Meiklejohn, with a long range drive, and from Fleming whose parting effort was blocked. Then Thomson was penalised for handling outside the area, and from Archibald’s free-kick. Cunningham headed in, and the keeper save don the line. Fleming had hard lines when he had slipped McStay and hit the outside of the net, and then when McPhail dodged half the Celtic defence, and Archibald shot in, Rangers’ outlook was a more happy one. But Celtic came again. Connolly put over the crosses, and McGrory was on the spot to apply the danger. A nice move of Thomson’s went – amiss by McLean shooting wide. Then as the game was right on the wane in the 40th minute of the second half, there was a big burst by Rangers. Captain Meiklejohn started it. The end came when Cunningham got his foot to it and lobbed it into the net. Thomson was the outstanding performer on the field. There is no need to labour the point. This is a goalkeeper, and a really good one at that. He saved Celtic yesterday, and he will do so again. Backs, McStay and McGonnigle were sound. The younger man, in all but kicking, was the superior of Scotland’s captain, and is clearly a good one. At half-back James McStay has rarely if ever done better. He had a trickly handful in Fleming, but he played as three in one, and was ever able to turn defence into attack. Flanked by two good men in Wilson and McFarlane, this was the strong portion of the Celtic team. In front, McInally, Connolly and McGrory were about the best, although Thomson, and in a lesser degree McLean, did very well. The first three were responsible for the two vital goals. They played up to that form all the game. Rangers’ defence was not too sound. Hamilton was all right. He lost no more than he could possibly slip McCandless and Gray have done better. They failed to ger the ball away in the crisp fashion of first-class backs, and too often the danger was merely transferred by a weak header. I have discussed the half-backs play. Simpson left McGrory too open, and Craig played below his form. Towards the end both improved and thus it was that Rangers scored. No blame for the defeat cane be laid on Meiklejohn. He did all he could. Repeated, McPhail was the man that mattered. His were heroic efforts to score a goal and had a less capable keeper ben against him he would have had his desire. Things did not run well for Fleming, but he had some near shaves, and did not fail. Archibald and Morton disappointed and Cunningham, except for his goal, and one or two excellent pots was not always at home. Celtic have won the first of the season’s meetings. They deserved it, but it does not detract in the least from next week’s game. It was only the two vital minutes that did the trick.
