T Cairns (2)
McCulloch
Match Information
Attendance: 7,000
Referee: unknown - to be confirmed
Matchday: Saturday
Match Trivia
I don’t suppose there could be any doubt that Rangers were the stronger team in the game at Ibrox, and yet they had to fight extremely hard to win by a one-goal margin. Why? Well, it is a little difficult to explain without seeming to detract from the excellent Show made by Dumbarton, but the fact is undeniable that, along with the penalty missed by Gordon, there were a couple of handful of incidents which were as near bring goals for Rangers as anything could be, including two where Miller captured the ball so perilously neat the wrong side of his line that Rangers claimed. There were two occasions also, when it was Dumbarton’s turn to fail at seemingly open goal, but that was the kind of game it was – plenty of promises but few fulfilments. With the wind behind them Dumbarton took the lead through a smartly-scored goal by McCulloch, who caught the Rangers’ defence napping. Rangers seemed to say, “Half a minute and well’ put that right,” for they went in on the Boghead defence time after time as if they couldn’t fail. But fail they did, even Gordon with a penalty and Archibald twice at point-black range. For fifteen minutes of the second half it looked as if that sort of thing was to continue, but at last Cairns headed the equaliser from Archibald’s finely-placed corner-kick, and, later the same player scored the winning goal by sheer pugnacity in following up. In fact, it was lucky for Rangers that they had a man with the bulldog temperament of Cairns, for nothing else could have beaten down the resolute Dumbarton defence. It would be a mistake to say that all the game was in the ‘Light Blues’ favour. It was nothing of the sort, for the quick-moving Dumbarton forwards repeatedly had the home defence in difficulties, and were even unlucky not to score. Rangers suffered considerably by the absence of Brown. Manderson, as a centre-forward, wanted to do too much, as, for instance, when he was discovered defending inside his own ‘box,’ and causing Dumbarton to claim a penalty against him. I don’t see why RG Campbell shouldn’t whisper something in ‘Bert’s’ ear about standing well up towards the opponents’ goal and waiting for scoring chances. R G was a back who played a good centre-forward game for a season. Archibald and Bowie were the better wing, the former getting the ball across nicely. Gordon, if he is going to continue to shoot so often, will have to study elevation. McKenna shaped very well after he had settled down, and so did McQueen. Dumbarton decisive credit for keeping the game so tight. Miller and his backs were plucky to a degree, and the half-back put in a great amount of effective spoiling work, Lance-Corporal Speedie doing particularly useful headwork. Perhaps McGregor did not force the game enough. The forwards were a clever lot in the open, but I thought they shot too seldom
