T Cairns 8
Match Information
Attendance: 28,000
Referee: W Bell (Hamilton)
Matchday: Tuesday
Match Trivia
Evidently the fates are against midweek football in Scotland. You may remember the weather in which the Mid-Week League or Wet League, should I say? was ushered in and fizzled out. We has something of the same in the replayed Scottish tie at Ibrox yesterday; yet the people turned out nobly. All of which goes to prove what a great hold competitive football dont forget the word competitive has on the public. In my opinion, the turn-out was little short of marvellous. The gate was only 8d short of the £975 taken on Saturday, and the stand drawings were as good at least. Dumbartons cheque on Saturday was £470; yesterday it was well over £600. You must remember, of course, that from this replay the Boghead company took half gross. Which interpreted means fifty per cent of the whole takings an equal dive of the money collected at the outside entrances and stands. As I told you yesterday, they would, Dumbarton played a new centre-forward Robertson of Motherwell. The new Boghead man is no boy, yet he showed that he is still able to take his place in first-class company. His shooting was nothing to go into raptures about, but his passing to either wing was quite good, and he had the happy knack of being able to worry the Ibrox defence. I have not the space to go into the run of the play; let me tell you that the Rangers scored the only goal of the afternoon when the tie was eight minutes old, and that following a dull period. Dumbarton gave then what for in the fifteen minutes immediately preceding the interval. But about the all-important goal! Till as to blame. The Boghead backs mistake gave Cunningham his opportunity, the Ibrox centres shot was not cleared as effectively as it might have been, and the on-going Cairns slashed the ball past Miller. That really finished the business. Dumbarton fought to get level in a really strenuous tussle, and Rangers called in every move they knew to improve their position, but both failed. A word or two about the players. Lock was very safe, even if he was not given the opportunity his vis-à-vis had to shine. Miller was grand in the Dumbarton goal, and the same may be said about his backs. Till is a good little man, and since, I saw him last, McGrory has improved beyond recognition almost. Ritchie played his best game for the Rangers, I think. Manderson was his usual self a right good right back but the best man in either rear half-dozen was Scott. This is a great half-back in the making, or I am much mistaken. Gordon was just Gordon, Dixon and OConnell can shake hands as breakers-up, and Duffus, who had a weary period just before the last quarter, put in a lot of real sound work. Forward, Dumbarton were weak on the right, just as Rangers were stronger on the left. The Doc and Cairns had no superiors, and Cunningham had no luck at all with his shots. I was told that Andrew was not feeling too well, still I thought he shaped better as a centre-forward than in any previous game. I have seen him in this position. He gathered the ball in better fashion.