Martin 2
Match Information
Attendance: 12,000
Referee: J Matthews (Greenock)
Matchday: Saturday
Match Trivia
I scarcely know whether it is the right thing to congratulate the Hearts or condole with them on losing at Ibrox by a mere goal. They had so much of the defending to do in the second half that they could have lost another goal or so without thinking of making a demand for reparation. On the other hand, they had some bad luck in the first half in not themselves scoring. The Hearts took the field without Nellies, Sinclair and Miller. Naturally, this created a gloomy outlook for them that was heightened when two minutes after the start, their old comrade Martin went through the defence like an equestrienne through a paper hoop and scored. Then the game swung round and the Tynecastle forwards until the interval had more than their share of the play. They were several times within hail of Hempsey, but never so near as when Gibson took the ball on the drop and spun in a shot that would have beaten the goalkeeper had not the ball struck his leg. On the whole, the Hearts deserved to claim equality at the interval. But the second half was the tale of another horse. Rangers, with a fairish breeze behind them, applied the screw, but they broke down completely with the marksmanship. When an odd occasion they were on the target, Black was there to save. Much of the ineffectiveness of the Ibrox forwards was due to the easy-going destructiveness of Mercer, who laid a heavy hand on Charles Duncan, while Ross dealt cavalierly with Bowie, and so kept Scott Duncan from looming as large as usual. For the lack of lustre on the part of the Rangers I can find no excuse that the Hearts mesmerised them. To Hempsey, Blair, Riddell and Martin I would give first praise. Croot controlled the ball well, but I thought he was late with his centres sometimes. Black kept a good goal for the Hearts, and after the loss of the goal that might have been averted the Tynecastle backs and half-backs played with unfailing resolution. Forward the wings were the light side, but they combined cleverly, and Gibson was always ready for scoring chances
