Bradley
G McMillan
G McMillan >45
Match Information
Attendance: 15,000
Referee: AM Leishman (Falkirk)
Matchday: Saturday
Match Trivia
For half-an-hour there was an excellent contest at Ibrox. In that period a weakened Hibernian side put up a fight that not only kept the Rangers at bay, but for a time led them by a goal scored very neatly in the 15th minute by Bradley. Rangers up to this had not been going too sweetly on the rock-hard turf, and there seemed the chance that this Hibernian goal might be a bigger blow than they could stand. Alan Morton, however, came to the rescue with a splendid lob which McMillan very cleverly placed far out of Robb’s reach. And from this point the Rangers never looked back. They gradually fought down a very plucky Hibs’ defence, and after a shaky start McCandless and Gray saw to it that Hamilton had not too much to do. Hibs literally faded out of the game in the last part of the first half. When Cunningham, with a great left-foot drive put on a leading goal, it was practically speaking over. The forward line, weakened by the absence of Ritchie, Dunn and Halliday, was the chief cause of the Hibs’ defeat. They started well, but in the end, it was only McColl and occasionally Murray who caused trouble near goal. Before the interval Fleming improved Rangers’ position by scoring a very plucky solo goal. Rangers’ second-half game was a display worthy of champions, and that they did not score more goals than one – register from point-black range by McMillan, was due more or less to careless slashing right in the goalmouth by the Ibrox van. The Hibs’ defence deserve much credit for their fight against over-whelming odds. They had not only to contend with five crafty forwards, but also three half-backs, who were ever ready to be up and amongst them. The whole Rangers’ team played well, and once they found their feet never looked like being beaten, but there must have been many sighs of relief at Ibrox, when the sting went out of Murray’s play, for this winger gave McCandless a very hot time of it early on, and it was from his clever work that Hibs scored their one and only. Both sides took some time to find their feet on the slippy going. Fleming was dangerous with a lightning burst up the middle, but his parting effort went over. McCandless made a blunder and let Murray in, but the wingers shot was held by Hamilton. After 15 minutes Hibs put in another big effort. Haggerty went through, placed it to Bradley, who from easy range, beat Hamilton. Once in arrears, Rangers put more spirit into their play, and five minutes more saw them once again on level terms. Morton sent over a well-placed lob, which McMillan placed far out of Robb’s reach. From the centre-kick Rangers came away again, and a Fleming header went close, and a back saved at the expense of a corner. From this McMillan and Fleming had good tries blocked before the first-named handled while on the point of shooting. Just over half an hour had gone when one of the Rangers raids proved successful gain. Morton lobbed in another somewhat luckily, McGinnigle cleared partially; it went to Cunningham, who had plenty of time to get his left foot to it. His shot found a clear path in, and Robb was just too late to grab it as he dived for it at the corner. Just on half-time Rangers increased their lead to two. It was a personal triumph for Fleming, who beat half the Hibernian defence before driving the ball past Robb. It was a well-judged effort and the reward of forceful play. Rangers went into the second half with all the gusto of a winning team, and McMillan came very near to putting on a fourth when Fleming and he went through on their own. They were very close to scoring too, when Archibald centred and Robb and Fleming arrived on the scene simultaneously, and eventually it was a black who came in and saved the situation. Still on the aggressive pretty work by Morton was spoiled when Archibald shot blindly right in front of goal, and just the same happened when McMillan skied one from just under the bar. McMillan, however, made no mistake with his next chance. Archibald had wended his way into the centre and tried a shot which was diverted and went to the awaiting McMillan, who had plenty of time to beat Robb. This was after 17 minutes of the second half had elapsed. The same player, but for a brilliant one-hand save by Robb, would have made it five. He had an even easier shot off the keeper’s partial parry but shot over. Hibs seldom had a look in this period, and Haggerty’s shot over the bar after this was about as dangerous as anything that had come from the Easter Road van. One of McColl’s looked a possible counter when Meiklejohn dived and cleared with his head as he fell. Archibald looked as if he had scored another when Robb failed to hold his shot, and luckily a back was on the spot to get it away when it was preciously near the line. Hibernian were fairly put through the mill after this, and corners came in plenty, but the shooting was too erratic to be dangerous. For the winners all the half-backs played a great game, and undoubtedly carried the side on to victory. I liked Craig as well as any, and he helped McCandless, who did not seem too happy on the hard going, out of a great many difficulties. The forward were all good. Morton’s lobs were a feature, and Fleming’s pertinacious dashed down the middle were another grave source of anxiety to Robb and Co. McMillan filled the bill all right for McPhail and scored two goals in very decided fashion. Cunningham was perhaps the least effective of the quintette – he simply could not keep his feet on the going – but he atoned by his great goal. Archibald was deadly, especially in the second half, when things ran well for him. Gray was the better of two backs who were not overworked, and Hamilton saved everything but one in the simplest possible manner. It was a different story for the man guarding the other den. Robb had a very tough afternoon, and to make matters worse, he was nursing a badly-grazed hand for most of the game. Nevertheless, he was one of Hibs’ stars. He might have been able to save the first, but with the others he had simply no chance. He did many brilliant things, and goalkeeping is no sinecure when there is no grip in the ground. In front of him both McGinnigle and Stark played well, and I liked them in that order. Gilfeather did a great deal of hard work at left-half, but his was a thankless sort of task. Dick and Finlay, too worked hard, but did not reach the same class as the opposing trio. Of the forwards, McColl did a deal of forcing work, and when a shot was rained in on Hamilton it usually came from his boot. Murray started so well that one had visions of his beating Rangers single-handed, but he fell away as did the rest of the line, among whom Heggerty was most prominent, but not good enough to beat down Meiklejohn
