Meiklejohn 18
Walker 53
Match Information
Attendance: 54,000
Referee: Tom Dougray (Bellshill)
Matchday: Saturday
Match Trivia
Exit Rangers! And deservedly, too! If ever a team courted disaster, it was the Ibrox eleven. One goal up in the first half, after forty-five minutes’ play that impressed no one, they dodged about without plan, without aim, without object. The Hibernian rattled on a couple of goals, goals that schoolboys’ team, even, could have prevented. But the Rangers’ defenders were rattled in that second half. There was not one cool head in defence. The icicle, McCandless, must have got into the torrid zone just before he tried to pass back to Robb after three minutes of the second half had gone. His pass – a nervous effort – was yards short. From that moment Rangers were beaten. In the first half Rangers were obviously superior. The Hibernian were agile, I admit. But ability beat agility. Cunningham had three glorious shots that were charged down in the luckiest manner imaginable. Cairns headed in twice – and Harper saved. Craig tried with a gentle right-foot deflection off a Cairns’ pass, but Shaw got in the nick of time, and booted the ball twenty feet in the air – just clear of the crossbar. Twenty-two minutes had gone when Muirhead lofted the ball to where Cunningham stood. The inside man trapped it, then prodded the ball back to Meiklejohn. A moment’s consideration was all that David gave to the situation. A right-foot drive! A Goal! A great goal! Harper will be blamed for allowing the ball to pass between his outstretched arms. He should not be. The sun – a strong, blinding sun – was right in his eyes. I exonerate Harper! Rangers should have pressed their advantage after that. But they did not appear to want to ‘run it in.’ Till the interval the game was quiet. There was no adventuring. The players seemed fatalists, content to accept the position as being unalterable. The Walker goal soon after the restart put welcome ginger into the game. McCandless in this incident made a grave blunder. He forgot for a moment that a black’s paramount duty is to clear his lines quickly and decisively. His pass back to Robb did not get half as far as he intended. Ritchie butted in. Across, on the ground, went the ball. ‘Darkie’ Walker was in the goalmouth. A flick of the foot, and Robb was beaten! Rangers were rattled after that. The defence went to pieces. Meiklejohn alone appeared to keep his head. The others, and particularly Dixon, were overwhelmed. Ritchie provided the Light Blues’ defence with some tantalising problems. At times he held the ball. At others he ‘first-timed’ it across the goalmouth. Murray butted in. And he I assure you, was a live wire, an enterprising, heroic, ‘all out’ centre. Half a dozen times he was injured; and the crowd – friend or foe alike – sympathised with him. Seven minutes from time he git his reward. Rangers’ defenders were completely lost when a lob from the Hibs right came into the goalmouth. Not a man could lift a foot to clear the danger. They were absolutely stage struck! But Murray was not. He applied his boot opportunely. And Rangers for the twenty-first time in twenty-one years, went out of the Scottish Cup. What an ignominious exit! Three men only out of the eleven are worthy of praise – Robb, Cairns and Meiklejohn. The others were degrees and degrees below the high standard they usually attain. Hibernian, as a football team, were not much better. But they are to be complimented – without qualification – on their uphill fight. Harper made a bad mistake when he dropped a ball from Dixon. Otherwise, he was sound. McGinnigle and Dornan saved many ‘certainties’ from Cunningham by desperate dashes. They were a great pair. The half-backs – all three – were weak. Dunn and Halligan sparkled in the forward line, but Ritchie and Walker more confident in the second half – did their bit fairly well. Too much praise cannot be given Murray. In a position for which he is not fitted he worked like a trojan. Never spared himself. Stuck it ‘like the determined Scotsman he is!’ And had the honour of scoring the goal that won the tie for Hibernian! Getting back from Ibrox by subway and tram to the hub I could not help hearing expressions of opinion from all and sundry. ‘Terrible!’ was the most frequently – used adjective. And it was used in every case in reference to the play of the popular Light Blues. Rangers have a cup tonight – a cup of woe. Beaten in the Scottish Cup! Carl Hansen’s leg broken at Paisley! The popular little Dane is to be sympathised with. He is a most unassuming fellow, and a real trier every time. I echo the general sentiment when I wish Carl a speedy recovery
