A Smith (4)
RC Hamilton (2)
J McPherson
J Miller
N Gibson pen
Campbell
Missed Penalties
Campbell pen miss
Match Information
Manager: No Permanent Manager
Attendance: 7,000
Referee: unknown - to be confirmed
Matchday: Saturday
Match Trivia
Played at Ibrox Park before about 5000 spectators, on very heavy ground. Contrary to expectation, the Hibs made a very poor show against the Rangers, and were never throughout the first half able to make even a fair display of football, their whole energies being expended in keeping their lines as safe as possible. A Smith scored three times in this half, and Hamilton twice, the teams crossing over with the Rangers leading by 5 goals to 0. In the second half there was little alteration, although the Hibs were several times within shooting range, but there was little difficulty in keeping them from scoring. The Rangers scored other five goals, McPherson, Miller, Gibson, Smith and Campbell being responsible, and a very one-sided game ended – Rangers 10 goals Hibs 0
Confronted by such a spectacle as that witnessed at Ibrox, criticism is disarmed and description rendered abortive. It is like trying to describe the indescribable, and to criticise what is beneath criticism. The predominant feeling is one of wonder that such things can happen in first-class football. Some western critics are asking themselves whether Christmas had anything to do with it, but that only shows their sense of humour. Everybody knows what a holiday match is like, and there is no denying the fact that in some respects Saturday’s game was decidedly festivity, but at its worst a holiday match is always amusing. Of course, few honestly regarded the Hibernian chances as other than a forlorn hope, but with the Rangers alleged to be threatening staleness, and the Hibernian threatening no one knew what, there was always the possibility of the unexpected happening. Well, the unexpected did happen, and today the Hibernian are mourning a defeat which is hardly equalled in the history of the club. Before proceeding to deal with the true inwardness of things, let us dispose of a little fallacy that has been exploited – not without some ulterior purpose, we suspect – a trifle too persistently of late. Much has been said and written about the tendency of the Rangers to go ‘dicky’ recently, and on this contingency was made to hinge a good deal of possibility. After their display on Saturday, however the alarm must be put down as altogether false, and not a little foolish, and woe betide the team that faces them under any such delusion. The fact is, the Rangers are as fit today as they have been at any stage of their all-conquering career this season, and all talk of them getting stale is so much speculation. Another myth, which was effectually exploded on Saturday, was that which credited the Rangers with being capable of only playing their game on a hard, dry ground. Whatever advantage Ibrox may possess, it does not have a weather-proof pitch, and this was strikingly demonstrated ere the game had been long in progress. Football was never meant to be played in quagmire, but while the Hibernians sprawled and foundered, and stuck fast, the Rangers seemed quite at home in the mud, and dribbled, passes, and shot in a manner which in the circumstances could hardly have been thought possible. This fact not only proves the adaptability and resource of the champions, but the display of nay theory that the state of the ground may have been responsible for the Hibernians collapse. What was possible for the Rangers should not have been impossible for the Hibernians, and that the latter were hampered by the mud bespeaks inferiority in some special degree. Where the difference probably lay was in the matter of judgment, and it must be said that of that quality the Hibernians throughout showed precious little. That and lack of confidence, otherwise ‘funk’ were the ruling factors in their unfortunate defeat. If there is anything at all that can beat the Rangers it is pluck, and the team that faced them up on Saturday looked about as chicken-hearted a lot as ever donned the green jersey. And their play did not belie their looks; one could have imagined that they were positively non-tiers. Chief blame must lie with the defence. The dash with which the Rangers started the game was sufficient to try the strongest of back divisions, and it certainly proved too much for the Hibernian defenders. Had they been able to resist the attack even for a little, the youngsters in the team might have gained confidence, and they themselves found time to recover, but they wavered at the first onslaught, and fell, and the game was lost and won practically in the first ten minutes. McColl and Breslin alone seemed to keep their heads, but all they did or could do was insufficient to stay the rot. It may seem a trifle incongruous to sound the praises of a goalkeeper who is debited with ten goals in a single match, but it only indicated how weak the men in front of him were when it is stated that all through he defended his charge as well as any custodian could. The experience he had was enough to unnerve any goalkeeper, but he ‘faced the music’ undaunted, and kept his judgment to the end. If ever there was a pair of backs ‘at sea’, they were Glen and Nelson on Saturday. To begin with they seemed unable to keep their feet, and the way in which they floundered about in the mud, miskicked, and generally disported themselves, was not without a suggestion of the ludicrous. Neither of them got in a respectable kick during the whole game – when they did propel the ball it was generally in the direction of a Ranger – and their attempts at tackling only made the crowd laugh. Nor were the half’s much better. To use a vulgar phrase, Hamilton, Campbell, Smith and Co. had them ‘on a string’. Their main object seemed to be to get the ball out of the way somehow or anyhow, and the result was a lot of aimless rushing and kicking (nobody would ever think of saying placing), which simply made confusion worse confounded. Miller and Alex Smith fairly danced round Breslin, Hamilton made Handling look foolish, and Campbell worried Robertson out of his wits and his temper. We might go on in pretty much the same strain regarding the forwards, but what need to say more?
