Ferrier 55
Stevenson 87
Match Information
Attendance: 45,000
Referee: T Small (Dundee)
Matchday: Saturday
Match Trivia
Rangers had two-thirds of the play at Ibrox yesterday, and McClory had ten times as much work to do as Yuill, and yet I cannot say that they deserved any better than they got. They were up against a Motherwell team that contained not a single failure from goal out – a statement which cannot be made about the Rangers – but the chief credit of the Fir Parkers’ victory must go to an excellent defence. McClory was the star, and he must have in no small measure added to his International prospects by his display. Time and again high balls came over his area, and never once did those piston-like arms fail to smack the ball fairly and truly out of the danger zone. But not all the credit must go to the keeper. I admired the half-backs one and all. They bottled up the Rangers inside forwards and took the sting out of the Ibrox attack. Rangers were, for all their pressure a team without initiative. Yuill had not much to do. I do not remember his saving more than three direct shots, and he was not impressive, but that sprang, I imagine, more from nerves than anything else. Muirhead played poorly at half-back, and so, too, did Cunningham and McPhail in front, and above these handicaps the Rangers could not rise. I do not blame them, for Motherwell were on their game, and dead keen for the main chance. Their tactics came off. In the first half the plan adopted undoubtedly was ‘defence first’. This made the opening 45 less exciting than might have been excepted, but it managed to crack the Rangers attack. Then came the second period. A more daring policy was adopted, and the result was a goal beautifully worked for by Thackeray and finished off without shadow of doubt by winger Ferrier – the Motherwell match winner. Now there was life in the game. A desperate Rangers; a defiant Motherwell. I was sorry that the Motherwell players indulged in that silly practice of wasting a second here and there. For all it gains it is not worth a candle. However, it wasn’t as glaring as the crowd made it out to be, and I merely mention it en passant. Rangers found, as they had found all along, that the Motherwell defence was too good for them. When in a break-away Stevenson scored a great solo goal from a very hard angle, first Muirhead and then Yuill had chances to saving the situation, but neither rose to the occasion. Yuill was wrongly positioned, but I suspect that he did not expect a shot, but a centre. That put on the stopper. Rangers were done, and they knew it. All I can say is that team work won the day, and that Motherwell yesterday were a very different side to the lot I saw scrape through the Cup-tie at Kirkcaldy earlier in the week. Perhaps McMurtrie’s inclusion had no little to do with it. There were a lot of off-side decisions in the game, but there was just a shadow of doubt about the one against Fleming when he broke clear through, but I have an idea that McPhail was the man who was under the eye of the referee at the time. Rangers had the better of the opening stages, and an early corner of their credit, but Motherwell came on with an amazing thrust, and beautiful football was witnessed at Yuill’s end. A cross of McMurtrie’s positively exuded danger, and Ferrier was very near with a tremendous drive that just went over. The next item of note was a colossal drive from McPhail, which McClory palmed away. At the other end Keenan tried a slick one that went past, but Fleming was even closer with an oblique drive that went right across the goal. This was the forerunner of more Rangers pressure. Morton capped it was a great drive which McClory saved cleverly. Then came a free kick just outside the area, and Cunningham’s side slip was well cleared by Craig. McMurtrie had a sparkling run after this, but Rangers came back, and from a corner Meiklejohn headed in, and Frame right on the goal-line headed it away for a corner. A glorious chance was lost to the Rangers when Fleming lofted the ball over, after McPhail had made him an easy opening. That was the end of the first half. The second half opened with a thrill from the Stevenson-Ferrier wing, and then one from Morton. Motherwell went better after this and hemmed the Rangers in for a spell, but few of their assaults got the length of Yuill. Thackeray, however, put things upon a different plane when coming up amongst his forwards. McMurtrie took the pass and slammed it right across the field. Ferrier was in for it and taking it without hesitation banged it past Yuill. This put the necessary life into the show and Rangers. McPhail started a dandy move, and Morton worked his way in for a fine shot that McClory saved. Archibald was nearly in with a long run, and then, from a free kick by the same player McClory fisted out from a sea of players. It was the Rangers’ big effort, and it was excellent defence alone that kept them out. Motherwell went strongly after this, and the Rangers’ defence proved wobbly under pressure. Yuill dropped a hot one from McMurtrie, and Bob Hamilton had a job getting it clear. Rangers were aggressive after this escape, and a free-kick against Motherwell was fisted clear by McClory. The Motherwell keeper was the busy man, and time and again his great reach told with those high crossed from the Rangers’ wings. And then, just when Rangers had been at it their hardest, Stevenson broke loose and down the open field, beat Muirhead and with a splendid low drive beat Yuill from a wide angle. Archibald made a dying effort and forced a corner off McClory, who remained confident and undefeated right to the end. Taking the winners first, I find it difficult to put a finger on a weak spot in the combine – for combine it was. Frame and Johnman were first-class backs, and the half-backs, Thackeray especially were untiring, and what is more never lost sight of their forwards. The Ferrier-Stevenson wing was in good form. I heard quite a number of criticisms about Ferrier on the way home from Ibrox, that he displayed no tricks or the general attributed of a winger. If Ferrier does not do the orthodox for a winger, he goes one better by becoming a match winner and a valuable piece in a splendid triangle composed of Thackeray, Stevenson and himself. The other wing also struck good form, McMurtrie is an improvement on Wilson, and Cameron in the middle was not a failure, although less in the picture than the others. Rangers had one of their bad days. Cunningham, McPhail and Morton were off in front, and Fleming was not a great deal better. Archibald footered about too much to be a great winger, but he was about the best. In the defence Craig and Gray were notable. They were Rangers’ best in fact, and Meiklejohn shepherded Cameron very splendidly. Hamilton started well but fell away, and Muirhead has of recent date rarely shown up so poorly. Yuill did not ger a fair test, but he was not altogether convincing and might easily have saved the second. But then he suffered in comparison with McClory.
