Dr Marshall 49
Match Information
Attendance: 35,552
Referee: A McLean (Rutherglen)
Matchday: Saturday
Match Trivia
Once again, the Glasgow Cup is in the possession of Rangers. Once again Partick Thistle have failed at the last obstacle. If they had taken toll of the chances that came their way late in the second half, they might have forced a replay. It was not a great game thrills were not abundant. Rangers were the better lot, but the goal that landed the trophy was indeed a lucky one. Rangers, as a matter of fact, won the tie through an accident. Jackson in the Thistle goal was the star of the game. An accidental goal, the flukiest of the fluky, won the Glasgow Cup for Rangers at Hampden yesterday. Five minutes after the start of the second half Rangers were awarded a throw-in. The ball went to Marshall, who shot a terrifically fastball near to the corner of the penalty area. It was going the proverbial miles past, but in its flight across the goal it struck McPhails body and ricocheted past Jackson into the net. No wonder the other Light Blues did not know who to congratulate, Marshall or McPhail, they did the obvious thing, and they shook hands to both. I was dreadfully sorry Jackson, that he should be beaten in such a manner, for he had kept a truly brilliant goal all through the first half. I believe there were present at Hampden yesterday certain members of the Selection Committee. Perhaps they were not concerned with a goalkeeper, in view of the fact that McLaren behaved so well in Belfast a few weeks ago, but surely Jackson must come into the picture again as a custodian honour. If he is not the best goalkeeper in Scotland at the present time, Im willing to back a White City pony trotter to win next years Derby. At Hampden yesterday his great custodianship alone brought this game above the level of mediocrity. He had not only one masterly save he had a dozen. All five Rangers forwards and their two wing half-backs had had a go at him. The seven tried him all ends up and they couldnt beat him. I recall one grand save, just about the best I have seen. It was near the end of the first half, during one of many Rangers attacks. Fro a bunch of players, the ball went to Meiklejohn. The right half let go with full force, a swift shot of unerring exactitude. It never rose in its flight more than a foot from the turf, and before Jackson got a sight of the leather it could not have been more than half a dozen yards from him. But he dived for it with the lithe grace of a panther, stopped it at the foot of his let hand post and gathered it to clear. But to the game as a whole, it was a scrappy sort of affair, short terms of thrills alternating with long spells of that sort of stuff which is uninteresting. Over the piece Rangers were the cleverer team. They possess a better understanding, but paradoxical as it may seem, they were just a trifle lucky not to be made to fight it over again. Rangers tactics are such that when their attack is crowded out their defence is likely to crash. Let the opposing lot get past Brown and Meiklejohn and anything is likely to happen. On several occasions yesterday, particularly near the close of the game, Thistle whisked their way into Rangers home territory, and if they had had a finisher they undoubtedly would have scored. The Ibrox defence does not relish being played into. They get into a bit of a tangle. But Thistle lacked the man to crown the darting movements of the outfield. Watson I must write down as a failure. He lacked anticipation, was too slow when he did get possession, and was awkward to a big degree in his distribution. In the opening minutes he was given a chance to rent the net after Ness had made McDonald perform the footballers Charleston, but he couldnt gather the ball quickly enough. As play went on Rangers assumed a mastery that promise they would fulfil the prophecies of their supporters that they would beat Thistle by a barrowful. But no, they came up against a most stubborn defence. McAllister was as watchful of English as he has been of McGrory I certain games. Archibald found the youngster Cumming a brick wall at times, while only occasionally did Calderwood allow Smith to beat him, McPhail was the big shot of the Rangers attack. Meiklejohn was the only chief marksman, and when they did find a way through the backs Jackson was their bogey. Only now and again did Thistle get a place in the picture as an attacking force, and it was more by reason of sudden thrusts than by combined movements that found every man in his place. Ballantyne was not too accurate and frequently his passes were misplaced, so that Torbet was not so effective as he might have been. The right wing was more troublesome. McMillan threw his whole energies into the affray, and we had Ness quite a lot in the picture. The right winger had the measure of McDonald. But it was always left for Watson to complete the work, and Watson never looked capable of doing what was expected or hoped of him. This, too despite the fact that Peeler Simpson sustained as leg injury early on and was not so fast as he usually is in covering up. One of the thrills of this half was when Jackson was really beaten. Brown took a free kick from a few yards outside the penalty area. It was beautifully placed to McPhail, who nodded it from ten yards. The ball sailed over the bar by inches. The second half was a scrappy affair, and many of the 35,000 were on their way home fifteen minutes from the finish, but in that period if they had stayed, they would have seen Partick Thistle play at their best, although their finishing still continued to be weak. If it had improved, they would assuredly have got the equaliser. The Firhill lot should have played more to Ness than they did, and he proved the fact in the closing stages when he whipped over balls that simply shrieked to be sent into the net. We did se too first-class teams, Thistle played a bit better than I have seen them do this season, Rangers a bit worse. The Partick defence was OK, and I took a fine fancy to Cumming at left back. After the game I had a word with Mr Jimmy Kinloch of the Thistle Board. He stated emphatically that Cumming is a coming boy, I agree with that. For a comparative newcomer to the senior ranks, he played with commendable coolness and in a manner that revealed his mental faculties are not dormant, he was seldom beaten by Archibald, more often than not he put a stopper to the right winger. McAllister was a doughty centre half. Groves and MacLeod played with varying fortune. Thistles big weakness is in the forward line. The front five seldom impressed as likely scorers. Torbet just couldnt get it as he liked from Ballantyne, who overdoing the deliberate stuff, was out in his calculations. Watson, I have commented on. Ness was good only so long as McMillan lasted the pace, and Lachie gave evidence early in the second half of having bellows to mend. He is not so young as he used to be, and I suggest that he conserves some of his energy for the later stages of a game. Hamilton was never seriously tested. Of the other I pick out as the best Gray, Meiklejohn, Brown and McPhail. Simpson operated under the handicap of an early received injury that took him off the field for a few minutes. McPhail was Rangers star, and if Marshall was his equal, I reckon Rangers would have the best inside trio in the country. The outside right, however, was that mixture we know so well.
