Jennings 3
Match Information
Attendance: 20,000
Referee: J Howden (Glasgow)
Matchday: Saturday
Match Trivia
I met Mr William Craig and Manager William Struth in the Ibrox pavilion yesterday when I arrived for the match with Raith Rovers. They looked worried. There were late messages from more than one player. Andy Cunningham had cried off at 11.30 am. He, too, was an influenza victim. Henderson, as was known previously, was in the same box. James Bowie was also confined to the house with a chill, and Bert Manderson was not considered quite fit after a recent accident. The rangers’ reserve team had left for Kirkcaldy in the morning. Two players were wanted at Ibrox. One would take the officials out of the hole. So, a SOS message was sent off to Fife requesting that Jock Nicholson return haste by motor to fill a vacancy in the senior team at Ibrox Park. A reply message was received stating that Nicholson had left Kirkcaldy at 12.10 pm in a fast motor. The tension was relieved. Unfortunately for the Rangers, Nicholson did not reach Ibrox Park until 2.45 pm, and about fifteen minutes earlier Raith Rovers had scored the goal that decided the issue. A day of Fate it was for the Rangers! For the second time this season an Eastern club had lowered the colours of the champions on their own ground. I saw the Hearts on October 8 when they won by 2-0, and yesterday the Rovers of Fife won by a goal less in a game wherein they were seen to more advantage than the pride of Tynecastle. The official contingent from Kirkcaldy was fairly numerous, and Mr William Hood, of Dundee, who is well known in Fife coal circles, was a welcome Raith adherent for the nonce. A big motor car was in waiting for him. The Rangers officials made the Fife people feel at home on a day when the snell of winter had to be dispelled. The Rangers were not the only sufferers of an epidemic that makes us all a trifle more careful than usual. Goalkeeper Brown and Moyes, the left half, were also down with influenza. Black, once of the Hearts, proved himself a courageous and resourceful custodian once the struggle commenced, and E Morris was more than a useful colleague to Inglis, whose display at right back I have only seen excelled for tactics at Ibrox Park this season by Alex McNair, of the Celtic, in a punishing game when honours were even. I was not enamoured with the arrangement of the Rangers team. There was not much to find fault with in the risking of Manderson. It was a case of Hobson’s choice. Jamieson’s introduction at left back was to be expected, but surely a blunder was made by placing a defender like McCandless at inside right. Billy is a first-class left back or left half-back. It was a leap in the dark to place him in the attack. There were 27,000 spectators, many of them loyal supporters of the men in salmon-coloured jersey from Fife. There was a roar of merriment when the crowd saw McCandless alongside Archibald. They cheered Billy lustily when the game started, and laughed when he headed forward or shot from ling range, when a pass was what was wanted. Mac of Belfast was like a cat in a kennel all the time he played forward. He was always dodging trouble. In the second half the real placing of the team occurred. McCandless was transferred to left half, and Muirhead, who was originally a forward, appeared at inside right. By that time the damage had been done, as Jennings had sneaked a goal after two minutes’ play, and, with all their subsequent pressure, the Rangers could not equalised the score, although they were probably full value for it. The flags drooped to their poles. There was no wind. A yellow fog half hid the spectators on the western terraces ten minutes after play started, but a slight breeze dispelled the forebodings of those who predicted that failing light would lead to a premature stoppage of the game. I liked the Rovers’ team. The side is uniform in physique that impresses you, and the standard of efficiency is fairly well distributed. They had walked over the ground an hour before the start and declared it to be ‘right’. By the verdict I presume the Fife players meant that the turf was not so bad as they had anticipated. Following sleet overnight and a partial thaw, the frost had rendered the surface hard and uneven. The ball headed by Jennings so early in the game deceived Robb, struck a lump or hole in the ground that sent if off at a tangent, and it happened so close in among a cluster of players that the vigilant Ibrox goalkeeper was helpless to avert the loss of a goal that was pregnant with fate to the championship. The Rangers’ forwards were out of tune from the start, and the steadying influence of Andrew Cunningham was badly missed. The most dangerous attacker over the game was Hansen, the Dane, who had one great shot close on half-time that reminded the veteran onlooker of Fred Geary, of Everton. Another from Cairns earlier on when the ball took the post was almost as likely to score. These two happenings, and a shot from Ingles, the Rovers’ back, from a free kick, in the second half, were the outstanding attempts to force a goal. The ground was difficult for ball control, more trying for the backs than the forwards, and yet the greater credit for winning the match was due to the Rovers’ defence. The whole six rear men plugged into the task of beating the Rangers big of heart. Black was as clever as Robb, whose brilliant save from Inglis was something you could not forget. Inglis was outstanding all the time. He headed well, kicked the ball first time with power, and went out to beat his man with a confidence that inspired his colleagues. Raeburn, Morris and Collier gave backbone to a persevering winning side, and Jennings was ever to be found in his place to take advantage of the many stray openings that were made for him. As a whole the attack was well balanced. Nobe of the five forwards were specially brilliant, none of them were below the common standard, which was good enough for the conditions under which the game was played. I have not seen the rangers so much thrown off their game this season as they were yesterday. Arthur Dixon was the outstanding player in their ranks, although all three half-backs were a real live trio. Yet they never settled to their power game. Jamieson showed lots of pluck, and cleared well out to the line, and Manderson was only a shade less conspicuous than he usually is. The one glaring drawback in forward play was the want of combination. Morton and Cairns scintillated for twenty minutes, and afterwards were well held by Raeburn and Inglis. Archibald was good in flashes but was badly supported in a game of hard knocks. The result of the match opens up the championship, which is all for the good of the game, The downfall of the Rangers brings the Celtic within a point off their opponents at the top, and if Partick Thistle had experienced their usual luck at Motherwell, they would have been relatively a point worse than the runners-up. All this makes for the good of football. The Fife players deserve congratulations for their victory, and the grit that made it possible
