J Smith 5
Nicholson 8
Match Information
Attendance: 50000
Referee: H Watson (Glasgow)
Matchday: Tuesday
Match Trivia
We have to thank the Sportklub Rapid for a most entertaining evening at Ibrox. Not that their play taught us much. But the eleven were game lads, enterprisingly aggressive at times, and just a trifle unfortunate when the finishing touch was demanded. Their display didnt touch the standard set when last the club sent over an eleven. Maybe we expected too much. Or was it that Rangers old hands had made up their minds that thered be no mistake this time? In my story of the run of play I mention Raftl, Wagner, Mistik and Binder in particular. But the eleven making allowances for the peculiarities inherent in foreign tactics did very well to keep the winning margin to two goals. Meiklejohn, s we might expect, was the top-notcher in Rangers team. Great intuition in defence, generalship in distribution. But not one of his forwards played up to the hundred per cent standard. Macaulay forgot about the cross-pass till McPhail, shouting, reminded him. And then McPhail made a mess of it. Smith placed far too much reliance on his broad shoulders and towering height. Main and Nicholson should have made more use of many chances. Brown, Simpson, Gray, McDonald and Dawson can be described as serviceable as usual, but the best of that lot was Gray. Well, in the first five minutes a few of the Light Blues interested the crowd and kept the Austrians on the move. Simpson, who appeared to handle, Macaulay, who shot past, Main, who eluded Czejka before shooting somewhat softly these were the lads of most moment after the start. Smith came along with a big biff over the bar but there was nothing to it all! Even a long shot from Meiklejohn merely gave Raftl a comfortable keeper. But the keeper had a terribly difficult task when Brown delivered a chancer that Raftl connected with as it bounced just over the bar. Not for long did the Austrian defence remain inactive. Admirably clever leading up work by Pesser and Blinder set Becan with a not too easy chance, yet Dawson had to have a second clutch at the centres shot. Smith gave Raftl a tester after Macaulay had toed an inviting ball to the centres foot. Next minute Smith ran out a ball that he certainly should have got across and ended a promising spell of further pressure by heading over. Quite distinctly the best effort up to that time was McPhails. Fully merited a goal but was inches high. Even Smiths opening goal could not be classed with McPhails effort. The fact of the matter is, Macaulay double-fluked, the ball fell conveniently for the centre, who shot past outstretched Raftl. Less than half a minute another goal, this time by Nicholson, who first-time and beat the Austrian keeper with a glorious shot from a sharp angle. Macaulays goal from the penalty spot after Smith had been pushed glaringly when about to head, merely seemed to emphasise Rangers superiority. A very fine period of close passing on the Austrian right was well worth a goal but Rangers defence covered up at the right moment. Nor was there any perceptible falling -off in Rangers power after the restart. The Light Blues half-backs prompting, and inside-forwards manoeuvring had Smistik and his full-backs in Queer Street. Yet occasionally the visitors did a spot of aggressive work. Wagners long throw-in interested us, and an overhead over-the-bar kick by Bican almost did the trick. Yet despite a period of outfield superiority Sportklub seldom trouble Dawson. When Main delivered a likely cross Smiths header a yard wide as it was went nearer than anything the Austrians had accomplished. Then came the visitors penalty. Gray handled at close quarters. Binder appeared to put not the least effort into his spot-kick. Yet that ball went to the back of the net with terrific speed. Just about that time Rangers fans found some justification for their advice, Wake up, Rangers! That amusingly and dangerously long-throwing lad, Wagner, sent the ball from touch-line to goal-mouth. Macaulay on one occasion miskicked. The ball hit the under-angle of the cross-bar. Indeed, Rangers had just as much as they wanted at that stage. Slick passing by Kanurek Bican and Osterman puzzled Brown and McDonald. Far too dangerously near these visitors manoeuvred before Meiklejohn and Simpson intervened. As time wore on, we had a chance to see Raftl at his most spectacular. An entertainment in himself, this acrobatic goalkeeper. But he had tons of luck when a low ball from McPhail got the foot of the upright, ran across goal and hit the diving keeper somewhere about the small of his back yet came out! Rangers dominated the game in the closing stages.
