A Morton 2
Clunas 42
Match Information
Attendance: 10,000
Referee: Joe P. Rowe (Giffnock)
Matchday: Monday
Match Trivia
All the exciting incidents at Ibrox were crowded into the last fifteen minutes. By that time the Rangers had realised that to pierce the steel-like Paisely defence required more than the pop-gun powers they had been previous employing. But ‘the Saints’ rearguard could not be beaten. Hamilton swooped down upon the opposition with amazing abandon, and with equally amazing sheerness, he was not surpassed by any of the other backs for accuracy or powerful kicking. Bradford, too, got rid of dangerous balls in workmanlike style from Hansen, Johnstone, Muirhead and Cunningham. In the end the Greater Love Street defenders had most credit for carrying home a point, but you must not infer that the Ibrox fellows merited more than they got. Both were patchy, and for the most part the game provided little more than a succession of disappointments – flashes of combination that as quickly fizzled out. We saw any number of grafters, but really no one above mediocrity. Either centre-forward was blotted out. Hansen gave us snatched of tricky footwork, but like Duncan Walker, he was off target. Rangers’ goal was beauty of its kind. But should have been averted. In the second minute of the ninety Alan Morton broke away, cut into the middle, and drove at express speed along the ground. Bradford on his knees at the right-hand post waiting for the ball, allowed it to slip into the net. A Paisley tragedy. Nor was Willie Robb also although blameless when he failed to catch a rising shot from Clunas that brought the equaliser just on the half-time ‘toot’. So far as attacking was concerned there was little between the teams. With the wind in the earlier position, Paisley’s lads held an advantage, and Rangers repeated the positions later. Lawson enhanced his reputation with some beautiful crosses, and later on Robb was lucky to be on the right spot to gather a grand Gillies ‘header’. Only towards the close did the Rangers’ forwards infuse say real fire into their work, but even then, their finishing was anything but good. Yes, a division of points was a good result. Tommy Cairns and Gillies were the most consistent forwards, Lawson got too little to do. Towards the close Tommy brought down the wrath of the Paisley crowd on his devoted head. So, too, did Finlay from the Ibrox faithful, who thought that he had been too hard on Alan Morton. Clunas and Muirhead carried off the laurels in the middle division. Meiklejohn, after an indifferent start, filled Arthur Dixon’s place with satisfaction. All four backs were safe, perhaps they were too resourceful for the men whose jot it was so circumvent them. Both attacks crumpled up easily when the clash came.
