Gillick 44
Match Information
Attendance: 42,000
Referee: J.M. Martin (Ladybank)
Matchday: Saturday
Match Trivia
A regular dust-up between the finalists of last years confirmed form. The football was not so good as in the League game on the same ground. Not so convincing in the outfield were the Cupholders as in the January match, and their shooting was neither so free nor so frequent. I thought the Paisley men took too much out of themselves in the first half to make a closer fight of it later on. A bold, confident side they were. Always capable they seemed, in fitful aggressive raids, of snatching a goal to equalise the effort of Gillicks close on the interval which produced the only goal. A through pass from Brown then, made possible the opening from which the Ibrox centre dashed in to score. A fairly level opening half, with honours equal. Often the football was quite commonplace. Never brilliant or sustained in combined effort for any length of time, the game was hard enough, and the result worked out in favour of the better team. One goalkeeper was as skilful as the other. Dawson generally carried the ball out beyond the sanded turf to secure a better footing ere clearing. Always granted when he had the time to do so, McCloy, not so mindful took all the risks. I cannot remember ever having seen the St Mirren backs, Baird and Ancell, defend so boldly or so effectively. Their tackling, sharp and severe, had much to do with the comparative inefficiency of the rangers forwards close in. If not so nippy as Dougir Gray, whose positional play made him the ideal defender in the home team, Baird was a sound as any of the other backs. He was responsible for the eclipse of Roberts, who lacking in repose, and much too eager to get the ball away, was often out of place when McPhail sent out the pass. As prominent as any defender was Wilson, the centre-half. He used his strength freely, once in the second-half much too harshly against Gillick. The caution of the referee was justified then. One famous player was not off the mark when he adjudged Wilson the big man of the match. None of the half-backs could work the ball so skilfully as George Brown. Gebbie was more pushful than Meiklejohn, but the old head of the Ibrox captain saved his legs, and quicker-thinking made his work more profitable. A tactical plan existed between Miller and Ancell. Strong men both, they chipped in to spoil often the recurring attempts of Main and Venters, the Rangers most dangerous wing, while serving their own forwards with commendable forcefulness and courage. Ancell had usually the beating of Main in the close tackle, and he was ahead of McDonald. Venters was the Rangers most aggressive forward, and he took his corners well. Simpson had a hot handful in the impulsive McKenzie, and he was frequently the saviour of his side. The best raiding of st Mirren developed on the right, where Knox and Latimer interchanged positions frequently and were accountable for most of the shooting. As a semi-half, McPhail was more useful than in attack, where he was seldom so prominent as McGregor was on the other side. The Rangers forwards were not an impressive company.
