T Cairns (2)
S Archibald
Match Information
Attendance: 26,000
Referee: Peter Craigmyle (Aberdeen)
Matchday: Saturday
Match Trivia
What St Mirren could not do at Ibrox, and seldom looked like accomplishing, Manderson did for them, and gave the Paisley team their only goal five minutes before the interval. Previously the Light Blue had rattled on two goals in fine style – the first from a high lob by Archibald, from a Cunningham pass, and the second by Cairns, from a corner well placed by Archibald. The game had only been seven minutes in progress, when Cunningham, who had been distributing the play to fine advantage, whipped the ball out to his mate, and after he had dribbled to near the vicinity of Yuille, he raised the ball over the goalkeeper’s head and into the net. Morton had been giving Morrison and Findlay more than they could manage, and following pressure ten minutes after the first count, Cairns got his boot to the ball and belted it hard just under the bar. All eyes were on McCrae after the goalscoring feat of a week ago, but the spectators were disappointed, as he seldom tested Robb. Manderson, blunder, which cost his side the goal, was made in this wise. From twenty yards out, and at an angle when he was not being seriously challenged, Bert preferred to pass the ball back to Robb, and the goalkeeper had come out of his goal, and the ball rolled harmlessly into the net. Prior to the interval Henderson gave Yuille a stinger to hold, while another from a corner showed that Bradford’s position was safe in the keeping of his understudy. When Cairns slipped on Rangers’ third and last goal fifteen minutes after play had been resumed it was all up with the Paisley lot, who did not give a good account of themselves, and failed to show the form that was expected of them. It would be difficult to find three men more anxious to score than Archibald, Henderson and Morton, but their very anxiety seemed to be their undoing. The centre allowed the ball to roll under him in the mouth of the goal when he all but scored, but it was left to Cairns to put the finishing touch to it. Except for the first ten minutes and a spurt towards the close, the Saints seldom were dangerous, and with McCandless – best back on the field – playing in great form, Robb was never stretched. Dixon effectively bottled-up McCrae, and Meiklejohn and Craig were usually masters of the visitors’ respective wing forwards. Cunningham towered head and shoulders above any forward, and the way he would slip the ball to his mate or bang it over to Morton, when that player was unmarked, was an education in forward play. Summers did well to hold up Henderson the way he did, while McDonald played nicely against Archibald, but could male nothing of Andy. It was a bad day for the Paisley forwards
