A Venters 44
Match Information
Attendance: 4,000
Referee: G.A. Feol (Stirling)
Matchday: Wednesday
Match Trivia
I met some of the hottest Rangers supporters after the game with Third Lanark yesterday. These are fellows who travel to every game in which the Light Blues are engaged. Thats the worst Rangers team I have seen in years, said the main man in the coterie. I had to agree with him. When I sat that throughout the game, I heard Jimmy Simpson shouting to Venters and Smith and Nicholson and even Marshall you will understand ill-knit were the Ibrox front rank. All his coaching would have gone for nothing if Meiklejohn had not been in the goal-mouth late in the second half when Hasson shot and the Ibrox stalwart headed out. Dawson at that moment was yards from goal, having palmed down a ball and alarmingly followed out when he should have immediately returned to his custodians job. The fact of the matter is that Third Lanark played like a winning team in the second half. They had Blair off for a considerable period, and when he returned, he took the outside-left berth with Cruce Clarke at half-back and Brown at inside. Yet on they went gallantly and gave Rangers defence a punishing twenty minutes. All the time, the man who gave me something to think about was Smith, the Rangers leader. I have no excuse for this player. He was just about the worst centre I have seen this season. Far too keen on applying his shoulder to the keeper when he should have kept back expecting a clearance that might have come to his foot. Not only that. Smith was obviously annoyed about a tackle by Carabine that turned him over, and je later threw himself at ball and man on the bye-line. Carabine made a gesture of protest to the referee. Mr Poole spoke to Smith and took a note of his name in the report book. Rangers will never win two points more simply than they did in this match. In the first half they played easy football, bringing the yard-short Archibald into operation very often. Sandy did almost all that was required of him squaring the ball occasionally and keeping the very alert Harvey on the stretch. I longed for a goal for either side something really worth writing about. Venters gave it. In what I call a falling run he thrust out a foot and snicked the ball across the toes of the goalkeeper, Taylor, and so into the net. During the greater portion of the second half Third Lanark were on top. Bit I was immensely amused by some of the incidents. For example, Dawson dropped a long lob by Harvey. Venters clean missed a glorious pass by Nicholson. Rangers scrambled a corner when any one of four should have walked the ball into the net. Rangers inside forwards were sinners. Marshall moving freely as usual in most placed in the front rank, had chances. So had Venters and Smith. But the shooting awful! Neither goalkeeper seemed safe. Gray and McDonald had nothing on Carabine and Harvey. Bruce Clarke as a half-back excelled Bruce Clarke as an inside forward. Denmark, I put on a higher plane than Simpson, who too often spooned the ball out of play. Meiklejohn took few risks, and George Brown appeared lackadaisical most of the time. I am to give a word of congratulation to Thirds forwards, even though they didnt score. With a little more understanding, Hasson and Howe would have puzzled Meiklejohn and Gray. McKenzie, I thought unfortunate. A dashing lad, robbed by the towering Simpson when the ball was in the air, but very useful when a ground slip arrived in his vicinity
