W Reid xx, 20, 50, xx
Match Information
Attendance: 22,000
Referee: J.B. Stark (Airdrie)
Matchday: Saturday
Match Trivia
Third Lanark were unfortunate at Ibrox, not in the sense of their being beaten by four goals to nothing, for the wide margin does not by any means convey an inflated idea of the winners’ superiority, but unfortunate in that they were pitted against the Rangers in the mood and in the form that would brook no opposition. As a matter of fact, few defences could have successfully withstood the deadly Ibrox attack, which almost as often as not actually contained seven forwards, so frequently were Gordon and Galt found operating in the van. It is, therefore a tribute to Brownlie’s goalkeeping, and the more or less efficient early back play of Thomson and Orr, that Reid or one or other of his confreres were prevented from scoring until midway through the opening half. On a beautiful field, which the recent rains had rendered just to the their liking, the Rangers’ forwards, admirably supported, at once struck a game that laid bare the weaknesses of the Cathkin wing halves. Fairfoul and Mainds stuck pluckily into their work, but what could their best efforts avail against a line, every unit in which seemed supremely confident in his ability to master any member of the opposing defence, or what chance had Thomson and Orr behind a half-back division which could make very little of the opposing attack? If the success of the Rangers in this, their best game of the year so far, must be attributed to clever combined work on either wing, culminating in accurate passes turned to account by Reid – the approved game nowadays – individualism was none the less an important factor in their triumph. Until near the close, when Gordon obliged with an exhibition of his dribbling powers, this individualism was never allowed to become unduly pronounced, but there was nevertheless sufficient shown to keep the big portion of the 22,000 present, who favoured light blue, on the best of terms with themselves, while it contributed much to the ultimate undoing of the Cathkin team. Bennett and Goodwin excelled in these individualistic touches. Brownlie has probably never put in a more disastrous week than that just finished. From Monday to Saturday he lost eleven goals, yet better keeping than that exhibited at Ibrox can scarcely be imagined. Ere losing the first of Saturday’s quartette he had brought off half a dozen magnificent saves from Reid, Bennett and Hogg. Injured in contact with the burly right-winger, who was running straight in on his goal, Brownlie had barely recovered when Reid, accepting a nice pass form Goodwin, gave him no chance with a shot that struck the underside of the bar ere finding the net. Within a couple of minutes fine work by Alex Smith enabled the centre forward to repeat himself; his third came from one of Hogg’s centres when the second half was four minutes old, and twenty minutes later clever footwork by Bennett enabled him to get the fourth. Such a grip did the Rangers’ forwards and half-backs take of the play from the beginning that there was really no comparison between the teams. Campbell and Richmond, fairly safe, if not brilliant backs, had to bestir themselves on occasion, and Lock had to deal with some half-dozen good balls yet the play of Third Lanark was seldom convincing. Prentice showing much enterprise, was easily their best forward, but with the exception of Carmichael none of the others did anything noteworthy. Ferguson was the superior of a trio of halves, who found more than enough to do in a defensive connection without troubling to support their own forwards. What a contrast the other side presented. Chapman paled before his wing men, not because he did not play a sound if scarcely aggressive enough, centre half-back game, but merely for the reason that he as less brilliant than the other pair, who generally contrived, despite their penchant for acting as additional forwards, to be in their places when required. Gordon had one or two shots at Brownlie’s goal, while late in the second half Galt was seen charging the custodian almost against one of his own uprights. Reid’s four goals were all smartly taken, yet he failed with a few other good chances. Hogg seemed none too pleased as he watched a couple of his beautiful crosses being headed over the bat by the centre-forward. Shooting as he does at every opportunity, due allowance must be made for Reid’s misses, but Rangers’ people might have had something to say had the goals been required. Hogg was particularly frisky, as was also Alex Smith in a forward line whose master was undoubtedly Bennett
