J Smith 11
Adam 24
Gillick 43
Match Information
Attendance: 10,000
Referee: unknown - to be confirmed
Matchday: Saturday
Match Trivia
Though the frost-bound surface at Muirton Park was lavishly sanded, this did not guarantee a secure footing and mistakes were very excusable. Yet the players contrived to make a rattling good game of it and the result was doubtful to the last minute, Rangers goal running some the impression of being the more resourceful team. They adapted themselves better right from the start and in the first fifteen minutes looked like over-whelming Saints, who had to content themselves in defending. Smith opened the scoring in eleven minutes, but it was Venters, easily the outstanding forward on the field, who made the goal. Dribbling through the middle, he drew Moulds away from Smith and leapt over the centre-halfs tackle to present Smith with a clear avenue for a scoring shot. Rangers pressure became rather wearisome, as the football naturally was not by any means delightful to the eye, and the crowd became apathetic. Then Saints seemed to find a game from nowhere, and before Rangers could recover from their surprise the Perth team had equalised, and it was touch and go for them storming away to the lead. Adam was the scorer with a deliberate and deadly low shot from fifteen yards as a previous effort rebounded off McDonalds legs. This was in twenty-four minutes and Dawson was busy man immediately afterwards, having particularly fine saves from Nicholson, Beattie and Adam. Rangers steadied again but were barely dur the goal which restored their lead four minutes before half-time. Gillick was the scorer, but his task was simple, Venters again leaving it on by more deft footwork and a pass which stripped the defence. There was no scoring in the second half, but the further play proceeded the more evident became Rangers superiority, and Smith and Gillick missed great chances of consolidating their lead. This despite an injury to Simpson, which compelled him to play outside right in the last twenty minutes, Meiklejohn going centre-half, and Fiddes dropping behind. Both teams were much more enterprising on the left than on the right. Venters and Gillick were incomparably the best wing and Nicholson was ever dangerous on the ball against his old colleagues. Smith did not appear thoroughly fit, and Beattie was the more troublesome leader. The big Perth centre spared neither himself not opponents and let fly from all angles. This youngster has a promising future. Saints defence was not nearly so tactically good as Rangers, and Meiklejohn and Brown also gave Rangers a pull at half-back by featuring the long pass, a sound idea under the conditions, keeping Saints from concentrating and causing quick diversion. Only Adam practised this for Saints, McCall making an indifferent debut, due probably to new circumstances and a position strange for years. Both goalkeepers did well and none of the goals were saveable.
