T Cairns
Manderson
Duncan
Match Information
Attendance: 15,000
Referee: G.W. Hamilton (Motherwell)
Matchday: Saturday
Match Trivia
Worse conditions than those at Paisley could scarcely be imagined. Underneath a middy surface, dotted with pools of water, there still remained the – frost bound ground, and it was with the greatest difficulty that the players could find a footing at all. Mistakes of omissions and commission were frequent. A cold sleet fell incessantly almost, and the fresh clothing donned at the interval was soon sodden. Yet the game was not without its thrills, and none was greater than when Willie O’Hagan brought off an almost wonderful save in the first half. Gordon was through, and the lanky Irishman came out to meet the Rangers’ centre-forward. He fell as ‘James E’ approached, and the latter shot. Lying at full stretch, and in what we all thought was a hopeless position, O’Hagan stretched out his hand and touched the ball. Even then it bounded goalwards, but turning round Willie sprang like a cat to clutch the ball ere it passed over the line. A draw was a good result, even if St Mirren may think they were unlucky to lose a point just on the post. The home team had a couple of goal in the first half, which lead was reduced by Cairns shortly after the resumption. Then when it looked as if the ‘Paisleyites’ would hold out, Manderson, with a long drive, clapped on the equaliser. It was a thrilling finish to a grand game. From the kick-off, Rangers set up an attack which culminated in Cunningham going through. Andrew crossed to Lawson, who was bit a couple of yards from goal, and seemed to have O’Hagan at his mercy. One could never tell, however, how things would go, and the outside left failed to gather the ball to score. A minute or two afterwards Cunningham was at fault. A lovely pass from Gordon gave him a clear road through, but his shot, however, went wide, an offence which he repeated. The Rangers’ folks were in the dumps now. They felt that the points ought to have been in their pocket by that time. While attacking in the early stages, Rangers forced a couple of ‘corners,’ but they didn’t come so near to scoring as Duncan did from St Mirren’s first, taken by McBean. After twenty-five minutes the local crowd got something to cheer them. Sutherland got the ball inside the penalty area, manoeuvred for position, and with a left-foot drive completely beat Hempsey the ball forcing its way under the net. The referee, well up, had no hesitation in granting the good goal. Before the interval a shot by Duncan struck Blair, and completely deceived Hempsey, so that at the interval the Saints had a two-goal lead. When Cairns reduced the leeway five minutes after the resumption the Rangers’ followers saw visions of success. It was such a day, too that once a team got the road to the net they might have been difficult to stop. But the Saints’ defenders stuck nobly to their work through a long period of Rangers’ pressure, and occasionally got to the other end to give Hempsey some worry. Rangers dominated the play this half, however, and if Manderson’s equalising goal, taken from well out, was a bit lucky, it was such an effort that would meet with success in such conditions. And the success was deserved. All did well in the circumstances, and some better than others. That save of O’Hagan’s to which I have referred was the real tit-bit of the goalkeeping. All backs were good, with Marshall best; and of the half-backs none equalled Dixon. McKenna did well against his old clubmates. I likes no forward better than Gordon, who can fit into any position. He was well supported by Cairns and Cunningham. Neither wing man was a conspicuous success, although bot got over an occasional good ball. Of the Paisley, quintette I consider Sutherland was the star. Charlie kept wonderful control, and parted with the ball to advantage. Clark and Duncan also showed much energy and skill, and the wing men, like those on the other side, were only occasionally successful in getting the ball over
