Match ended 0-0
Match Information
Attendance: 12,000
Referee: A McMahon (Motherwell)
Matchday: Saturday
Match Trivia
Rangers did well to come away from Paisely with a point. It seems strange to write that about the League leaders, yet it is so. They weren’t one whit better then St Mirren. Indeed, if anything, the Love Street crowd had a lot more of the play than Rangers, because they played the game to suit the conditions. The Love Street management are to be congratulated on the way in which they had nursed the playing pitch. There wasn’t an ich of snow on it, but it was hard, and the footing very bad. Considering this the football was really good and as I say, St Mirren adapted themselves better to it. They were content to sling the ball about, and they did it to such purpose that Rangers were never really allowed to settle. The champions certainly had the pull at half-back, but the resolute first-time tackling and kicking of Finlay and Hamilton completely smashed up all efforts of the forwards to get into a combined stride. Very early in the game st Mirren showed what their methods were to be. There was no holding the ball and when McIntosh got a nice slip from Wood, he lashed out at it first time, the shot just going narrowly past. The we saw some clever triangular play between Muirhead, Craig and Lawson, but Findlay cleverly played the winger offside. When the Saints swept down to the other end, Wood was dashing ahead to shoot. Whitelaw closed in on him and shot instead a soft one, which Robb easily held. First corner to Saints was an indication of how the game was going. Evans didn’t place it too well, but Dixon’s header wasn’t an effective Clearance for Whitelaw with a low shot, fairly shook the rigging low down, but outside. Indeed, it was such a close thing that the crowd shouted ‘goal’ and many were surprised to see a goal kick taken. Rangers came away strong on the left, and Bradford’s fingers must have tingled with the teaser he got from Lawson, but Jock cleared confidently. But the sweeping movements of St Mirren were paying them, and Thomson tried his luck with a first-timer from well out. The shot just cleared the bar and no more. When Wood tipped a ball backway to Whitelaw, the inside-right might have dome better than simply send it rolling along the ground to Robb’s ready hands. When Rangers came again, Archibald was the man who made the ground and in spite of a hefty shoulder charge by Hamilton, the winger got in his cross, which stopped on the outside of the net. Manderson and Thomson weren’t too chummy in the way they were treating each other, and the referee put in a word here. The best shot of the match so far was from Cunningham. Shouting to Henderson to “let it come’, Andy booted it with his left and Brandford saved with difficulty, but ultimately cleared. Dixon got his head to a free-kick taken by Findlay on the line near midfield, and Wood headed so well into goal that Robb was obliged to tip over for a fruitless corner. Rangers’ first corner came at the end of 40 minutes’ play, Sandy Archibald plating strongly to manoeuvre it, but Barclay headed clear, and the teams sucked their lemons and restarted with a clean sheet. Still, St Mirren continued to be chief aggressors, but this half the defence’s fault was in over kicking their forwards. This applies to half-backs as well as backs. Indeed, one of Barclay’s first-timers almost found a billet. After McIntosh had headed over Rangers began to show something of what they can do. The right wing was going great guns, but all their wiles could make but little impression on the forceful Findlay and Hamilton. Summers, too, was grand in defence when needed. True, Henderson once appeared as it he would go ahead and count, but Bradford ran out and robbed the centre of the ball and beat Craig before kicking clear outside the penalty line. But St Mirren retaliated with a fine cross by Evans, which Dixon got to just in time to prevent the well-set Wood from getting his head to it. When Muirhead gave away a corner St Mirren refused to be shaken off, and relief came only when Thomson’s first time went narrowly past. Muirhead got in a sharp low shot which Bradford stopped confidently. Saints nearly counted when Evans headed into the goalmouth. Dixon passed back to Robb who fielded in the nick of time. Towards the close Rangers’ right were playing with great power. There were moments when I thought Saints’ defence was to crack, but Hamilton added real clever football to his dash and held Archibald as often as Sandy got the better of the back. About two minutes from time Barclay sent in the best shot of the match, Robb rose to it at the corner of the woodwork and succeeded in tipping over. On such a ground it would be unfair to be severe in criticism of the players. As a matter of fact, there is no need for severity. The twenty-two men surprised me with their cleverness on such footing. Bradford was as safe as houses round about Love Street ground. Both backs were resolute in all they did, and their first-time methods came off every time almost. Hamilton was the better of the two because of his success in his bout with Archibald towards the close. In the Saints’ middle line, I liked best Summers. Barclay was a good second, and against the best wing afield, McDonald performed quite creditably. Forwards, Thomson was most dangerous although McIntosh did many clever things. Wood didn’t burn up any of the snow round about the pitch with his display but has certainly showed signs of good knowledge of the centre forward game. Evans came away strongly towards the close, but his partner, Whitelaw was often uncertain what to do next. Robb kept a good goal, and there wasn’t a hair’s breadth of difference between Manderson and McCandless, although their methods were different. Dixon was strong in defence, but Muirhead was the constructor of the line. Tommy was the bast half-back afield – with Meiklejohn a good second. Cunningham was the best forward because of his opening of the play better than his colleagues. Archibald responded splendidly, especially in the later stages of the game. Henderson had played better, but it wasn’t a day for centre-forwards. Craig was clever, but lacked the dash of Cairns, and Lawson, who opened well, was not so good after he got a nasty knock.
