Branscombe
Match Information
Attendance: 22,000
Referee: H Humphrey (Greenock)
Matchday: Saturday
Match Trivia
Frank Branscombe, the old Partick Thistle favourite, made his debut for Rangers at Cathkin under somewhat adverse circumstances. Ten minutes from the kick-off time the Ibrox directors could not muster eleven players. Reid was at Hamilton having been called up by the military, Bennett was suffering from muscle injury, and Gordon had not sufficiently recovered from his severe cold. It was, therefore, decided to play Pursell in place of Gordon, Bowie in Bennett’s place, and Branscombe at centre-forward. It was a severe task for the Vale of Leven man, who had worked all night. The match was a bright, well-contested one; not brilliant, perhaps, but always interesting, and the spoils went to the better team. The strong wind proved of great assistance to the Light Blues, who should have scored in the early minutes, when Cairns drove over instead of under the bar. Brownlie often came to the rescue of his side with brilliant saves. The closest call the Rangers’ goal had was when Lock misjudged the flight of the ball, but no ‘Warrior’ was far enough up to profit by the slip. The rival centre half-backs, Logan and McPake, were each in fine form, and fairly blanketed McLean and Branscombe. One Third director told me it was McPake’s most successful appearance at Cathkin. Branscombe seemed ill at ease in Reid’s place, yet he often contrived to trap well and pass with judgement. One first-time shot from a pass by Paterson only served to bring out the confidence of Brownlie. On play Rangers should have scored, especially when Brownlie dropped a shot from Paterson as Branscombe rushed at him; but the Blantyre man recovered and cleared miraculously. Bowie and Duncan were extremely clever, and Orr had to use all his wits to keep this pair in subjection. Third had many promising runs, without really being dangerous, except when Weir just failed in the six yard line. The second half was productive of many incidents that kept the big crowd fully interested. Jamie Paterson found he could dodge Brown at will and outrun Ferguson, so he kept playing hard on the back and popping across fine centres. Bowie and Duncan had many passages with Harry Anderson, which showed how keen the home players were; vet the hard knocks were given and taken with good feeling. I liked the go-ahead play of Goldie, whom Weir supported finely, the outside man often having Muir in Queer Street. Manderson was not so easily subdued by Crichton and King, to his dash and speed. The only goal of the match came after twenty-four minutes’ play, when Paterson sent across a perfect centre, and Branscombe lobbed past the helpless Brownlie. Expectation ran high when McLean took a free kick. He kicked hard enough, but the ball cannoned off Logan. Lock handled the ball only half a dozen times throughout the match, and had an easy time. Brownlie, on the other hand, was well plied. He saved magnificently, and proved as reliable as ever. What a fine pair Manderson and Orr would make. Both were grand, the young Irishman being desperately keen. Third’s middle line was better than usual, and McPake best of the three and Anderson the trickiest. Logan excelled for the winners, and reduced McLean to a moderate player. The ex-Celt was never allowed a direst shot. Weir and Goldie were the Third forwards that mattered, the left wing being well held. Paterson, who has played his last game for some time, ran round Ferguson all through the second half, and Cairns worked like a nigger. Branscombe will prove all right in Paterson’s place
