Dr Marshall 68
Red Cards
Denmark sent off 80
Match Information
Attendance: 18,000
Referee: J Thomson (Hamilton)
Matchday: Monday
Match Trivia
A most unsatisfactory game, save from the point of view of attendance. A splendid crowd anticipated a rousing holiday attraction at Cathkin, but they found that the majority of the vivid incidents were alien to the game. Instead of a happy struggle between a club that is leading the League race and one that is dourly fighting to escape relegation, I watched a match in which there was a winning goal that should not have been allowed and an incident which necessitated the ordering off of the best man on the field Denmark, Thirds pivot. I have no excuse for Denmarks action in bring Jimmy Smith to the ground. Nor have I any reason to believe that the referee should have refrained from whistling up Smith previously when the Ibrox centre more than nudged Denmark in the moment before the ball travelled back to Marshall. The doctors fierce drive beat Taylor in the second when two Third defenders had thrown up their hands in protest against Smiths elbowing. Yet Denmark should not have allowed that to rattle him. He had played great football, defensive and prompting, before that. In every movement he pleased, and he was Smiths master in the repeated duels. These are the essential items of the game. But a number of thrilling movements kept the crowd interested and arguing. The principal impressions gathered in the first half, when Thirds had a stiff breeze behind them, were that Meiklejohn, at centre-half, would not be ay all confident at bouncing balls, and that Howe, left-winger of Third Lanark, would do very little to disturb Grays equanimity. The first impression proved to be wrong. Meiklejohn later weighed up every long pass by McMillan and Clarke, and usually had McKenzie taped. The second impression was right. Howe entirely failed to outwit Gray or Tommy Craig. McKenzie and Smith, both closely attended, failed narrowly in the first half. Nicholson was more direct with a drive that brought Taylor to the stooping act for a clearance. Rangers defence secured exit from a tangled Movement by conceding a corner, from which McKenzie had no luck in failing to score after Joe Brown had placed admirably. Dawson, who was far from convincing when harassed, released a ball that travelled out to Clarke. Bruces shot was stopped by McKenzie, then the centres effort was blocked in the goalmouth. The most goal-worthy efforts of the match came from Smith. The centre delivered a terrific ball that hit the top of the cross-bar and sailed over; and his second was a masterpiece of quick heading down and immediate shooting. This time the ball struck the under-angle and came down to the field of play. In between these incidents was sandwiched Marshalls goal, which I have described, twenty-three minutes after the change over. Denmark was ordered off twelve minutes later. Smith apparently received an ankle injury. He went for a minute to the left touch-line and then played out time on the right. In a brief weigh-up of the teams I have to say that Third Lanark, as a team, played wholehearted football. Taylor, I considered a better goalkeeper than the sometimes-dispossessed Dawson. The Rangers man did not enhance his chance of international preferment. Gray had a good day. McDonald had not. Craig, Meiklejohn and Brown were not one whit better than Blair, Denmark and McLellan as a trio. Fleming disappointed me. Marshall put in a power of work. So did Venters. But the doctor achieved success, whereas Venters did not. Nicholson clearly excelled his front line colleagues. Third Lanarks best in front were McKenzie and Clarke. Brown occasionally did some clever things. But even Lachie McMillan and Bruce Clarke spoiled many movements by wheeling round when they should have gone ahead. McKenzie is a leader with whom Third Lanark must persevere.
