Match Report SC SF, Celtic 5 Rangers 0, Saturday March 21st 1925.

[Richybhoy]

CELTIC STRIKE A MUCH BRIGHTER PATCH ON HUMMING HAMPDEN


No National "Blue Riband" For Ibrox Yet
RANGERS ROUTED ON THE CLASSIC SLOPES- M' GRORYS GRAND GOAL
GETS CELTIC GOING
DIXON DALLIES AND M'LEAN "MAKS SICCAR"- IBROX OVER-RUN
By "Waverley"
What a Rangers debacle! Yes debacle describes best the "Old Firm" Scottish Cup Semi-Final, which attracted over 101,000 people to Hampdens classic slopes. Queens Park palatial ground presented a pretty picture.
Rangers were favourites, despite their 4-1 league fall at Easter Road the other Wednesday. It was felt generally that that result was too bad to be true, and- well to say the least of it, the ragged exhibition given by Celtic against St Mirren in the fourth round "rubber" at Ibrox last Monday, did not augur well for a Parkhead success.
But once again from an "Old Firm" battle the laurels have gone to the side that was not popularly "expected"- as I said on Saturday, as often as not, form means nothing when Scotland's greatest rivals meet. It's ever a toss up who wins.
A Glorious Goal
I have written that Celtic were poor stuff on Monday, how different only a handful of days later. Every man-Jack seemed primed up for the occasion - there was a bite about their work; when they got their noses in front they fought like Tigers to keep them there.
And this lead obtained though it was against the run of play- bear in mind Celtic were battling against the breeze at the time- was given them by as finely a taken goal as I have ever seen for many a long day. It really was a splendid bit of work.
We had seen almost half an hour of Rangers attack chiefly on the left, punctuated by an occasional Celtic burst. The Ibrox side were certainly the likelier, but they were not anything like deadly at goal. Alan Morton was sending over pretty balls, but few of them were really dangerous- invariably they came from too long range to give Shevlin much trouble.
I felt myself saying to myself, if the Celts hold out to the interval they'll take an immensity of beating- they may even hold out to the end.
Then a turn-up and, to the Rangers faithful consternation! Adam M'Lean had just shot over when Peter Wilson, I think it was, robbed the Ibrox left of the ball, and Gallagher got possession. Patsys pass was perfect as was Connellys centre; so too, was M'Grorys volley. The little centre forward came rushing on like a young avalanche and without a fraction of a seconds hesitation let it go like- well like anything. The only chance Willie Robb had of saving was that it might hit him, which it didn't.

(I will finish typing up the rest later, there is still a lot more to go. The old style match reports are classic. That way of reporting and writing is long gone)

 

[Richybhoy]

Part Two of the SC SF 1925 Celtic 5 Rangers 0
JUST WHAT WAS WANTED
" We'll see some game now," "Its well it's the Celts that scored," and such remarks were common around me. The feeling was that the goal would rouse Rangers- put them on their mettle. What was to follow never entered the minds of anyone.
Well, the Celts did hold out to the turn; they withstood a terrific early second half onslaught; they romped away on the right and M'Lean gave them another goal. They were on velvet- the Rangers were rattled; they were beaten now- seventeen minutes after the turn.
For the reason that the issue of the tie hinged so much on those early minutes in the second half, let me return to them. Had the "light blues"
equalised then, as they might, my tale might have been very different this morning. ( sounds like Waverley is a hurtin hun)
But hereabout their luck was out, as Celtics was undoubtedly in.
Little wonder Davie Meiklejohn scratched his head as watched that glorious shot of his get the wood instead of the strings prior to Shevlin saving smartly a Cairns "header." ( defo a hurtin hunnite)
After this disappointment- it was a dumper surely-there was a perceptible Ibrox slackening off; on the other hand, the Celts seemed to realise that if we are to win or draw even, we must get from home. Which they did. (What?)
M' Grory romped off, M'Lean shot past and Jamie M'Stay nipped up an Alan Morton run. Then M' Grory presented wee Adam with an opportunity to deliver a smashing shot, and Robb to bring off a splendid save. If it had been all or nearly all Rangers in the earlier part of the first half, the positions were reversed now.
THE CRUCIAL MOMENT
Fine work by M'Farlane was carried on by Thomson. Robb came out for a short centre by Connelly, and the Ibrox keeper cleared another ball by J M' Stay; at the Ru' Glen end, with his right, Tommy Cairns shot past. Then the crucial moment-the winning moment-of the struggle.
Dixon dallied at the left corner flag. "Lil Arthur" practically presented Connelly with a "corner" which the Celt middled beautifully. For the moment the wits of the Ibrox defenders seemed a-wool gathering (what?), but not so those of Adam M'Lean. Wee Adam was on the chance "like a bird," so to speak, and with his top piece, added one more to Willie Robbs pack of troubles.
Twas ever thus. From small and trifling beginnings, big things happen. That pottering about by Dixon surely had much to do with putting Rangers out of the competition and bringing on the wash-out that was to follow. I reason it out this way- one goal down Ibrox had a chance; two goals behind, as things were going it was an orchard to a gooseberry on Celtic. ( the best one yet)

More to follow...