The Benburb Match Secretary recently came across an account of the above cup final. This cup, the precursor to the Scottish League Cup was won by Aberdeen with a 3-2 victory over Rangers at Hampden Park in front of 121000. With an array of former Junior talent on show, the eyecatching statistic was that Benburb supplied four of the players including two goalkeepers! A Junior statistic that I doubt will ever be seen again!
RANGERS
John Shaw (Benburb), David Gray (Lochee Harp), Jock Shaw (Benburb), Charlie Watkins (St Anthonys), George Young (Rob Roy), Scot Symon (Dundee Violet), Willie Waddell (Forth), Willie Thornton (Winchburgh Amat), Billy Arnison (South Africa), Jimmy Duncanson (Dunoon Milton Rovers), Jimmy Caskie (Ashfield).
ABERDEEN
George Johnstone (Benburb), William Cooper (Muggiemoss), Pat McKenna (Blantyre Celtic), Andrew Cowie (Dundee), Frank Dunlop (Benburb), George Taylor (Hall Russells), Alex Kiddie (Celtic), George Hamilton (Queen of the South), Alf Williams (South Africa), Archie Baird (Strathclyde), William McCall (Hamilton Acad.)
The Glasgow Herald of Monday May 13, 1946 carried the following match report.
'Mastering the vagaries of a light ball on the hard ground, the Aberdeen half-backs, Cowie, Dunlop and Taylor, were the rock on which Rangers foundered in as thrilling and dramatic a Cup Final as has ever been played on Hampden Park.
It was thrilling in that Aberdeen scored two goals in the first and tenth minute of the first half, and Rangers in a courageous and fighting rally scored as many in the first fourteen minutes of the second half; it was dramatic in that Taylor, almost with the last kick of the game, shot the winning goal when the 120000 spectators were convinced that extra time would be needed to settle this rousing duel.
However fortuitous Taylor's goal- the ball almost miraculously, it seemed, pierced Rangers' packed goalmouth- justice was served in the end; the honours were with Aberdeen. It was the work both in defence and attack of the Aberdeen half-backs that won the day for the Northern side, and for once Rangers had to play second fiddle in a department of the game in which they are usually supreme.
Watkins and the veteran Symon failed signally to take the ball through in a way that Cowie and Taylor did while Young was thrown out of his stride by the terrier like tactics of little Williams; Aberdeen's South African centre which was in striking contrast with the calm and confident fashion in which Dunlop controlled Arnison.
While Dunlop was perhaps the personality of the match, the crowd was completely captivated by Cowie's prodigious throwing of the ball from the touchline right into the heart of the Rangers defence. With a little run, Cowie skied the ball vast distances, high or low, and once or twice Shaw in the Rangers goal had to step lively.
Indeed the first of these spectacular throws in the first minute paved the way for Baird to head home the opening goal...
... It was strange to see Shaw, the Scotland Captain, so upset. He found young Kiddie, slyly backed by Hamilton, often more than he could manage. No doubt Shaw shared in Rangers' general consternation when that first minute goal was scored while his confidence suffered another rude blow when a little later a faulty attempt to clear on his part allowed Kiddie to go through and lay on the ball for Williams to score with as fine a hooked shot as has been seen for many a day.
... Perhaps the most spectacular goal of the match was scored by Thornton. Arnison, lying well back, made the pass. Thornton was on it like a shot and before the Aberdeen defence knew where they were he had run almost 30 yards before firing a terrific ball into the corner of the net.
... Cooper, Aberdeen's veteran right-back had the Caskie Duncanson wing subdued, although had Charlie been able to shoot first time instead of trying to bring the ball under control he might have had at least one goal to his credit.
Duncanson headed Rangers' second goal. There were several 'near things' to keep the crowd shouting. Thornton, Kiddie and Cowie all had shots saved by the woodwork.'
0 comments:
Post a Comment