| Match Pictures | Matches: 1938 – 1939 | 1939 Pictures |
Trivia
- In this Scottish Cup tie between Hearts and Celtic, the visitors go two up in 4 minutes thanks to goals from Jimmy Delaney and Malky MacDonald, but Hearts fight back through Welshman Fred Warren, who scores in the first half, and then lays one on for Archie Garrett with two minutes remaining.
- The six Scottish Cup games pulled in 170,000 fans and gate drawings of £7,000. Ibrox had top numbers where 63,000 saw Clyde dump Rangers out and 7,000 watched Buckie Thistle play Third Lanark, a game which grossed £350.
- In England 58,000 watched Arsenal beat Chelsea 1-0 with the only goal being scored by Gordon Bremner, brother of Hutton Bremner the Motherwell player.
- It is reported from Paris that the Spanish Republican Government is prepared to make peace with the insurgents on the basis of no reprisals.
Review
Teams
HEART OF MIDLOTHIAN:
Waugh, Anderson, McClure, Robson, Dykes, Tom Brown, Briscoe, Walker, Garrett, Black, Warren.
Scorers:
Warren, Garrett.
CELTIC:
Kennaway, Hogg, Morrison, Lynch, Lyon, Paterson, Delaney, MacDonald, Crum, Divers, Murphy.
Scorers:
Delaney, McDonald.
Referee: P. Craigmyle (Aberdeen)
Attendance: 49,572
Articles
- Match Report (see end of page below)
Pictures
Links
Articles
The Scotsman – Monday, 20th February 1939, page 5
THRILLING FINISH AT TYNECASTLE
CELTIC'S BRILLIANT START FAILS TO DISHEARTEN RELENTLESS HOME ATTACK
The Hearts-Celtic match was certainty worthy of the occasion, although the football was poor for long spells on end. Hectic opening minutes and a stirring climax made the encounter one that will be long remembered.
Before a wildly cheering crowd, Celtic got in the first blows. On their toes at the start, the visitors had the whole Hearts team knocked out of position in the first five minutes. Robson made a panicky clearance at the expense of a corner kick and Delaney headed the first goal in two minutes. Two minutes more and McDonald fastened on to another bad clearance, was allowed to move forward unchallenged, and scored with a great shot.
To all intents and purposes the match seemed ended. It is many years since Celtic were pegged back two goals in a Cup-tie. Hearts, however, recovered quickly and well, and commenced their long fight against odds. There was one thing that may have heartened them in their efforts. Celtic were two goals up in four minutes, but they did not show any confidence, for desperate defenders conceded five free kicks in as many minutes following. That was a bad sign for Celtic surely. Indeed, they conceded thirteen free kicks to four in the first half and six to five in the second half. One free kick brought Hearts their opening goal, and there might have been other goals to follow from similar concessions.
SPECTACULAR SCORE
But to return to the goals. Delaney's was the most spectacular. Murphy lobbed his corner kick right into the goalmouth. Delaney, who had stood far out on the other wing, dashed in at full speed, making a run of about twenty yards to rise much higher than any of the defenders, and head the ball down and into the net.
McDonald's goal was also a masterpiece of the moment. Uncovered though he was, there was little of the goal that he could have seen, but he volleyed hard and true to the top corner of the net. Waugh was probably unsighted by the lined-up defenders, but it is doubtful if he would have had any chance to save.
Then followed the spate of free kicks, and in half an hour the Celtic defenders got into a tangle. Sheer weight of numbers carried Hearts and the ball into the goal area and Warren’s alertness brought a score that put a new complexion on the game. The Welshman may not have the same dash as when he first arrived at Tynecastle, but he has positional cleverness and in many ways was the saviour of Hearts. Warren realised that Lyon, on the ground, would attempt to turn the ball back to his goalkeeper, so he entered the fray from the goalward side, hooked the ball clear from, the ruck with one foot and banged it into the net with the other.
It was also Warren who "made" the equaliser. He sensed that it was the right moment, spurted after a clearance pass, and got the ball under control before lobbing with perfect strength over the Celtic pivot, and just out of reach of Kennaway. The goalkeeper came tumbling out, but Garrett had learned a lesson from a failure ten minutes earlier, and he scooped the ball over the onrushing goalkeeper and into the net.
HATS IN THE AIR
Many more than the fifty thousand people crowded into Tynecastle Park knew about that equalising goal. Hats were in the air. The crowd went wild with excitement, and were still roaring long after the final whistle had gone. Discomforts were forgotten. The match of a lifetime had not been missed. After that demonstration one almost fears what would happen if the ever-popular Hearts again won the Cup.
Garrett of course, was the hero of the moment. At the same time he was the most consistently successful player in the game. His tremendously hard and clean tilts with Lyon were features of the game. Lyon, English-born, has been voted the best pivot in Scotland by the Scottish League selectors, but Garrett had the better of exchanges, gaining possession much more often than is usual for a forward leader, and spreading play to great advantage.
Black was also in fine trim, and was unfortunate with his finishing. Twice he was through in the first half rallies, only to turn the ball inches past the far post. Again, nearer the finish, he headed past Kennaway, and had the mortification to see the ball bounce on the crossbar and settle on top of the net.
Hearts' inside forward strength was always in evidence. Black made it a hard day for his immediate opponents, and Walker, although somewhat subdued, kept Paterson and Divers, two other internationalists, even more subdued. Perhaps too much was expected from Walker, but neither he nor Garrett got a real response from Briscoe, who was still inclined to dally with the ball.
HEARTS' HALF-BACK PULL
In comparison, the Celtic attack was never so good. In the opening stages they had several fine combined movements, but when their half-backs flagged, Divers and McDonald had too often to go back to assist. Crum and Delaney, almost all alone, could make little of their forays. Dykes had a better day against Crum than usual, but the little centre's ball control is such that he was a big danger even when chasing loose clearances.
Hearts had the pull at half-back. Robson recovered after an unusually poor opening, and Brown put in a tremendous amount of good constructive work. Celtic, indeed, were fortunate in having their full backs in form. Lyon was occupied by Garrett, and it was left to Hogg and Morrison, with a lot of first-time kicking, to clear the lines. Morrison looked to be the best back on the field, but there is no doubt that Briscoe's faults made his work easier. McClure, in the same position for Hearts, was really the most reliable of four, and on such a day came out with the enviable record of never having made a mistake in the ninety minutes.
Anderson was rather anxious and was occasionally caught out of position. Nevertheless, the home captain's sallies up the wing must have been inspiring to his side in their grim and relentless fight, back.
Kennaway was the busier and probably the better goalkeeper on the day. He was as daring as ever, and fortune favoured the brave in this case, except that he took several hard knocks, and none worse than when he tumbled out to foil Garrett, whose shot cannoned off the goalkeeper's head for a corner kick.
That was the mistake from which Garrett learned. Next time he knew how to get the ball to the net. Kennaway, by the way, was given a very clear option by the referee to leave the field or get back to his post in the closing stages, when a great deal of time was being lost.
REPLAY PROSPECTS
There should be no change in the teams for Wednesday's replay, unless Celtic decide upon a half-back rearrangement. The issue, of course, is as open as ever. Celtic cannot remember ever losing a replay; on the other hand, they probably cannot remember losing a lead of two goals.
On Saturday's display Hearts were the better lot, and while Celtic can improve greatly—they were certainly not at their best—it is unlikely that they will get another flying start. Hearts, of course, have a new asset, a fighting spirit such as has not been in evidence for nearly two seasons.
Conditions for Saturday's match were splendid. The pitch was just a trifle heavy, and although the air was cold, there was little or no breeze to mar play.
The crowds arrived early, and the stewarding arrangements, carried through by an exceptionally large number of policemen, were entirely successful. Contrary to rumour, there were no counterfeit tickets.
Actually, ticket speculators were badly hit, and one-shilling tickets for the ground were on sale shortly before the kick-off at as low a price as threepence. A day previously the same tickets were fetching as much as three shillings and five shillings. [See Match Pictures]
