1920-09-18: Celtic 2-1 Rangers, Glasgow Cup Semi Final

[…] Interest was maintained to the end of game between the Celtic and the Rangers in the Glasgow Cup semi-final at Celtic Park, Glasgow. The Rangers, who had Low for Archibald at outside right, were unlucky to be on the losing side. They were on the attack more often than their opponents, but they made few good scoring attempts. The Celtic’s visits to Robb were always more dangerous, and just before the interval McInally took his chance, and smartly beat Robb. McLean scored another goal in the second half, and just before the finish Morton got the Rangers’ only point. The gate drawings amounted to £2482, representing an attendance of 65, 282.

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The Glasgow Herald – Sep 20, 1920

The Favourites Beaten

As frequently happens, particularly in Cup-tie football, the most important games on Saturday were responsible for the defeat of the favourites. Prior to the semi-final at Celtic Park, Rangers were the only undefeated first class club in the two countries, and accordingly were popular favourites in the big Cup-tie. The Ibrox team however, singularly failed to sustain its reputation and suffered defeat at the instance of its greatest rivals. The margin of difference was only one goal, but as it meant the loss of Rangers’ cherished unbeaten certificate, and destroyed their hopes of securing the Cup, the defeat was a serious blow to the Light Blues. It is difficult to account for Rangers’ unexpectedly weak display following upon the brilliant play they exhibited against Morton the previous week. Doubtless the absence of Archibald, who at the last moment had to be left out, owing to injury, unsettled the team and though Low, who substituted him played at least as well as any of the other forwards he had not the personality of Archibald, whose commanding style and aggressive wing play this season have on occasion acted as an inspiration upon a side one of whose defects is the want of an outstanding leader. For two short periods in the game only did Rangers excel their less fancied opponents. In the first five minutes of the match a veritable freak of luck denied Cairns a perfectly- played for goal, which in all probability would have meant the difference between defeat and victory, and in the last five minutes, after Morton had scored for Rangers, a furious onslaught by the Govan club almost merited the equaliser. On the whole game, however, victory went to the right side. Celtic teams of the past have undoubtedly given more polished displays, but for wholehearted, inspiring play the Celtic eleven of Saturday were outstanding. The disparity between the teams was not marked, else we could not have such an interesting game as the tie proved, yet there is no doubt that on the day the winners did show a measure of superiority. Celtic were stronger at back, in Cringan a half-back they had the finest of the six capable intermediate players, and as a whole the Celtic attack was more tireless and enterprising than that of the Light Blues, while individually there were no Rangers’ forwards comparable with Gallagher and McInally.