 Media report |
| 14-Dec-1931, Evening Telegraph |
DUNDEE'S return to form has come none too soon. If it hadn't come on Saturday, the Rangers engagement, looked upon as one of the best things of the season, would have been a frost from the financial point of view. That the supporters have been sickened by the miserable away displays of the past three weeks was evidenced by the poor "gate" for the Particle match. There seemed to be fewer than five thousand people in the ground—and Partick have always been regarded as an attractive proposition. The game, however, proved a real tonic, and, given good weather, one can bet on seeing at least 15,000 at Dens next Saturday. But let's not get too cocky – Dundee will have to improve a bit yet before they can hope to send the Rangers home pointless. The team's display against Thistle was heartening, but by no means-perfect. The defence, frankly, is not yet up to the standard set last season. The half-back line, barring McNab, is weak in the constructive sense. And the right wing problem remains to be solved. On the whole, however, there wasn't much to cavil at.
The Dens men showed spirit, and that, after all, is the main thing. The early goal, of course, had a lot to do with it. To score within 30 seconds of the kick-oft has an exhilarating effect on the scorers, and a correspondingly depressing effect on the side scored against. That equaliser of McGourty’s by the way, was a queer goal. It's safe to say there was only one person more surprised than Wilson Marsh when the ball went over the line—and that was McGourty. The young inside-right haul tried a lob into the goalmouth from about 30 yards. Marsh advanced confidently a couple of yards to catch the ball. He did so alright, but it dropped between his hands and had crossed the line before he could recover himself. It's easy to understand how it happened. The ball was greasy with mud, and Marsh's gloves—from the stand, at any rate, it looked as if he was wearing them—were probably greasy too. The spirit in which the crowd accepted Marsh's lapse was really great. It made one proud of the Dundee supporters. The circumstances might have excused a howl of execration, but there wasn't a boo nil round the ground. People just said quietly, "Hard lines, Bill." It went to show how popular Marsh has made himself in Dundee. Of all the players at Dens, he is the one to whom the club owes most, and the supporters recognise that. He justified their goodwill within two minutes of his slip by saving a couple of shots that would have beaten almost any other goalkeeper. Yes. Marsh is a good ‘un and he is estimated as such by a lot of people outside Dundee. In Glasgow, he in one of the biggest football attractions going. And Alec James, the wizard of Highbury, told a Dundonian not very long ago, "You’ve got the best goalkeeper in Britain in Dundee." But "Bill" isn't the kind to get swelled headed about it – that’s why we all admire him so much.
“Jock” Gilmour was in refreshing form. He is in his proper position at left-back, and the best will not be got out of him by playing him anywhere else. His kicking was particularly fine, the timing perfect, and the ball never flying to high. Talking of perfect kicks, you’ve never seen a better one than that 40 yard lob by Colin McNab. Amd Balfour took full advantage of it, gliding the ball into the net just at its moment of impact with the ground. It was a classic goal. That goal completed Balfour’s hat-trick, and surely proved conclusively that he is the best centre forward on Dundee’s books. His positioning and distributive play were excellent, and indeed his only fault was that he was too easily knocked off the ball. He had a pretty rough passage. So had Tommy McCarthy, whom we were glad to see playing as “stuffy” a game at centre half as of yore. Andy Campbell, another of the old brigade, was just about the cleverest forward afield. He “presented” Balfour with two of the goals. Thistle were rather a disappointment, just as they were earlier at Tannadice. They are not the team of a couple of seasons ago. Alec Lambie is still sorely missed. Boardman is a fine player, but hardly an adequate centre-half. The forwards were cleyer—even brilliant at times—but oh! their finishing! Johnny Ballantyne must have kicked himself about half a dozen times for missing snips—likewise Simpson. Only the wingers, Pope and Torbet, seemed to have any idea where the goal lay. To conclude, a good many people thought the score should have been 4-1 Dundee. The extra “goal” came near the end. There was a raid on Jackson, and a good shot from Smith struck the post. Alec Troup, lying handy about threes yards out, caught the rebound first time and slammed the ball home. He was given offside — a rather peculiar decision where a rebound off the woodwork is concerned.
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