| Match Pictures | Matches: 1933 – 1934 | 1934 Pictures |
Trivia
- Big crowds watched Saturday’s Second Round Scottish Cup ties. Top attendance was at Firhill where 33,000 saw the Partick v Motherwell tie. The visit of Cupholders, Celtic to Ayr was watched by 23,651 who saw Celtic’s Napier go off injured early in the game, but Celtic, thanks to the pluck and skill of McGrory and the O’Donnell brothers, Frank and Hugh's left-wing play, triumphed.
- In England frost and fog made for difficult playing conditions and the Chelsea v Leicester game had to be abandoned after 78 minutes. Derby with a 5-1 win over Stoke now head the Championship table. Newcastle won away at Birmingham with the ex-Blantyre Celtic player Francis McGurk scoring the only goal for the Blues in a 2-1 scoreline.
- Three men were killed and one man was seriously injured in a gas explosion on Saturday at No. 4 pit, Fallin Colliery, Stirling, belonging to Archibald Russell (Ltd.). The victims were, William Quinn. (31), colliery fireman, John Samson (21), and George Forbes, both mine workers. The injured man is Leslie Stewart (36), who lies in Stirling Royal Infirmary. Leslie was the hero of the disaster, haying crawled on hands and knees for fully a mile to warn the other workers what had happened.
Review
Teams
AYR UNITED:
Hepburn, Fleming, Ure, McCall, Currie, Holland, Robertson, Taylor, McGibbon, Brae, Rodger.
Scorers:
Robertson, Taylor.
CELTIC:
Kennaway, Hogg, McGonagle, Dawson, McStay, Hughes, Napier, Thomson, McGrory, F. O’Donnell, , H. O’Donnell.
Scorers:
McGonagle, F. O’Donnell, H. O’Donnell.
Referee: W. Bell (Motherwell).
Attendance: 23,651
Articles
- Match Report (see end of page below)
Pictures
Articles
The Scotsman – Monday, 5th February 1934, page 14
CELTIC'S NARROW WIN
Celtic were lucky winners of a memorable Cup tie at Somerset Park, where Ayr United, in the end, had to admit defeat mainly on account of a penalty kick which raised a storm of protest and by which Celtic earned their first goal.
From start to finish the game was hotly contested, and kept a record crowd in a fever of excitement. Ayr opened well, and in the sixth minute scored, Robertson making full use of a fine piece of foraging work carried out by McGibbon. The United's subsequent play was such as to give their supporters the highest hopes of a great victory.
When Celtic got their opening goal, it was all against the run of play. An Ayr attack was broken up, and H. O'Donnell raced away, pursued by Currie and Fleming. Hepburn left his goal and had succeeded in securing the ball, when the referee's whistle went for a penalty kick against one of his colleagues, who had downed the Celtic forward. McGonagle took the spot kick and scored.
Ayr made a determined effort to retrieve their position, and Celtic had to thank the woodwork for saving a header from Robertson and a shot from McGibbon. The United attained their objective after four minutes of the second half, when Taylor, from thirty yards' range, scored a brilliant and spectacular goal. Ayr continued to press, and there were several exciting sieges before Celtic's winning rally came.
As time advanced, the Celtic halfs forced play all the more, and twenty minutes from the end F. O'Donnell crowned a solo effort with a clever goal. Only five more minutes had elapsed, when H. O'Donnell took advantage of a lapse by Fleming, and ran through to score the winning goal.
Until the end Ayr attacked in a vain effort to save the game. While Celtic were lucky to win, no one could have begrudged them a draw, even although Ayr had the better of the exchanges.
The Celtic practically played ten players for the major part of the game, for early on Napier received an injury which kept him limping for the remainder of the game. In spite of their handicap, Celtic kept pegging away, and in the end their spirit told heavily in their favour.
McGrory, although well held by Currie generally, was full of fight, and his efforts were invaluable in the winning rally. Another hero for Celtic was Dawson, who had stepped into the breach caused by Wilson being unfit. Of the others, Kennaway deserves special mention for his clever saves.
Both defences were good, but Ayr tired somewhat towards the finish. For the United McGibbon was a gallant and clever leader, and Currie the stalwart of a brave defence.
Attendance (a record for Somerset Park), 23,651; gate exclusive of stands and tax, £899, 1s 8d.
