Rangers 2
Dundee 1
League (Premier Division)

Match Report

Newspaper extract from The Sunday Post.

Anyone still in a turmoil about what to give me for Christmas should think in terms of a thermal vest (48 in. chest). It's a bit hilly-billy these days.

By the same token, anyone thinking about a gift for the 24 players in this match couldn't do better than send them tinsel trimmed sweat-bands.

I suspect, even after the arrival of Mr Claus, those players will still have the sweat pouring out of them. On the centrally heated Ibrox turf they got stuck in from the first toot of George Smith's wee black whistle.

Seldom have I seen so many legs, long and short, going like drumsticks for so long. OK, so a lot of passes didn't go where they were supposed to and some of the shooting would have done Andy Irvine proud, but in this season of peace on earth and goodwill who's worried about that.

Not me. Despite feet which were so cold they wouldn't have looked out of place in a Siberian butcher's window, I enjoyed what was going on.

Let me say here and now the Mackay Marauders are nowhere near as poor a team as I was led to believe. They gave the Greig Grenadiers a very hard time. A late goal put the kybosh on any point collecting thoughts they had, but they stuck the ball around rather niftily and deserved more than they went home with. On the other hand, Rangers were a strange mixture of good, very good, bad and indifferent, but when it comes to plugging away they're hard to whack.

And so to the goals -

Rangers' first came via the penalty spot. Although Dundee faces were tripping them at the decision, it was a penalty all right.

There's no doubt in my mind when Derek Johnstone and.

Bobby Glennie went for a Davie Cooper cross, a metre short of goal, the Dundee centre half put a hand to the ball. The ref gave a corner, the linesman with the red flag gave a penalty and George Smith took his word for it.

Jim Bett sent the ball sweetly into the net.

The equaliser had perfection written all over it-a perfect cross and a perfect header which had Jim Stewart perfecting the art of picking the ball out of the net. Peter Mackie sent in the former, George McGeachie the latter, and a Happy Christmas was on the cards for

Dundee. Sadly for them, the winner was a beauty as well. Made by one sub and put away by the other.

Willie Johnston sent over a high looping cross from the right, Derek Johnstone headed the ball from the back post to the middle of the goal and Colin McAdam nappered it in to the net.

Best Rangers, who really look to have their tails up these days, were Jim Stewart (the busier goalie), Sandy Jardine, Gregor Stevens, John MacDonald and newly-wed veteran Colin Jackson.

Dundee? If they keep this up First Division football will be far from their thoughts.

I was impressed with Cammy Fraser, lain Ferguson, Peter Mackie and Bobby Glennie.

It must be Christmas. There was only one booking Derek Johnstone for something which the ref spotted off the ball.