The following Saturday, 13 January, would see a difficult trip to Tynecastle end in a 2-1 defeat, despite a Peter McGonagle penalty. McGrory was hurt again, a virtual passenger on the right-wing for an hour, having pulled a muscle, as were McGonagle, Napier and Celtic’s best player on the day, Joe Kennaway. The big Canadian included a penalty save within his goalkeeping masterclass, on a day when three spot kicks were awarded, Bobby Hogg also seeing his twelve-yards effort at the other end punched clear by Hearts stopper, Jack Harkness, the 1928 Wembley Wizard and future Sunday Post reporter.
Celtic would swap a packed Tynecastle for the 2,376 souls who turned out in the small Dumfriesshire town of Dalbeattie seven days later, as the local team took on the powerful Scottish Cup-holders in the first round. Dalbeattie Star were on their way to a fourth successive South of Scotland League title, however, they would be no match for Maley’s Bhoys, who romped to a 6-0 victory, Johnny Crum, in the side for the crocked McGrory, scoring four of those whilst Frank O’Donnell grabbed a double.
Peter Wilson would make a brief reappearance in the team the next week, for the goalless draw with St Johnstone at Parkhead, with Dawson dropping out. However, Wilson was not deemed fit enough for the visit to Ayrshire on the first Saturday in February, for the second round Scottish Cup-tie with Ayr United, Danny regaining his place at right-half. There was a record crowd of almost 24,000 packed inside Somerset Park for this one and they almost witnessed a shock, the Honest Men leading 2-1 with twenty minutes left. But this was the Scottish Cup and this was Celtic, the most renowned fighters of all. With defeat looming, the O’Donnell brothers took matters into their own hands, Frank equalising before young Hugh grabbed the winner, with just five minutes remaining. Earlier on, the reliable Peter McGonagle had scored with another penalty kick, to make it 1-1, following an early Robertson strike.
Frank O’Donnell would be on target again in the next round, a fortnight later, as Celtic eased by Falkirk 3-1 in front of 44,000 at Parkhead, his double supplemented by a goal from the returning McGrory, with Chic Geatons replacing Dawson at right wing-half. Danny would make one final appearance that season, the next Saturday, 24 February 1934, Geatons moving across to replace Willie Hughes at left-half as Celts surrendered an early two-goal lead to Aberdeen, goals from Johnny Crum and Willie Dunn, the game finishing 2-2. Wilson and Geatons would occupy the wing-back positions the following week as the holders crashed out of the Scottish Cup, more than 33,000 inside Love Street to watch St Mirren beat Celtic 2-0, just as they had in the 1926 final at Hampden, eight years earlier. The Paisley match in March 1934 was the infamous day travelling Celtic fans were ambushed at Bridgeton railway station.
