Aberdeen 0 - 1 Hibernian

Hibernians secured victory over Aberdeen at Pittodrie by the only goal of the match in a stubbornly contested game. The greatest wonder to the 15,000 spectators was that there was not more scoring. There were periods when the match seemed to be one of lost opportunities on either side, due to ineffective parting shots, the elevation of those of the visitors being generally too high, several times skimming the top of the crossbar, and once striking it and rebounding into play. The last-mentioned was a shot by Dunn, inside right. He was more fortunate with his effort at close quarters when the ball fell at his feet when fisted out by Anderson in the second half. As a whole, the Hibernians were the more methodical team, who found themselves up against a powerful defence, which had on several occasions, however, to concede corners to save the situation. Aberdeen forwards did a good deal of attacking, but there was an evident lack of finishing to their efforts, and several times they were robbed of their chances by attempts at dribbling and trying to get into position instead of passing or direct swift shooting. The Hibernians wrought hard for their victory, but they thoroughly deserved it.

Source: The Scotsman, 11th October 1920

Aberdeen gave a disappointing display on Saturday, when Hibernian beat them at Pittodrie by the only goal of the match. In so far as actual attacking play went, Aberdeen were trifle unfortunate to surrender both points, and yet they were beaten by a team which was superior in all departments. With the home side, combination, accurate passing, shooting, and placing, not to mention general method, were at a discount, and if there was considerable room for improvement in the play of Hibernian, theirs was a victory which few of the home crowd would grudge. There were 14,000 spectators, and it reflected their disappointment at the football served up, that fully half of these had left the ground some time before the final whistle went. Vigorousness and strenuousness were practically the only redeeming features of the game. It was fast enough, but the few interesting passages did not compensate for many glaring inaccuracies and actual misses which marked the game. There were many goals that ought to have been scored by both teams and yet it was in the order of things that the point which decided the match should not have been. After Dunn, the Hibs' inside right, had hit the home crossbar, and after Anderson, the home goalkeeper, had run out to block the visitors' centre forward for Miller to drive high over a goal into the tenancy of which Forsyth had leapt, the all-important goal came along. Twenty minutes from the end Hannigan, on the visitors' right, switched over a high ball, which the Aberdeen goalkeeper put to the foot of Dunn, and that player was left with an easy task to put it through. Earlier in the game Harper, the Hibs' goalkeeper, had saved from all the Aberdeen forwards and from Wright and Milne, and both goals had escaped downfall as the result of misses by the forwards. The loss of the goal quickened the Aberdeen efforts, but while they pressed for the most part, the returns of the defenders were generally beyond the reach of their forwards, and the half-backs indulged in ballooning tactics. Harper had ample scope to display his powers in the visitors' goal, and yet he have been beaten on several occasions. He had one very clever full-length save from Rankine, and in the last minute of the game, after Wright had worked into position and crossed admirably, he had a brilliant clearance from Fisher's head.

Good and Bad.

The Aberdeen defence never inspired confidence. Anderson did everything right except his palming down of the cross that led to the goal. Hutton and Forsyth misunderstood each other at back, the first-named being very unreliable and kicking wildly. The half-backs, of which Wright was the best, never got a grip of the game, and neglected their forwards. A front rank which in previous games had done well proved ill-assorted and never worked well together, Yule being the only one to play to form. Middleton on the other wing suffering in large measure from lack of opportunity. On the Hibernian side Harper proved a particularly smart goalkeeper, and was well supported his basks, of whom Templeton was the better. The half-backs were the strongest part of the team, and worked well with their forwards, Kerr giving a specially good account of himself. The forwards, if an improvement on the home attack at close quarters, were nippier in their work, and carried out some pretty movements. Hannigan at outside right was always prominent with clever runs and centres, and he had an able partner in Durin, the ex-St Anthony's junior, who was the real generator of power in the attack. Williams got many chances at outside left, and did not always make the most of them. All over, the winners were better balanced than the losers.

Source: Aberdeen Daily Journal, 11th October 1920