Queens Park 0 - 2 Aberdeen

The Queen's Park had easily the better of matters in the opening period of their League encounter with Aberdeen at Hampden Park, Glasgow. The Aberdeen defence, however, was very safe and gave nothing away. Their forwards were not impressive, but after some twenty minutes' play, and for the first time they really got in touch with Gould, the secured a goal. Gould left his goal to avert a corner, and in doing so sent the ball to Connon, who put it across the goalmouth, where it struck Pirrie and rebounded into the net. This proved disastrous for the amateurs, who got flurried and missed a few fine chances. The play that followed was fairly even, and Aberdeen retained their lead, which was further augmented by Fisher in the second half. The visitors were rather lucky to win, the tactics of their defence being rather robust at times. The Queen's contributed to their defeat by weak finishing. The estimated attendance was 10,000.

Source: The Scotsman, 21st March 1921

In a hard and encounter, in which the heat of the exchanges were reminiscent a cup-tie, Aberdeen defeated Queen's Park at Hampden on Saturday by 2 goals to 0. It was rather a peculiar game, in which winners and losers were alternately superior, and the merits of the teams would have been more accurately reflected had Queen's Park scored, Aberdeen deserved their win, although that will be by no means the unanimous opinion of all who saw the Game. Aberdeen's victory helped to wipe out the memory of a 3?0 defeat sustained upon the same ground last season, and following up a 2-1 victory over Hibernian in their previous away Saturday match, their latest success will go a long way to revive interest in what was giving promise of being an uneventful ending of the season. Hampden Park may be the finest football enclosure in Britain, but that does not describe the playing pitch, which, following upon heavy rain, was in a wretched state, the surface consisting on Saturday of ankle-deep soft clay. Under such conditions it was a day for the mud-larker, and there was some mud-larking too. When it is considered that a Queens Park player obliged Aberdeen with the opening goal and at other times the amateurs struck the woodwork on no fewer than four occasions, the Glasgow people will think their team was unfortunate to lose, but, on the other hand, there could be no denying the cleverness of the Aberdeen play that led to both goals and the numerous other occasions which the Queen's Park charge narrowly escaped further downfall.
Aberdeen went in both for combining and lashing the ball about, while Queen's Park depended practically throughout on individual work, and there can be no denying that in their particular methods both teams, in the face of the wretched underfoot conditions gave a first-rate display. Aberdeen's victory was deserved by reason of the fact that under the circumstances they played the more profitable game. On a dry ground the speedy and nippy amateurs with their unorthodox play might have beaten Aberdeen, for they are a clever team, and so long as Hampden can turn out the class of players who donned the black and white jerseys on Saturday there would seem to be little prospect of their ever dropping into the Second Division when automatic promotion comes along.

A Gift Goal.

The first goal came in rather unusual fashion. Connon worked well down the centre and shot with great force, but the bail was deflected wide of the goal by M. Young. To save a corner, Gould left his charge but he and Young both got the bail at the same time almost on the goal line, and while they hestated Fisher, got his foot on the ball to square accurately, and Pirie, in attempting to clear, put through the untenanted goal. This was twenty minutes from the start, and at the balance of play was rather against Aberdeen holding the lead. They became a transformed side afterwards and for fifteen minutes they maintained a determined attack, Middleton, Connon, Fisher, Thomson, Flanaghan, MacLachlan, and Wright having tries for goal. Towards the interval there came another Queen's Park revival, Scott. Gordon, and Mc Alpine having shots stopped by Anderson, while McAlpine lifted a ball on to the top of the crossbar, and fortunately for Aberdeen MacLachlan got in the way of a shot that looked to be travelling home.

Fisher's Clever Effort.

The opening ten minutes of the second half saw Aberdeen attacking with great vigour the right wing especially getting in some telling work, and two crosses from Middleton were a trifle outwith the reach of his colleagues with the amateurs' defence beaten. On another occasion Fisher wriggled past the backs, but, kicking the ball too far ahead, lost possession. After a time Queen's Park shook off the pressure, and from one of many free kicks that came their way Gillespie hit the cross-bar. Aberdeen were always dangerous when they attacked, and their second goal ?obtained after fifteen minutes' play?was very cleverly taken. Connon, who was the best of the Pittodrie attackers, manoeuvred cleverly in the centre, and, parting to Fisher, who had worked out to the right, that player cleverly tricked Gillespie, to give Gould no chance with a fast, oblique ground shot. Subsequently the play was very strenuous, and the tendency to foul was by means confined to one team. Thomson came near to increasing the Aberdeen lead, but lifted over from short range. Then came a period of prolonged pressure by the amateurs, in which, while they were downright unfortunate in failing to score, they overdid the individual work. MacDonald headed a cross by McAlpine on to the top of the Aberdeen cross-bar, and Anderson brought off a brilliant save from Scott. The amateurs appealed for a penalty, but the referee declined this. Scott, after brilliant play, hit the Aberdeen upright, and the same fate befel a try by McAlpine. At one time there was a typical rugby scrum in the Aberdeen goalmouth, with Anderson, in possession, on the ground, and it was surprising that the referee allowed nearly a minute to elapse before he sounded his whistle. In this melee Anderson was injured, but quickly recovered. After their goal had experienced some narrow escapes, the Aberdeen attack again came into the limelight. Fisher had a great shot, which beat Gould but just missed the mark, and Thomson, after tricking Struthers, also missed narrowly. The Aberdeen revival continued, and in the closing stages Gould brought off a wonderful save from Thomson. Aberdeen's matches with the amateurs have always been vigorous and due largely to the whole-hearted enthusiasm which the amateurs imbue into their play, but on this occasion the vigour on both sides was overdone and not always strictly in accordance with the confining limits laid down by the laws regarding legitimate play. Both sides did much that ought not to have been done, and it was anything but a clean, sporting game.

Source: Aberdeen Daily Journal 21st March 1921