Aberdeen 2 - 1 St. Johnstone

Aberdeen won a hardly contested match with St Johnstone at Aberdeen. While the Aberdeen team had the greater share of the play throughout, they were kept from scoring more than twice by the splendid defence put up by Dempster, the Perth goalkeeper, Walker, the centre-half, and Penman and Boyle the backs. Ellis proved most prominent among St Johnstone's speedy forwards, who, however, were given few opportunities of getting well away. On several occasions when hard pressed, Aberdeen players sent the ball back to Blackwell to give relief. Walker was St Johnstone?s scorer from a penalty kick. A. Jackson and Rankine got Aberdeen's goals in the first half. Aberdeen's outstanding players were A. Jackson and Paton on the right wing. There were also numerous attempts from Smith on the left wing to pierce the defence. The attendance was about 11,000.

Source: The Scotsman, 3rd November 1924

In a fast and interesting struggle at Aberdeen defeated Johnstone by 2 goals to 1. The winners merited their success, but they did not have much in hand. At the interval they had a lead of 2-0, and appeared to have the issue well in their keeping, but St Johnstone made a plucky recovery, and more than once came near to equalising. Aberdeen were the better-balanced team and provided the superior football. They held the advantage at back and forward. There was more subtleness in their work than that of the St Johnstone attack, although the visitors had a brilliant individualist in Ellis at outside right. Blackwell in the home goal was very safe, and J. Jackson and Forsyth played soundly and covered up well at back. Hutton, who operated at centre-half, gave tie best display of any Aberdeen player tried in the position this season. He tackled strongly and twice his covering up work saved his side. Although occasionally kicking too strongly, he did not neglect the constructive side of half-back play. Rankin was the most successful forward, and opened out the play cleverly. The best combination in the game was that between A. Jackson and Paton on the Aberdeen right, backed up by Edward. For the visitors Dempster in goal effected many fine saves, and but for his good work St Johnstone must have sustained a heavier defeat. Penman and McBoyle were overworked at back, but defended well. The strong man in the visitors' defence, however, was Walker, who excelled in breaking up and tackling. He not only accomplished his own work, but found time to assist the men on his flanks and to cover his backs. Ellis at outside right was by far the most successful of the St Johnstone forwards, and provided an ever-present threat to the Aberdeen defence. Next to him Howison took the eye with clever opening out play. Twelve thousand spectators watched what was at times an exciting contest.

REFEREE'S DECISIONS CRITICISED.

On several occasions the decisions the referee did not find favour with sections of the crowd. Spectators were irritated by many stoppages as the result of the respective defences, especially St Johnstone's, adopting offside tactics. Early in the game Rankin appeared to be fouled in the penalty area, but the referee made no award. At the time Aberdeen scored their first goal, the St Johnstone players contended that W. Jackson was offside, but the referee decided in favour of Aberdeen. In the second half, he awarded St Johnstone a penalty for Ellis being fouled in similar fashion to Rankin earlier, and near the finish the official disallowed what appeared to be a legitimate goal by W. Jackson, the referee holding that the scorer had pushed a defender aside with his hands, and instead of being credited with a goal Aberdeen had a free kick awarded against them. In the later stages, too, there was an element of roughness in the game, and it was a succession of unsatisfactory happenings which accounted for the hostile demonstration against the presiding official at the close.

ABERDEEN SCORE TWICE.

The first threat of danger came from the Aberdeen right, Walker heading away a centre by A. Jackson. The Aberdeen forwards maintained the pressure, however, and Dempster managed to knock down a hot shot by the home right winger, A free kick gave Johnstone relief, but Aberdeen returned, and Hutton shot wide off a stationary ball. The visiting forwards lashed the ball from wing to wing, and the policy paid them, they had the home backs in difficulties. Harassed by Smith, Penman nearly beat his goalkeeper with a pass back. Following this, a shot by W. Jackson was blocked, and Rankin, who met the rebound, was about to shoot when he was tripped in the penalty area, but the referee ignored the home team's appeal for a spot kick. Aberdeen continued to press home the attack, a shot by A. Jackson was rather luckily deflected into Dempster's hands by Walker. A high ball from Thomson was negotiated by Blackwell, and at the visitors' end, Dempster held a hard drive from Smith. Later the same forward was off the mark with a shot, but his direction was better next time, when Dempster deflected the ball to the right and was fortunate to follow up and clear before A. Jackson could reach it. At the other end, Hutton pulled up Glancy when that player got behind the home backs, and again came to the rescue of Aberdeen when Forsyth having lost possession, Fleming was left with only Blackwell in front. He delayed to shoot, however, and before he got a second chance Hutton had the ball away. Aberdeen resumed the attacking thread, and Rankin and Paton had both swept the ball over before A. Jackson forced a corner. Off this a headed effort by Edward appeared bound for the net, when Dempster brought off a remarkable onehanded save at the expense of another flag kick. Subsequently, Ellis had the Aberdeen goal in danger, and Blackwell had to go fall length at the foot of the post to save the winger's shot. After half an hour Aberdeen took the lead. W. Jackson followed up a return, and harassed, Penman sought to stall off the Aberdeen centre-forward, while Dempster picked up and cleared. Jackson, however, thwarted this plan by getting his foot round the back and turning the hall along the ground in front of the Perth goal. Pender and Walker hesitated to clear, and A. Jackson, getting possession, dribbled past Pender and Walker to shoot hard and straight. Even then Dempster stopped the shot but failed to hold the ball, and it bounced over the goal line. The St Johnstone players protested that W. Jackson was offside when A. Jackson shot, but the referee over-ruled the plea. Aberdeen played with renewed confidence after this, and Paton missed narrowly with a fast shot, following a well-placed flag kick by A. Jackson. Further success was not long delayed. Rankin and W. Jackson worked the ball down the centre, and off Jackson's finely-judged pass, Rankin gave Dempster no chance from close range. Towards the interval, St Johnstone were hemmed in, and their goal ran several narrow escapes, notably when A. Jackson, after dribbling into the centre, failed get his foot property behind the ball for his shot from close range. Aberdeen were easily worth their lead of two goals at half-time.

PENALTY AND DISALLOWED GOALS.

The defences held sway in the opening stages of the second half, but ultimately Smith got away, and Dempster had to save off W. Jackson's head. The Aberdeen right wing indulged in some pretty, although ineffective, combination, but the visitors' defenders, although often beaten individually, covered up well. A run by Ellis resulted in Fleming getting a hard drive, which Blackwell saved finely, but after fifteen minutes Ellis was fouled in the penalty area by MacLachlan, and from the subsequent spot kick Walker beat Blackwell. Fleming, for the visitors, ought to have equalised immediately. Ellis cut in and placed the ball at his toes about two yards from the goal, but the centre-forward lifted high over the bar. After this escape Aberdeen again got going, but they repeatedly fell into the offside trap set by the Perth backs. A run and centre by Ellis resulted in Blackwell effecting a clever save from Fleming's head, and in a scrimmage that followed only found relief when a St Johnstone forward was penalised for fouling him. A. Jackson finished a fine run to the other end with a hard drive, off which the ball bounded over the bar from Dempster's shoulder. Following the flag kick, W. Jackson had the ball in the net, but the referee disallowed the goal and substituted a free kick against Aberdeen on the grounds that the scorer had previously committed an infringement. In the closing stages the play favoured Aberdeen, and Dempster effected a brilliant save off a fierce shot by W. Jackson.

Source: Press & Journal, 3rd November 1924