Aberdeen 3 - 1 Queens Park

Another Setback for Queen's Park

Queen's Park's hopes of escaping relegation in the Scottish League First Division received another shock at Pittodrie yesterday, when Aberdeen beat the Amateurs by 3 goals to 1. Ten thousand spectators saw a fast and exciting game, which greatly favoured Aberdeen in the first period, but in the second it fluctuated greatly. The only goal in the first half fell to McDermid, who turned into an empty goal when J. Harkness had been drawn out. Before the interval the Queen's Park goalkeeper brilliantly saved a penalty kick taken by McDermid.
In the early part of the second half only the brilliant goalkeeping of J. Harkness kept the Aberdeen from increasing their lead, but after fifteen minutes Jackson deflected a drive by MacLachlan into the net. Subsequently the Amateurs made up leeway when Gillespie scored from a penalty given against Hutton, and for a time the issue was in doubt. Near the end, however, Aberdeen came again, and Smith made the points secure by heading through the third goal from Cheyne's centre.

Source: The Scotsman, 5th January 1926

Aberdeen concluded stiff series of holiday games yesterday, when they defeated Queen's Park by 3 goals to 1, and with five points out of a possible six since the New Year came in, the Aberdeen players have accomplished quite a performance. As the result the club can now be considered safe from relegation, as on a calculation only seven or, at the most, eight points out a possible 26 are required to ensure its future in the First Division of the league. After the hard games experienced with Morton (away), Dundee (at home), and Hibernian (away), all since Wednesday last, the Aberdeen players showed refreshing vigour in yesterday's game, which, in the light of other results, may be considered to have sealed the fate of Queen's Park, whose task to avoid relegation would now seem hopeless. The pace and keenness of yesterday's game showed that both teams appreciated the importance of the occasion. On the one hand, the Aberdeen players ' were out make their league position secure before the cup-ties come along, and, on the other, Queen's Park were clinging to a last straw in their effort to avoid a return to the Second Division. When pace and keenness are featured, quality usually suffers. So it was yesterday, but 10,000 onlookers heartily enjoyed a tussle in which 22 triers gave their last ounce, and, if their nerve, system, and enthusiasm hid it during the game, is only stating a fact say that fatigue was written all over both teams at the close.
The struggle provided a peculiar conglomeration of thrills, one-sidedness, and fluctuations, with breathless periods of suspense for both; Aberdeen generally holding the upper hand, and finding themselves deserving winners at the finish. The keenness of the contest was reflected in the facts that two incontrovertible penalty kicks were given away - one for each side - and that the referee had to bring his whistle more frequently into use than is customary on the occasion of this particular match. Both sets of players went all out from beginning to end, and, if they did commit petty infringements which left the presiding official no alternative, these were excusable in the heat of the game, and it is only right to say that the "intention" was more apparent than real.

Penalty Kick Saved.

Only one of the four goals was scored in the first half, McDermid hooking the ball into an empty goal after Harkness had been drawn out to meet a shot by Smith which had been blocked before the goalkeeper could reach it. In the period Aberdeen were the better team, and but for the brilliant play if Harkness in goal the Amateurs would have been further in arrears at the interval. The goalkeeper stopped or deflected many capital efforts, including a penalty lock taken by McDermid. When going through, Smith was brought down and from the consequent spot kick McDermid shot with great force, but Harkness knocked the ball down from above his head. There were numerous other occasions upon which Harkness displayed his great abilities. One of these was when Jackson worked behind the backs and shot, but the goalkeeper deflected the ball round the post with a great one-banded save. Although generally attacking, Aberdeen, too, had their anxious moments, and quite the most notable of these was when Gillespie, out on the left, screwed in a swerving ball which Blackwell only caught as it was going through below the cross-bar and deflected behind. On the run at the play, however, Queen's Park were fortunate not be further in arrears at the half-way stage.
Aberdeen threatened long time before they succeeded in Increasing their lead in the second half. For 15 minutes they practically hammered the Amateurs' rear divisions before a second goal came. In these exciting minutes Harkness's goalkeeping was a dominating factor. He stopped many shots either by repelling or by deflecting, but was fortunate in that many more were either blocked by colleagues or went narrowly wide of his charge. It was an over-due goal Aberdeen got when it came. Following a bombardment, MacLachlan smashed in a shot which Harkness was preparing to meet when Jackson intervened and flicked the ball out of his reach. Aberdeen threatened to go further ahead for a time, but a breakaway by Nicholson changed the trend of the game for 20 minutes. The Amateurs' winger was brought down in the penalty area by Hutton, and Gillespie, who took the spot kick, gave Blackwell no chance with a fast shot down the goalkeeper's left-band side. Subsequently the issue was in the balance, both teams coming very near scoring again, and the defences were fully stretched. It was not until four minutes from the close that the destination of the points was made certain. Cheyne crossed accurately, and Smith, lying unmarked, dashed in to head the ball into the net at great speed.

A Penalty Score.

While Queen's Park showed clever forward mores and carried through some pretty bits of combination, they were weak at half-back, and it was really Aberdeen's superiority in this department that decided the issue. In the home goal, Blackwell did well, but had nothing like the amount of work to get through that fell to Harkness, who repeatedly saved his side. Hutton, although playing with a stitched forehead following an injury on Saturday, was one of the dominating personalities of the game. Bruce was often sorely taxed, but did not show as much resource as usual, although playing a strong, forceful game. Wiseman was the better of the Queen's Park backs. Among the half-backs, MacLachlan and Edward were most outstanding, but Russell was very judicious for the Amateur. Individually, the Aberdeen forwards worked well, but did not indulge to any great extent in combination. R. Bruce and McDermid were best, with Smith and Jackson hard workers. Cheyne at outside right scarcely maintained the promise of his Saturday's display failing to lift his centres, but he offers scope for development. Among the Queen's Park forwards, Gillespie and Crawford were best, but the first-named and MacAlpine suffered in that they had to forage too much for the. ball, and they were always well marked by the Aberdeen half-backs and backs.

Source: Press & Journal, 5th January 1926