Aberdeen 1 - 0 Motherwell

Aberdeen, playing at home, gained a victory over Motherwell by the only goal scored in a vigorously-contested match, and Reid's hard drive into the net came only about ten minutes before the close. With the strong north-westerly breeze against them in the first half, it was Aberdeen's defenders who shone, as in the second period it was members of Motherwell?s back division who were outstanding. But for strong reliable defenders on both sides more scoring might have happened. Hutton and Ritchie for Aberdeen, and Little and Frame for Motherwell, were the outstanding men on the field. For Motherwell, Ferrier the left-winger, was a most persistent worker in the first half, and he was ably assisted by Tennant, McCafferty and Thackeray. Pirie, in the left half-back position for Aberdeen, was the player who attracted most attention in the first half in trying to score. Smith and Reid were also persistent players who were well held by a resolute defence. About 11,000 saw a well-contested match. Aberdeen deserved their decisive, if somewhat narrow victory.

Source: The Scotsman, 15th March 1926

From the mediocre display put up by both Aberdeen and Motherwell at Saturday one might have been excused for imagining that a mutual agreement had been arrived at previously to divide the League points. As it was Aberdeen got the spoils of conflict, but only by the narrow margin of a solitary goal, and this much through the shortcomings of the visiting attack as through any thrustfulness on their own part. There is no doubt that they will require to give a much more effective display of attacking if they are to send the Parkhead contingent home disappointed from Tynecastle on Saturday first.
While the only weak link in a strong home defence was at right half, where Cosgrove was again too slow and rather easily beaten, there was a lack of understanding between front and rear which does not augur well for further Cup progress, and in the front rank itself there were many errors in tactics, many that went agley, and not a few cases where the taking of the obvious position was more honoured in the breach than the observance. The really bright feature of the game for the homesters was the complete success of Ritchie, the Pittodrie "handy man," at left back, who played so well as to make him a hot favourite for the position against Celtic. The attendance was about 12,000.

MOTHERWELL FORCE PACE.

A strong variable wind from the west proved very disconcerting to Aberdeen in the first half, when they had to face it. Naturally enough, Motherwell forced the pace with such a factor in their favour, and only a resolute defence, in which Hutton, Ritchie, and Pirie stood out prominently, staved off disaster. The home team were the first to press, however, but both Smith and Reid failed at the critical moment. Then Ritchie popped out his foot opportunely to kick clear a dangerous cross from Ferrier, which Tennant was waiting to turn towards Blackwell. Pirie let Smith and McDermid away on several occasions, but Craig and the two backs were keeping too close a watch on Doolan to allow of the latter getting in an effective shot. Ferrier was being well plied with the ball by Stevenson at this stage, but Hutton did not give the winger over much rope, and Jock's hefty and accurate punting was a feature of the game at this stage. Blackwell judged to perfection a neat centre by Ferrier, and just ran out in time to thwart the onrushing Tennant. Doolan neatly eluded Frame from a cross by Reid, but the back made a marvellous recovery and blocked the centre's shot. It was obvious that the visitors had a better understanding between themselves than the Aberdeen players, and the neat touches from half-back to forward and vice versa which marked their play was missing from the homesters' display. Fecklessness in the goalmouth, however, was the besetting sin of both sets of forwards. First Ferrier sent over from close in, then Tenant did the same on two occasions, while at the other end both McDermid and Jackson sinned in similar fashion. Smith almost made amends for home failures with a fierce point-blank drive which McClory was extremely fortunate to be in the way of. In the closing stages of the half McDermid headed narrowly over off a cross from Reid. At the interval neither side had scored.

A NARROW ESCAPE.

A period of strong Aberdeen pressure marked the resumption, and McClory was early called on by Reid, who forced the keeper to concede a corner. Had Doolan been a shade faster he would have beat McClory for a rising ball from the right, but the keeper got there first. The Aberdeen halves, with the exception of Pirie, were keeping the ball too high, a fault which the inside forwards were also imitating, with the result that Doolan was having no chance against the big and hefty Motherwell defenders. He might have done better on several occasions than he did, however, and slowness and weak ball control were his main faults. Tenant got clear away, but could only shoot weakly past owing to the pressing attentions of Hutton and Ritchie. Reid and McDermid had good chances to give Aberdeen the lead, but delay in each case let a defender in to clear. Twice off corners Frame kicked and headed clear from the goal line with McClory beaten, and then Motherwell almost opened their account when Hutton missed a cross from McCafferty with his head, and Tennant all but beat Blackwell with a neatly placed header. The custodian threw himself at the ball, and just smothered it in time. Reid gave the home team their winning goal by ramming home a fierce drive from close in after his first effort had been blocked by Frame. This brightened matters up, and both sides pressed in turn, McDermid and Smith having hard lines at one end, and Tennant and Stevenson at the other.

Source: Press & Journal, 15th March 1926