Queens Park 2 - 2 Aberdeen

Dickie Scores Beauty From Twenty Yards Out.

ONLY BAD LUCK PREVENTS DONS WINNING OUTRIGHT.

Aberdeen accomplished a meritorious performance at Hampden Park yesterday when they drew with Queen's Park after being two goals in arrears at half-time.
The goal-scorers were David and Dickie for Aberdeen, and Crawford and Dodds for Queen's Park.

With a little bit of luck at goal Aberdeen had the beating of Queen's Park Hampden yesterday. They were not the superior team, in fact they were out of it most of the first half, but then a biting easterly blast against them in a shivery snowbound environment was some excuse.
Add to that the fact that they were two goals down in the early part of the game, and we have more appreciation of their performance.
An unorthodox movement gave Queen's the lead in the fourth minute, nobody except Smith anticipating the interchange that swept across from the left athwart the goal, and even then the goalkeeper was late, the ball getting under his body, and travelling to Crawford, who had merely to crash it through.

Another Goal.

Boldly Aberdeen faced their handicap wind and deficit. When their forwards got the ball among them they kept it there, and it was rather galling that after they returned empty-handed Queen's in their next run should score again.
It was an accidental rather than engineered goal. A foul kick from forty yards was driven towards goal by King, and cleared down the middle. The ball might have landed anywhere, but as it happened, it fell at the ready shooting foot of Dodds, who banged into the net from fully twenty yards.
With the wind behind them after the interval Aberdeen buckled to, and for the next ten minutes never gave the Queen's a look in. Then a surprising change came about the Queen's attack, revealing quite the best football of the game.
Steve Smith stood by Aberdeen then, handling with expert decision shots from every range and direction.

Fortunes Change.

It was when Aberdeen seriously thought of bringing the neglected Love into the game that their fortunes changed. His first opportunity of a placed centre fell beautifully at the feet of David, and there was far more merit in the centre than the half-hit half-miss of David that sufficed to knock one off the arrears.
This was twelve minutes after the resumption, and in three minutes more Aberdeen were level.
This goal was something to talk about, a magnificent hook by Dickie from some twenty yards raging into the net high up. Another shot, somewhat similar, by Dickie later was worthy of winning the game, but the Queen's goalkeeper effected a marvellous save.
Where Aberdeen's bad scoring luck came in was rather in the number of shots which were inadvertently blocked. Taking it all over a draw was a good result, but the fact that Aberdeen had the whip hand in the closing stages points to the obvious conclusion that at the finish Queen's were satisfied that the fortunes gave them a point.

The Players.

The Aberdeen attack as a combination could not compare with Queen's, not unreasonably so with so many changes. The neglect of Love was sheer ingenuousness.
David was ever a bustler, but got no support from Dickie, who was a hang-back, and little more from Paterson.
Adam McLean failed only for smartness, his ideas of circumvention being top-rate. Donald, injured early, was recalcitrant, but Black was ever on the urge. McLaren played as a captain, and as such had a big say in the fluctuation of the game, particularly in the second half transformation.
Jackson and Legge were good so long as the attack did not converge. Their first-timing was beyond reproach, but after that there was always question.
Smith was blamed for the goals rather unfairly. He was covering another's work in the first instance, and the second would have surprised any keeper.

Queen's Forwards.,/p> Queen's forwards played some of their best football of the season. McAlpine and McKenzie were never more at home on the wing, and while the left overshadowed the right, Dodds was dangerous, and Crawford always to be watched.
Yorston would certainly have taken more advantage of the defensive limitations of Queen's reserve centre-half, Harvey, who was much more at ease in attack. Peden's deputy in goal, Smith, undoubtedly kept, Aberdeen from a win with that late save from Dickie.
he attendance was poor, and the fare served was worthy of a bigger crowd.

Source: Press & Journal, 4th March 1931