Aberdeen 2 - 1 Hamilton

DRAMA OF MOORE'S MISSED PENALTY.

Aberdeen justified the hopes and the confidence of their supporters by repelling a bold bid by Hamilton Academicals to depose them from their position as League leaders.
It a titanic struggle in dreadful weather at Pittodrie Park, and the 8000 spectators forgot the drenching rain and bitterly cold wind in the excitement of a game which was marked by thrills from start to finish.
Aberdeen won narrowly, it is true, but they were deservedly victors. In the burst of enthusiasm which signalised the final whistle, proclaiming the Dons undisputed leaders of the Scottish League, the spectators did not, however, forget to raise a cheer for the vanquished. Hamilton put up a great fight, and a clean fight, and their speed and cleverness left the issue in doubt right to the end.

All Keyed-up.

There were all the factors that go make a real event. A win for Aberdeen meant them retaining their position as top-dogs and Moore, the home centre, and Herd, the visitors inside-left, joint top scorers with nineteen each, were running a neck-and-neck race. A goal for either would have evoked a special ovation from a crowd keyed-up to a high pitch.
The tenseness of the moment when Aberdeen were awarded a penalty kick near the end of the first half, when the score stood one-all, and Moore advanced to the "spot," can be easily Imagined. The stillness that had suddenly descended on the crowd, however, gave place to a groan of disappointment as Moore shot straight at the goalkeeper.
Wright, the Accies' custodian, having stopped the shot, took no chances, and lying on the ground, defied the chagrined Moore's efforts to retrieve his error of judgment. Moore had lost his chance of adding to his scoring record and even the fact that Herd also failed to score in the match must have been little consolation to him.

Beattie's Day.

If anyone had reason to take complete satisfaction out of the game it was young Beattie, the Hall, Russell's product. On the heavy going, this strong, clever, forcing player was in his element, and his winning goal, scored soon after the resumption, sent the crowd into ecstasies.
Right from the kick off it was evident that here was a game worth watching. Though the rain and cold, and the heavy pitch, fast cutting up, must have been a physical ordeal to the players, the ball was kept travelling from end to end at amazing speed. It was no occasion for dawdling or second chances.
But the amazing thing, in view of the conditions, was that very few mistakes were made on either side, and while the game was contested at a killing pace, it was fought out cleanly and in thoroughly sporting fashion.

King Does It.

Thirteen minutes had gone when the first goal came - to the Accies. The visitors forwards had been working up to this by clever, accurate thrusts and when McLaren put over beauty of a cross from the right, which eluded both Fraser and Cooper, the ever-alert King seized the chance offered and netted with a lovely ball which was labelled "goal" as soon as it left his foot.M/br> Thus "blooded," the Dons were up and away, and a cross by Love might have been given a turn in the right direction by either Moore or Beattie, though it was a fast one and no mistake.
Repeated efforts by the Dons forwards brought their reward in twenty-five minutes, when Mills, accepting a forward pass from Fraser, smashed the ball home from twenty-five yards. Cooper was in the right place when Dougall aimed for the target.
Then came the dramatic episode of the penalty. Moore must have been affected by the importance of that shot from the spot, and even If he had skied the ball there would still have been room for that blessed thing, understanding, the part of the spectators.

A Last Rally.

Three minutes had the game been restarted when Beattie meandered through to finish with a shot which rattled the rigging from the inside. The 'keeper was powerless to stop this great pile-driver. After this, the pace, far from slackening, seemed to increase in intensity, and both defences had to look lively. Moore raised the home hopes with a rare drive which finished against the outside of the net.
The home crowd were really anxious about another goal, for the Accies' were ever threatening, and as the gathering darkness portended the drawing to close of the match, the men from the ducal town made one last desperate effort to dash the cup of victory from the Dons.
The Pittodrie defence withstood the onslaught, however, and the whistle found the Black and Gold brigade launching a reprisal.

Striking It Up.

In making a "roll-call" after the game, one is immediately faced with the fact that the Aberdeen side in no way suffered from the enforced changes through injuries to McLean and O'Reilly. Andy Love played a splendid game on the extreme left touch-line. He was a dangerous raider and deadly in his crosses.
Mills and he "struck it pretty" and were a great combination, though really one cannot draw comparisons between the home wings a Warnock and Beattie were a veritable thorn in the side of the Accies. The inside man made a day of it and a more brilliant showing than his has not been seen for some time.
Moore was as game a trier as ever, but Dame Fortune did not smile on the little Irishman.

Falloon Again.

Falloon again proved that a good "wee un" is as good as a good "big un," that is, when Falloon is the "wee un." He was a master in defence, keeping a tight grip of the dashing Wilson, the Accies centre, and finding time to initiate many forward moves.
In a good mid-line, in which Fraser deputised well for the absent O'Reilly, Godfrey came next to the "wee fellow."
Granite-like in defence as Aberdeen were, no one did more to stem the Accies attack than Willie Cooper, and in goal, Smith was safe and confident.

Accies' "Stars."

Best forward for the Accies were King and McLaren, while McLuckie was their "star" at half-back. Both D. Wilson and Herd were too well looked after to hit the high spots. Frank Wilson, without being spectacular, was always dangerous on the right wing. Wright gave a great goalkeeping display for the visitors and time and again foiled the eager Dons. Bulloch was the better back in front of him.

Source: Press & Journal, 31st October 1932