Hamilton 2 - 1 Aberdeen

Clever in Midfield, But Weak in Finishing.

On play Aberdeen should never have lost at Douglas Park, and that they did so was entirely the fault of the forwards.

Considering that they were faced with a stiff breeze in the first half the Accies deserve full credit for retiring on level terms at the interval.
When four minutes after the restart Mills gave the Dons the lead from a Moore slip, prospects of an Aberdeen victory looked rosy.
This goal seemed to take much of the fight out of of the Accies, and the Dons were lulled into a sense of false security.
The forwards commenced to put too much work on the ball, and instead of shooting for goal when opportunity presented itself, they tried to walk the ball into the net.

Pretty to Watch, But-

There can no denying that their combined work was pretty to watch, but of what use is cleverness without punch!
In a breakaway twenty minutes after the start Crawley equalised from a King pass. The Dons then realised their mistake, but before they could recover McLaren had given the Accies the lead, and the Pittodrie had lost a game that, to all appearances they had looked like winning.
During the last quarter of an hour they made strenuous efforts to save the day, but Hamilton in the lead were a different team from Hamilton in arrears, and the Dons failed to pierce the defence.
They might have done so on one occasion when Moore followed up a Mills cross which had rebounded off Hill, the home centre-half, but the Aberdeen leader, taking the ball on the drop, lifted it over the bar.
Moore was too well guarded by Hill to be dangerous, and Mills, although probably the best of the Aberdeen forward quintette detracted from his value by hanging on the ball too long.

Below Best.

Warnock, at inside-right, never revealed the form of the previous week, and he did not have a happy understanding with Benyon.
The extreme wingers, Benyon and Gall rarely threatened danger and did not get the ball across quickly enough.
Fraser was the best half-back. He gave King and Wilson little rope and was the organiser of many of Aberdeen's attacking movements.<.br> There were some teethy duels between Crawley, the home centre, and Falloon, and the little Irishman, despite the fact that his opponent towered above him, more than held his own.
The Hamilton leader was watched by two representatives of Everton.
Thomson was a trifle disappointing. He was untiring in his efforts, but too slow.

Many Smart Saves.

The Aberdeen rear trio are not to blame for the defeat. Cooper and McGill were sound throughout.
Hamilton were go-ahead rather than clever, but took their chances and for that reason deserved the points. Shevlin, Allan and Bulloch were as sound as the Aberdeen rear trio. In fact, Allan was brilliant in the first period and his tackling was sound and his kicking clean.
Cox, Hill, and Murray were a hard-working intermediate trio, with the honours going to the pivot.
McLaren was the most prominent attacker although Crawley was always a trier, despite the closeness of Falloon's attentions.

Source: Press & Journal, 30th October 1933