Heart of Midlothian 2 - 1 Aberdeen

Adapt Themselves to Conditions.

Hearts won because they adapted themselves quicker to the ground conditions. Heavy rain prior to the match left the ground sodden and treacherous.

For the first twenty minutes the Dons floundered about in a desperate effort check the quick-moving Tynecastle attack. Before they found their feet Hearts had twice landed the ball in the net. Subsequently Aberdeen settled to a steady game, but it was not until the second period that they began to seriously trouble the Hearts defence.

Fast Pace Throughout.

There was no "tail-end" flavour about the game, a fast pace being maintained throughout.
With a little luck the Dons might have won, but, on the whole, Hearts were deserving of victory. They were the more evenly balanced side, and carried more thrust than the Dons in attack.
Hearts took the lead in eight minutes. Walker sent a good pass ahead to McCulloch. The centre, pressed by Falloon and seeing Smith leave his charge, slipped the ball to Robertson, whose shot went into an empty goal.
Walker again provided the pass which led to Hearts' second goal, scored in nineteen minutes. McCulloch darted through, and when Smith raced from his charge the centre shot, for the ball to enter the net off the post.

Two "Near Things.

Twice in the early stages of the second half Aberdeen came within an ace of scoring. Massie, more by luck than good management, got in the way of a terrific drive by Ritchie Smith, and a smart interchanging of positions by the left-winger and Armstrong saw Harkness push a great effort by the centre against the upright.
The Dons' goal came after twenty-three minutes' play.
Fraser carried the ball downfield, and shot, for Harkness to tip over for a corner. The flag-kick went to Ritchie Smith, whose drive found a billet in the net off Harkness.
Once the Aberdeen defenders settled down they played steadily enough. While Smith made one or two good saves and cannot blamed for either of the goals, he was over-fond of leaving his charge.
The two Edinburgh wingers, Munro and Robertson, were fast and tricky, and Cooper and M'Gill had continually be on the alert.

Falloon Tenacious.

Falloon found McCulloch a handful, but the centre-half is nothing if not tenacious, and stuck grimly to the Hearts leader.
Fraser was the Dons' best half. He worked hard in defence when the tide was running against Aberdeen, and in the second half was an active participant in most of the attacking movements.
Thomson found Scotland's inside-right a trifle too elusive on more than one occasion, but it to his credit that he never gave in.
The Dons' attack was less subtle than that of Hearts. Mills was the chief schemer, his ball control and accurate passes being a feature of the game. Armstrong, too, played well. He was a fast and dangerous leader, and had he received better support would have got goals.
Moore was smart with head and feet in the first half, but after the interval he faded somewhat. Ritchie Smith showed improvement on recent form, and takes credit for the goal, but was prone to get rid of the ball too quickly. Johnston on the right, showed cleverness, but did not put enough snap into his play.

Hearts' Rear Trio.

In Harkness, Anderson and McClure, Hearts have sound rear trio. The 'keeper brought off a number of smart saves, and the backs tackled confidently.
Massie was the bright star of the intermediate line, his fine forcing work having not a little do with the success of the attack. Reid was a strong centre-half.
The attack combined cleverly. Walker was outstanding with clever ball manipulation and cute slips, but there were times when he was inclined to hang on too long.
McKenzie was smart on the ball, and McCulloch a bustling leader, while Robertson was a fast and dangerous left winger.

Source: Press & Journal, 22nd April 1935