Aberdeen 3 - 1 Clyde

Nearly Drop Point to Clyde: Only Late Rally Makes Issue Safe.

McKENZIE, MILLS AND LANG THE MARKSMEN.

Brilliant goalkeeping by Stevenson and a weakness at close quarters almost cost Aberdeen a point at Pittodrie last night. On play the Dons were much ahead of Clyde, but until the closing minutes they failed to translate this territorial advantage into goals. With eleven minutes to go Clyde were on level terms, and it was only then that the Dons seemed to realise that the points were in danger. In the remaining minutes they made the issue secure by adding two goals. As on Saturday, Aberdeen played clever football in the outfield, but at goalmouth were by no means impressive. In the first half, with the wind in their favour, the homesters had much the better of the exchanges, and, despite the brilliance of Stevenson, they should have held a lead at the interval. Clyde were a plucky side. They were nippy on the ball but the inside men were weak at goalmouth. The raids of the Bully Wee were, however, always fraught with danger and the issue was in doubt until Lang put on the third goal six minutes from the end. Aberdeen started in great style, a clever movement by Mills and Warnock saw the centre leave Lang with practically an open goal. The winger was slow in bringing the ball under control, and when he did shoot Summers intercepted the ball. McKenzie made a great bid to reach a Thomson lob but before he could connect he was pulled up for offside. Clyde made several excursion into Aberdeen territory, but thanks to sound covering up Smith was not called upon.

First Real Try

Then came the first real try of the match ? from Mills' foot. A neatly executed short passing movement between Warnock, McKenzie, and Mills saw the inside-left loose a terrific drive which Stevenson did well to stop. In a nippy Clyde attack the right wing got through and Smith held a snappy drive from Clark with McGowan in close TTENDANCE. Benyon raced away on the home right, and from his cross the ball screwed off Warnock's head past the post. The Dons were unfortunate when Warnock gathered a pass from Thomson. Slipped the ball to McKenzie, and the former Hearts' man smashed it against the crossbar. Mills went through like a flash to gather the rebound but Stevenson picked the ball off his toe. McCulloch made a great individual effort for Clyde and was pulled down by Cooper just outside the penalty area. He took the kick himself, but Mills cleared.

Clyde in Luck

Dame fortune frowned on the Dons towards the interval when shots first by Warnock and then by McKenzie were deflected by defenders against the 'keeper ? Lucky Clyde. Then came another narrow escape for the Bully Wee. Lang cut through from a Warnock slip and Stevenson brought off a splendid save from point-blank range. The interval came with the score-sheet blank. Except for spasmodic raids by Clyde, play was for the most part centred in the visitors' half of the field. With four minutes gone the Dons registered a long overdue goal. A corner on the right saw Benyon hit the ball hard into the goalmouth. Warnock headed it goalwards, and McKenzie completed things by nodding it into the net. Twice only desperate dives by Stevenson kept efforts from Lang from entering the net, and Benyon missed a great chance when Fraser slipped the ball through the defence from a free kick.

The Equaliser

With twelve minutes to go Aberdeen got a rude awakening, when, in one of their breakaways, Clyde snatched the equaliser. The Bully Wee broke away on the right and Smith weakly punched out a good try by McCombe. Quick as a flash Hope was on the ball to head into the net. The revers seemed to instil more fire into the play of the homesters, and with less than a minute gone, they were once again on the lead. Mills raced through from a Lang pass, beat Summers, and cleverly slipped the ball past the advancing Stevenson into the net. Six minutes from the end Benyon crossed a fast ball from the right, and, without allowing it to touch the ground, Lang banged it home. For the first time this season the Aberdeen defence was not particularly impressive. Smith, in goal, got little to do, but both Cooper and McGill were kept busy by the Clyde wingers. Cooper never seemed comfortable, and he developed n unhappy knack of slicing his clearances. McGill played a sound game, tackling well and kicking accurately. The hero in defence, however, was Falloon, who time and again checked dangerous visiting raids. The wing halves were poor. Fraser never settled down to his usual game, and gave the forwards little support. Thomson was strong in defence, but there is room for improvement in his distribution.

Warnock Does Well

Warnock, in his unaccustomed role t centre-forward, played quite well. Despite the close attentions of Ballantyne he distributed the ball smartly and showed good understanding with his inside supports. Mills was clever on the ball and opened up the play, while he showed praiseworthy coolness in the manner in which he took his goal. The heavy ground appeared to suit McKenzie, whose trickiness caused a good deal of anxiety in the Shawfield defence. His shooting was not all it might have been, but it is to his credit that he tried. Although two of the goals came off Benyon's crosses, the winger did not meet otherwise with a great deal of success. Lang, on the left, was more prominent, but he missed a fine opportunity in the first half. Clyde were well served in defence, and have Stevenson to thank in a great measure for restricting the score to three goals. Summers and Murray were hard working in defence and received excellent support from Ballantyne. McPhail and Beaton in the wing half positions did not show up too well. In McCombe and McCulloch Clyde possess a pair of speedy and tricky wingers, but of the inside trio only Hope took the eye.

Source: Press & Journal, 29th August 1935