Queens Park 0 - 0 Aberdeen

And Three Are Given Free Transfers
By NORMAN MACDONALD

DAVID HALLIDAY, the Aberdeen F.C. manager, has added two more names to his list of players re-signed for next season, bringing the total to twenty. The players are Michael Colman, forward, and Tommy Vine, half back, both of whom came to Pittodrie from Mount Ellen, the Lanarkshire junior club.

Three players have been given free transfers. They are: Cruickshank, half back or forward, who was signed by Aberdeen from St Clement's, and who is now assisting Peterhead in the Highland League; Spalding, outside left, formerly of Rutherglen Glencairn; and McMahon. half back or forward, who hails from Kilmarnock, and who caught the Aberdeen manager's eye while playing in Army football.

Are the Dons beginning to feel the effects of their strenuous season? It certainly looked like it at Hampden Park on Saturday.
They were but a shadow of the team that took Hampden Park by storm the previous week and won the Scottish Cup. Most of the buoyancy and zest had disappeared from their play.

Moderate Form

A hard ground, tricky wind and a light ball combined to make cultured football difficult, but this does not altogether explain Aberdeen's moderate form.
It was a good result for Queen's Park. Their relegation worries have evaporated. Goal average doesn't now enter into the matter. A goal-less draw was a fair enough result to an uninspiring ninety minutes football.
In suggesting there was an end-of-the-season atmosphere about the Dons' play on Saturday I would exonerate one department - the half-back line.
Frank Dunlop was the dominating figure in the Pittodrie defence and along with McLaughlin and Waddell, his wing halves, prevented the amateurs' forwards getting in close touch with George Johnstone.
Both attacks lacked driving power at close quarters, and the respective goalkeepers had comparatively few direct shots with which to deal.
The Dons should have won, if for no other reason than that the forwards received better service from their wing half-backs than did the Queen's Park line.

The Old Failing

Stan Williams and his teammates played some neat football, but the old failing was apparent at close quarters. The South African was the most dangerous attacker, but he wasn't the match-winner of the cup final.
Mr David Halliday, the Aberdeen manager, took the opportunity to try out two of his reserve plavers. Colman showed himself to be clever on the ball and came nearest scoring with a swerving shot in the second half that struck the upright, but he will have to be speeded up.
This was the first occasion I had seen Preston in action. The lanky South African obviously lacks experience, but with practice he may become a sound defender.
He can kick with either foot and he gets tremendous length on the ball, but he won't make the top flight until he develops his positional sense.

Hume to Play

Hamilton and Hume will occupy the inside-forward berths when the Dons meet Queen of the South in a League fixture at Paimerston Park this evening.
It is doubtful if Cowie will be able to turn out at right back as he received a leg injury in Saturday's Scottish Second XI. Cup semi final tie at Pittodrie.

Source: Press & Journal, 28th April 1947