St. Mirren 4 - 2 Aberdeen

Defence Must Shoulder Most of the Blame
HENDERSON TRANSFER STORY DENIED
By NORMAN MACDONALD

THE story that Aberdeen F.C. have practically completed arrangements with Third Lanark for the transfer of John Henderson, outside or inside forward, is incorrect.
The facts are that Henderson is one of the number of players about whom the Pittodrie club have made inquiries recently.
He is meantime on the injured list, and IF Aberdeen make any move it won't be until he is fit and has been seen in action. This is official.

The Dons gave a poor display at Paisley on Saturday. They played as if they were suffering from a League Cup "hang-over."
They can scarcely offer this as an excuse for their 4-2 defeat, however. Hibs played the same number of games and are still going strong.
St Miren were no team of world-beaters, but they showed plenty fight. They save Aberdeen two goals of a start and beat them.
The Dons got the breaks. They were two goals up against the run of play after fifty-one minutes.

GIFT GOALS

It was the Pittodrie defence that was mainly responsible for Saturday's failure. In the last half-hour they gave away goals with almost reckless prodigality.
Drinkwater, the St Mirren left back, limping on the left wing, scored the first; Reid, playing in the full back position, netted the second, and Glen was inadvertently the cause of the loss of the fourth.
The Aberdeen half-backs never got on top of the Paisley inside forwards.
Harris had his poorest game of the season. He started at left half, but finished on the right flank.
Thomson was generally master of Rennie, the St Mirren centre forward, yet he was not altogether blameless when the former Aberdeen junior scored their vital third goal.
Glen played a hard game, but he and Harris failed to forge a connecting link with their forwards.

BLAMELESS

Martin, in goal, was in no way to blame for the defeat, and he deserves a pat on the back for his penalty save from when the score was 2-2. Emery conceded the spot kick when he brought Blyth down.
Shaw does not appear to be playing with his usual astuteness and confidence. His kicking was poor at Paisley.
The Aberdeen forwards suffered from lack of support. Hamilton was the best man in the line.
The centre was on the job full time. It was a pity he didn't receive support from Yorston and Baird.
Boyd and Hather were seen only in flashes, although the shot by the left winger that brought the opening goal was a dandy.
With twenty minutes played Aberdeen unexpectedly took the lead. When Kirk weakly punched out a corner from Boyd the ball went out to the left and, unhesistatingly, Hather belted the ball into the net.
St Mirren got a second shock six minutes after the interval. A long pass from Hamilton to Boyd sent the winger scampering away.

DEFLECTED

He beat Reid and cut along close to the bye-line. When he tried to get ball into the middle it struck Kirk on the foot and finished in the net.
It was the injured Drinkwater who came to the Paisley team's rescue. He and Rennie chased a clearance from Kirk that caught the Aberdeen defence off guard.
When the former gained possession he drove fiercely past Martin. Harris should hare cleared the ball before it reached Drinkwater.
St Mirren got on level terms in sixty-eight minutes. Reid was upfield to meet a short pass from Telfer and he sent ball raging into the net from twenty-three yards' range.
Two minutes after Martin had made his penalty save the home team took the lead. Thomson intercepted but could not stop a cross from the left, and Rennie scored a well-taken goal.
The scoring was completed six minutes from the end when Blyth and Glen went for a ball in the goalmouth and the Dons' half back turned it past his own keeper.

Source: Press & Journal, 9th October 1950