Aberdeen 1 - 2 Heart of Midlothian

One might have been excused for thinking that Saturday's game at Pittodrie between the Aberdeen and Hearts reserve teams was a cup-tie instead of a Scottish Alliance fixture. The exchanges - wonderfully fast considering the slippery nature of the snow-covered pitch - were often of an ultra-robust nature, with the result that the referee, J. Martin, Glencralg, had frequently to lecture and warn players on either side. Some of his decisions, too, did not go down very well with the home crowd, and the services of the police had to be requisitioned on two occasions, once to check barracking behind the visiting goal, and another time to Interfere when the Hearts' linesman was snowballed by a section of the crowd.
The game, which was witnessed by about 3000 spectators, was a remarkably keen and even one despite the difficulty the players had in keeping their footing. The visitors were just a shade the nippier and more balanced team and suited their play better to the prevailing conditions than did the homesters. who were, rather unlucky in not, forcing a draw.
Aberdeen had slightly the better of matters in the first half, and Carroll, Doolan and Love all had good tries which, under better conditions and with a less alert custodian than Gilfillan, would have met with a better fate. One overhead kick by the home centre was the smartest piece of work in the match, and taxed Gilfillan's anticipatory powers to the uttermost. The Hearts van was ably led by McNeil, and a surprise goal fell to their lot towards half-time, when McNeil sent in a shot which McSevich blocked, only to have to admit defeat by McMillan slamming home from the rebound.
Early in the second period the visitors went further ahead, again through McMillan. Black shot and McSevich slipped in saving. Instead of lying on the ball he tried to slew behind over his head, but the visiting inside left rushed in and cleverly backheeled the ball into an empty goal. It was a ding-dong and 'towsy" game from now on, and Carrol raised the hopes of the home crowd by beating Gilfillan with a great shot from within penalty area. Aberdeen were minus the services of Love in the closing stages, the winger having to be carried off with a twisted knee sustained in a tackle with Middleton. McSevich was also hurt, but soon resumed, and end-to-end play ensued to the close.

Individual criticism of the players would be invidious as the ground conditions played sorry tricks with the best-intentioned moves. McSevich, the two backs, Spencer, Carrol, Doolan, and Love were Aberdeen's best, while for Hearts, Gilfillan, Middleton, J. A. Johnstone, McNeil, and McMillan played a sound game. An Aberdeen junior turned out under the name "Gibson" as left back for the visitors, but did not adapt himself too well to the conditions.

Source: Press & Journal, 28th December 1925