Stirling Albion 2 - 1 Aberdeen

The challenge for the Championship of the Premier Reserve League was sustained in impressive fashion with successive victories over Dundee (2-0, home) and St. Mirren (3-0, away).
Coming on the heels of the victory over Celtic this enabled Dons to break away from Rangers to establish a three-point lead at the top in the first week of the month.
Quite apart from the continuing steady form of the reserve team, recent fixtures have provided the usual service of helping first team squad players to establish match fitness.
In this regard the friendly match between Dons Reserves and a Stirling Albion side which was virtually a full-strength one made a useful contribution in helping Joe Miller to ease himself back. Miller returned to the action with protective strapping on his hand and proved that once his gashed hand has completely healed he will be as good as new.
Neil Simpson and Steve Gray were also able to use reserve team outings to aid their recovery from lengthy injury problems.
Simpson's reappearance came in the Dundee game, his first football since that costly mishap in the opening few seconds of the current season.
Unfortunately he suffered a new setback in the shape of a calf strain which meant he was destined to restrain his eagerness to get back to full involvement for a further period of frustration. Gray's come-back was against St. Mirren in which he supplied the essential passes for two goals before half time. He was replaced in the second half by Mark Emslie but he had made his point. Simpson's cautious return to competitive action was helped by the form in midfield of John McMaster and Brian Grant and this lead to Willie Falconer supplying a 28th minute lead Immediately alter half time the promising young winger Andrew McLeod added a second and the result was a formality after that.
The Dundee game also confirmed that young Steve Beckett is ready to perform at Premier Reserve League level in the absence through injury of David Lawrie and the departure of Bryan Gunn.
It was McLeod who gave Dons the lead against St. Mirren with a 15th minute volley, Brian Grant heading in a second just before the break. Just before time a run by Gary Riddell led to Tommy Mclntyre making it 3-0.
Considering that the opposition was virtually full first team level the display against Stirling was a commendable one, John McMaster netting an equaliser after Stirling had taken a first half lead. The final scoreline was more than satisfactory especially considering the 'bonus' of Miller's return.

Source: Match Programme, 19th November 1986