Aberdeen 1 - 0 Hamilton

Last night Aberdeen and Hamilton Academicals played their return fixture in the First Division League at Pittodrie in presence of about 1600 spectators. Teams:-

Aberdeen: Mutch; Colman, Hume; Davidson, Wilson, Miller; Soye, Simpson, T. Murray, O'Hagan, Lennie.
Hamilton Academicals: Montgomery; Jackson, Davie; Black, McLachlan, Stewart; Spiers, Waugh, Menzies, Somers, Hastie.
Referee - Mr. R. J. Murray, Stenhousemuir.

The first item of interest was a fine shot by Lennie, which Montgomery handled safely. Somers and Hastie made headway by clever passing, but the home defence were able to cope with the attack. Through Murray getting off side at the Hamilton goal of a likely effort from the Aberdeen left was nullified. The visitors were having the best of matters, Hastie and Spiers getting in dangerous shots, which Mutch disposed of. Montgomery got a fright with a long drive from Lennie, whose shot skimmed the bar. The visitors so far had done the most of the pressing, but the first goal of the match came to Aberdeen, Lennie sending across to Soye, who returned to O'Hagan, the latter beating Montgomery close in. This reverse aroused the Hamilton team to further pressure, and Mutch was lucky, on all-fours, to save from a Menzies. McLachlan was responsible for two splendid tries, but Colman and his custodian were on the alert, and got the sphere away. The Academicals rearguard in the succeeding play had a hard time of it keeping out the Pittodrie forwards. Hume was injured, and the game had to be stopped for a time till he recovered. In the closing stages of this half, Murray at one end and Hastie at the other foot in the only efforts there were likely to meet with success.

The second period opened with lively passages by the Pittodrie left-wingers. From one of these rates, O'Hagan had the ball almost through, but Montgomery got it away at the expense of a corner. For the close of the season, the match was keenly fought, and the players never spare themselves. Hamilton fought strenuously for the equaliser, but so far it failed to come. It was now the homesters' turn of pressing, but Lennie and Simpson sent past. A stoppage had to be called owing to Jackson and O'Hagan being laid out. Jackson resumed, but the Pittodrie player had to be carried to the pavilion. The game was continued on even lines, I and, although handicapped, the Aberdeen forwards were the most dangerous. Just on time Somers sent in a beauty, but no success accrued from the corner conceded by Mutch. Another brief stoppage was caused owing to Millar being injured. There was no further scoring.

CRITICAL SUMMARY

From the very start Hamilton showed clearly that they were out for points, and, with the exception of an disallowed goal to Aberdeen, the strangers ruled in the first quarter of an hour. The combination of the Hamilton front line was pretty, and in particular on the left wing Colman had as much as he could do to hold Somers and Hastie, both deadly on the shoot. While the leading and only point of the game came to Aberdeen, it was not merited on play so far. It certainly was a good effort. Hamilton were greater than ever after the reverse, and only brilliant clearances by Mutch prevented good work from meeting with reward. The Hamilton men did not take full advantage of their opportunities in front of goal, and McLachlan at centre half found it necessary to take a place in the attack. The most prominent and defective workers on the field where O'Hagan and Lennie, but the Hamilton right wing was a progressive pair. Two wards the interval Aberdeen retrieved their positions so far as to be worthy of the odd point.

Throughout the entire second. Aberdeen gave a much more satisfactory display, and this despite the fact that O'Hagan had to be carried off midway through the half as the result of an injury to his back in collision with Jackson. Playing a man short in the front line, the halves seemed to work more effectively, and Wilson sprang into prominence, although he was not superior to Millar. There were dull periods, with occasional flashes of excitement, in which both custodians had a deal to do. Hamilton's backs were safe and sound punters; their halves were well led by McLachlan, and had the distributing work of veteran Somers been followed up, the forwards ought to have got points. The left wing were always dangerous, but Menzies was off colour, and the right wing men good and bad by turns. Mutch was the hero of his side, with Colman rather less certain than usual, and Hume decidedly weak. The middle trio improved to wards the finish, and, has already indicated, O'Hagan and Lennie were the only two prominent forwards. Throughout there was a series of accidents - Hume, Millar, and O'Hagan, of a Aberdeen, and Jackson, of Hamilton, being injured. O'Hagan, while unable to resume, is expected to be fit for Saturday. The drawings amounted to about £45.

Source: Aberdeen Daily Journal, 21st April 1910