Aberdeen 2 - 1 Ayr United

Aberdeen met Ayr United at Pittodrie before 12,000 spectators. The game throughout was fast, keen, and interesting. Ayr had many pretty combined movements, but they finished weakly, and especially so in the first half, when their inside men lost many fine opportunities. Aberdeen played more of the kick and rush game, but they too were weak at goal. The destination of the points was decided inside ten minutes in the second half. Brewster, the home centre-half, opened the scoring following upon a corner, and the same player put Aberdeen two up inside three minutes with a long shot, which should have been saved. Richardson then reduced the leeway for Ayr United.

Source: The Scotsman, 15th September 1919

The interest in the game and uncertainty regarding the issue at Pittodrie was reflected in the fact that very few of the twelve thousand spectators left the ground before the final whistle went. On the merits of the teams it was a case of "six and half a dozen." The Aberdeen players deserve praise for their victory, and considering that the majority of the team were suffering from injuries received in their two previous games, it was to their credit that they persevered as they did, and after a game that was never lacking in the strenuous element, had the satisfaction of coming out a goal to the good. It does not detract from the Aberdeen performance to save the game was value for a draw. Ayr were the cleverer side in the open, but at close quarters they failed to take advantage of opportunities, and more the specially in the first half, when playing against the sun. Throughout the 90 minutes both goalkeepers were severely tried, and, indeed, had scarcely a minute they could call their own, and while they stopped many fine efforts, there was generally a slackness at close quarters on the part of both sets of forwards on occasions when the keeper's were not tested. The game was pretty much a prolonged series of goal-to-goal visitations, and a wonder was that not more than three goals were scored during the afternoon. The first half was goalless, and that it was so was due to the watchfulness of the goalkeepers, there a source fullness of the defences, and a general failure on the part of both sets of forwards to show a combination of eye, brain, and foot at close range. If the footballer, however, was always to do the right thing at the psychological moment the game would become a mechanical process, and would be robbed of its charm for the public, and certainly if the Ayr forwards had always done this on Saturday, it must've had an unassailable lead at the interval.

Goals That Counted

All the goals came within a comparatively short period in the second half, and for Aberdeen Brewster was the marksman on both occasions. Kerr had just been saving at the other end when Wylie forced a corner, and placed fairly full out, but Brewster got his head on the ball. The effort was not strong enough, and it was returned for him to steadied himself and simply crash it into the net. He got his second in double quick time. From 40 yards he sent forward a huge plant, which from a great height described for all the world like a trench mortar. Kerr just out of his goal completely misjudged, and he jumped to save when it was too late. Aberdeen were a bit unfortunate to lose a goal immediately afterwards. W. Crosbie got off on the right, but handled the ball. After making ground he parted, and Richardson getting possession sent in a grounder which reached the corner of the net. Meantime the Aberdeen players claimed a foul, and practically stopped, and the halt was fatal, since Anderson, who had also expected the whistle to go, was just a late in throwing himself at the ball. The home players protested against the goal being allowed because of the earlier incident, but the referee held that the infringement was accidental.

Clever Goalkeeping

Ayr were a team of go from start to finish, and they left behind them are very healthy respect for their abilities. They had some clever sustained combined movements, and in the first half played a fine, open game, which lost its effectiveness by the slackness of their forwards at near goal, where they all wanted to steady up and should rather than have first time tries. That policy does not pay against a defence such as Aberdeen's, and the visitors allowed the home rear divisions too much time to divine their actions, with the result that embryo goals were either blocked or charged down. Richardson, in particular, was guilty of this, and on several occasions he lost excellent opportunities of hesitating methods. The Aberdeen front rank did not combined too anything like the extent of the visitors, but they were all hard workers individually, and at times served up pieces of united action. But, while chances were missed, and related miss of the goods was largely due to the fine defensive work on both sides. There were two clever middle lines in view, but in the first half the Aberdeen trio were inclined to leave themselves out purely for defence to the neglect of their forwards, who, as a result, had to execute a considerable amount of foraging - a fact which, in itself, tended to toe the line out of gear. The half-backs were seen to more advantage in the second half, especially after the goals were scored.
The goalkeeping was one of the features of the afternoon. Both Anderson and Kerr really gave a magnificent display, and it was unfortunate that the ere man should have knocked the top off by his one fatal mistake.
Apart from the goalkeepers, the outstanding men were Hutton, Brewster, McLauchlan, Wilson, and Archibald for Aberdeen, and Semple, Hogg, Gillespie, J Crosbie, and W Crosbie for Ayr United.

Source: Aberdeen Daily Journal, 15th September 1919