Morton 6 - 1 Aberdeen

About 10,000 spectators were present at Greenock at the game between Morton and Aberdeen. It was a one-sided contest, and Morton excelled specially in front of goal. Three times Gourlay scored for them, French twice, and Thom once. Grant got the only goal for Aberdeen, that being the second of the match.

The Scotsman, 20th September 1920

Aberdeen Eclipsed.

Aberdeen sustained one the heaviest defeats in their history at Cappielow, Greenock, on Saturday, when Morton beat them by no fewer than six goals to one. The result was the more surprising in view of the previous form of the Pittodrie team, who had taken seven, points out of a possible eight for the preceding four games in which they had taken part. While there could be no denying the superiority of the winners, the margin of victory was rather out of proportion to the run of the game, and it was a case of defenders' mistakes largely accounting for the defeat which was so decisive. This was Morton's day out and Aberdeen's day off. Morton were somewhat fortunate to get the opening goal. Following upon a free kick against Wright the ball hit the Aberdeen cross-bar and rebounded into play for French to shoot, and a ball that appeared to be going wide cannoned off Gourlay into the net. For almost half an hour there was practically nothing in it between the teams. Grant had lost good opportunity for Aberdeen before the equaliser came along. Thomson worked cleverly up the wing, and parted to Middleton, who crossed finely to Macdonald. The centre forward headed in, and the ball appeared to be over the line when the Morton goalkeeper recovered and pushed out. Again it was returned, and a defender blocked after it again appeared to be over the line, and finally it came out again for Grant to send it the bank net. The incident was reflective of the fates that appeared to work against Aberdeen throughout the game.
There was a sharp struggle for the lead after this, neither side playing with any degree of confidence. Ultimately the Morton left forced a corner, and a misjudgement on the part of Anderson allowed them to take the lead. The ball came well across the goalmouth, and Anderson allowed his effort, clearance forestalled by Gourlay, who headed into the net as the keeper made a jump tor the ball. The gift goal encouraged Morton, who had not long to wait until they had another. The home right made progress, and after the Aberdeen defence had been in a muddle. Thom found the net with a shot that did not appear to be of the unsaveable variety. In the intervals between the goals Aberdeen frequently attacked, but their efforts at finishing generally were weak, although Neil in the home goal knocked down some good tries. Had the teams been level at a goal each at the interval the score would have been a more accurate reflex the play.

Defence Cracks Up.

In the second half Morton played with the confidence which comes of a strong lead, while Aberdeen, on the other hand were as side with whom nothing goes right. The forwards repeatedly got off, but were easily held in check. Grant and Rankine both failed to improve upon favourable opportunities, and on another occasion the Morton keeper saved at full stretch from the Aberdeen inside left. Repeated failures told their tale on Aberdeen, and Morton took the game in hand. Their forwards, very cleverly led by French, repeatedly had the Aberdeen defence in difficulties. Thom easily beat Wright and Hannah and got over a cross, and Gourlay meeting it first time drove hard for goal, Anderson touching but failing to stop the ball in its flight. Subsequent to this Aberdeen were well beaten. Milne and then Hannah failed to get the ball away from French, who cleverly slipped it to Gourlay, who registered the "hat trick." Aberdeen made plucky but half-hearted efforts to reduce the leeway, but their star had set. Towards the end French dribbled past Hannah and Forsyth in grand style to conclude the scoring with a cleverly taken goal, which completed the discomfiture for the visitors.
Aberdeen were weakly served in all departments. All the goals were more or less the outcome of mistakes by defendes, but the attack was all along below par, the only players in the team who did themselves anything like justice, and even they, were below their usual, with Milne, Thomson, and Middleton, and the latter suffered throughout from lack of opportunity. On the Morton side, individualism outdid combination, but their back and goalkeeper had rather more scope for their work than a well-judged attack would allowed them. The half-backs were ahead of Aberdeen's, and the work of French at centre-forward was the key to the success of the forwards.

Source: Aberdeen Daily Journal, 20th September 1920