Aberdeen 3 - 1 Galston

Alliance Leaders Secure Uninspiring Victory.

Galston, who defeated Rangers A in the Scottish Alliance League earlier in the season, failed to impress at Pittodrie yesterday.

Aberdeen had no difficulty in securing both points and thus strengthening their prospects of winning the Alliance championship, but the team in general gave a spiritless display, especially in the second half, when the finishing of the forwards was lamentably poor. Proctor, from the local Parkvale, who was tried out at inside-left, failed to shine, but there were few who did on either side in a game which was seldom relieved of drabness.

Fleeting Chances.

Playing against a strong wind Aberdeen should have scored in the opening minutes. Proctor striking the post when a gentle tap would have sufficed.
Immediately afterwards the home goal narrowly escaped downfall when Mair just missed with a header almost on the goal-line.
The Young Dons were soon in front of Murdoch again, and Armstrong nodded inches past. Proctor's hesitancy lost another good chance, the junior trialist shooting into Murdoch's hands from close in.
Galston were also missing the chances offered them, Reid dribbling in on Cumming when a shot must have brought a goal. The corner that accrued instead brought no reward.
Aberdeen took the lead in fifteen minutes, Armstrong flashing the ball through following a McLean centre.
From, the kick-off Galston attacked and Cumming had twice to dive, one save from Mair being really brilliant.

McLean in Form.
Five minutes later McLean put the Dons two ahead, running clean through on his own to leave Murdoch helpless to save.
Armstrong tried to do too much on his own, and sent over when harassed. Thirteen minutes from the interval McLean repeated his earlier score in every detail. The winger ran half the length of the field and coolly slammed the ball into the net.
Football crowds are unkind where referees are concerned, and when Mr Robertson was accidentally grassed on getting between two tackling players, the spectators laughed loud and long. Why they should have done is a psychological mystery.
Close on the interval the persistence of Fisher, the Galston centre, was rewarded, Cumming being well beaten from a few yards range.

A Dull Period.

The second period was painfully dull. Armstrong headed against the woodwork early on, and thereafter the Dons kept getting up as far the visitors' goal as often as they liked, but without adding to their lead.
Galston had desultory raids which never spelt real danger.
McLean was the only Aberdeen forward to infuse any sparkle into the game, and Fisher, the centre, was a persistent trier, who with better support might have pulled the game round for his side.

Source: Press & Journal, 4th January 1933