Queens Park 2 - 1 Aberdeen

Queen's Park beat Aberdeen 2-1 at Hampden and they deserved their victory. The Dons have no excuse to offer for this failure. The Amateurs were not a brilliant team. In fact, they were quite mediocre, but they possessed what Aberdeen lacked, and that was fighting spirit.
It almost seemed as if Aberdeen accepted defeat when Queen's Park regained the lead seventeen minutes after the start of the second half. From that point onwards the homesters seemed far more likely to increase their advantage than did the Dons to draw level again.

NO COHESION

Aberdeen were a poor team. It would be stretching the truth to say that any department played well. The defence was unreliable and the attack failed to knit together. The forwards showed little enterprise or originality.
Hopes that the previous week's success against Hamilton at Pittodrie presaged an Aberdeen revival were shattered. They can generally be counted on to win at home, but one can have little faith in their ability to collect points on opponents' ground.
They had the advantage of a strong cross-wind in the first half of the game at Hampden, but for all the use they made they would have been as well without it- They threatened little danger and Mansour in the home goal can seldom have had less to do.
Queen's Park took the lead after thirty-two minutes' play. Nicholson was at fault. The centre-half beat Kyle to a long ball, but in attempting to clear sent it out to Hunter. The winger crossed with all speed, and before Nicholson could get back Kyle headed the ball into the net.
Five minutes after the start of the second half the Dons drew level. They were awarded a free kick about four yards outside the penalty area, and Thomson smashed the ball through a crowd of Queen's Park players into the net.

WINNING GOAL

The winning goal came in seventeen minutes. Cross headed on a free kick by MacDonald and before Cooper or Nicholson could intervene Kyle whisked the ball into the net. Johnstone, in the Aberdeen goal, had no chance with the shots that beat him, but neither Cooper nor Graham were reliable. Graham had the more difficult task against Hunter, but It can be said in favour of the left back that he stuck to his task with rare spirit.
Nicholson was to blame for the loss of the first goal, but apart from that the centre-half defended well and saved his charge on more than one occasion. Aberdeen were weak at wing half, neither Thomson nor Dunlop playing to form. The left half was slow and Dunlop could not subdue Christie.
Not one of the Aberdeen forwards could be classed as good. Armstrong, who showed improvement against Hamilton, was ineffective and could not escape the grip of Johnstone, the Queen's pivot.
Neither Hamilton nor Biggs, the inside men, were impressive, and there was a lack of power on the wings. Smith, on the right, could make no progress against Dickson, and although Brady was livelier he was seldom dangerous.

SOLID BACKS

Queen's Park had a good solid pair of backs in Bonomy and Dickson, but their main strength lay at half-back. Johnstone not only subdued Armstrong, but went up to assist his attack, while Hosie and Mac- Donald were not kept so busy by the Aberdeen inside supports that they, too, could not assume the role of attackers on occasion.
The Amateurs had a grand little forward in Christie. The inside left, who previously played for Forres Mechanics, was the most enterprising forward afield and he continually had the Dons defence in hot water.
Kyle, as leader of the attack, may have lacked craft, but his two goals testify to his ability to accept his chances. Hunter and Cross, on the right vying, were smart and dangerous combination.

Source: Press & Journal, 14th November 1938