Centre Half Made Simpson Look Very Ordinary Centre Forward
By NORMAN MACDONALD
ASK any of the 55,000 Rangers faithful who saw the Dons beat the champions 2-1 at Ibrox on Saturday who were the men who sabotaged their favourites, and they will unhesitatingly name Fred Martin and Alec Young.
It could be described as a team triumph, but, undeniably, this pair made the biggest individual contrilmtions to Aberdeen's success.
Little wonder that Mr William Struth, the Ibrox chief, paid tribute to the 'keeper.
Martin gave a first-class exhibition of cool, clean and confident goalkeeping, including the saving of a penalty.
In his own sphere Young was as daring and successful as Martin. Time and again he veered to right or left to cover his backs and he made Simpson, Rangers' £12,000 Irish importation, look an ordinary player.
They must be developing a healthy respect for the Dons at Ibrox.
This was the champions third defeat at the hands of the Aberdeen team within three months, a feat yet to be accomplished by any other club.
PROBLEMS REMAIN
The new forward set-up hasn't solved the Ibrox problems. Rangers were top dogs for a good spell in both periods. They played some clever, cohesive football, but the only member of the line who looked like a potential match-winner was Thornton.
Another talking point in this game will be the disallowed goal in the dying minutes. When McColl took a free kick outside the penalty area and lobbed the ball forward, Thornton and Martin clashed and it finished in the net.
When the referee gave offside several of the Rangers players protested, but the official was in no doubt.
The Dons gave a good display of fighting football and, while the major honours must go to Martin and Young, the entire rear division played with spirit. Anderson, in particular, is due credit for his drive and initiative in attack as well as defence.
The Pittodrie forward line, although not so often on the offensive as their rivals, showed bright ideas. Woodburn, Scotland's centre half, played well, but this did not prevent Hamilton distributing play shrewdly and accurately.
LIVELY BAIRD
Baird, too, was lively and although I have seen Yorston more active it was his opportunism that produced the winning goal.
The Dons did the unexpected in this game twelve minutes after the start. Near midfield Baird dispossessed McColl and smartly pushed the ball up the middle to Hamilton. The centre's way was barred by Woodburn, but he slipped the ball out to the right. Boyd raced in to meet it first-time and sent it flying high into the net from outside the penalty area.
Ten minutes from the interval a Rangers movement developed on the right. When Waddell attempted to send the ball into the middle Shaw's hand got involved and the referee awarded a penalty. The right winger hit the ball hard from the spot, but Martin saved magnificently.
Two minutes after the start of the second half came a typical Thornton goal. Foraging on the right, Paton suddenly whipped the ball into the middle and Rangers' inside left rose to force the ball home off his head.
With seven minutes to go the Dons snatched the winner. When Hather crossed from the left Hamilton flicked the ball on with his head and Yorston cleverly guided it away from Brown into the net.
Source: Press & Journal, 30th October1950