Aberdeen 5 - 1 Hamilton

By NORMAN MACDONALD

BAD luck, brilliant goalkeeping and a dash of recklessness on the part of their forwards combined to prevent the Dons scoring for sixty-four minutes against Hamilton Accies. And the greatest single factor was surely the magnificent play of Joe Houston, the Lanarkshire team’s new ’keeper from Aldershot.
The Douglas Park club must be congratulating themselves on their latest signing. It was mainly due to his ability and agility that Aberdeen were not four goals ahead at the interval.
In team-work and individual skill the Dons were a cut above their rivals and it must have been a nerve-wracking experience for the players to see all their best efforts go for naught. It was not until the last twenty-six minutes that the Dons really hit the jackpot. The plucky Hamilton defence, which must have been inspired by the example of Houston, finally collapsed in face goal-hungry Aberdeen team.
In my opinion it was Cunning’s goal for Hamiliton which won this game for the Dons. Its loss transformed the forwards and half-backs into a vigorous striking force.

Not A Good Team

The Accies were not a good team. On their display at Pittodrie they will have difficulty in retaining "A" Divison status. But such was the dash and determination of the Dons in the closing stages that they would have shaken the best defence.
Buckley made the contribution by scoring three times, but the Aberdeen forward line a whole revealed more intelligence and initiative than they have shown since the start of the League campaign.
Yorston and Hay, the inside forwards, fetched and carried with tremendous enthusiasm. Leggatt, the young right winger, is improving with every match, and Hather's speed and dash on the left wing made him a real menace to the Accies defence.

Forcing Half-Backs

The strong, forcing play of the wing half-backs, Allister and Glen, had not a little to do with the fact that the forwards were frequently on the offensive. It was good to see them so often forward in support of the attack.
Such was Aberdeen’s territorial advantage that the home defence was seldom severely tested. Young generally had matters under control down the middle, and former Queen’s Parker Paterson acquitted himself well in his first appearance in the League side at right back.
Saturday's game finished In joy day for Aberdeen after an anxious sixty-four minutes. Hamilton provided poor opposition, but if the Dons can guarantee to play with the same vigour and determination in future fixtures they will not be easily beaten.

Source: Evening Express, 12th October 1953