Aberdeen 3 - 1 Abercorn

The "black and gold brigade" had Abercorn as their visitors at Pittodrie on Saturday. The game was a Second League fixture, and attracted a good crowd. Losing the toss the homesters kicked off towards the sea, and from the start the left wing had a dangerous run. Keeping up the pressure, Aberdeen gave the visitors' defence a lively time of it, and it was good luck only, on their part, that kept their goal intact. McNicoll had a fine deceptive shot which swerved in and struck the crossbar but soon after McAulay headed into the net and gave the ground team the lead. Stewart and Frame headed one or two rushes into the home goal, but neither of them were fraught with danger. Blair, after other two players had shown him the way, got laid out, and latterly had to be carried off the field of play. For a time the homesters continued to have the best and most of the game, but goals were few and far between. Shortly after Blair had resumed, Frame broke through and shot from far out into the net - McFarlane mistiming - the sphere. No further scoring took place during this period, and the Abbies were indeed lucky to cross over on equal terms. The Aberdeen at once took up the aggressive on resuming, and Robertson's fine centres were causing the visitor's defence some uneasiness, but for a time these were not put to their correct and best use. At last Ritchie got his left foot on one and beat Rundell with a hard low drive. After having gained the lead, the homesters were inclined to lie low, but the shouts from the spectators kept them to their work, and from a scrimmage Ellis headed into the net. Previous to this Blair had again to retire, for good this time, owing to another injury. Play kept on fast until the whistle sounded, when the Abercorn retired, defeated on merit by three goals to one.

Aberdeen v Abercorn.

Saturday was an ideal day for football, the weather being neither too hot nor too cold.
Keep your eye on Paisley was the advice given to the home supporters, but after Saturday's display we are afraid it will be another team with a like name that will have to be "eyed."
Another win for the "black and gold brigade" will make their record read 5 games and 5 points.
"There's corn in Egypt yet," as one sporting paper has it.
McFarlane still upholds his reputation, although we have an idea that with better judgment he might have kept his goal intact.
Murray's recovery work still keeps up, while his kicking is improving as regards strength.
The Skipper was not so safe as usual. His encouraging shouts to the members of the team did not go amiss.
All three halves played well and were easily ahead of the opposing trio.
The forwards with one exception were well nigh brilliant. The one exception was Ellis. We do not wish to question this player's ability or willingness, but we are certain he never will be a centre in the true sense of the word.
Robertson was the star of the whole twenty-two players and played magnificently. We confess we thought him a dead failure, and that he was "done," but Saturday showed him in his true light and his best form. His crosses and centres were a treat.
McNicoll fed him to perfection, and the pair make a grand wing.
The left wing also showed good form, and we trust they will improve as they go on.
Rundell did not play up to expectation, but he bad little or no chance to save any of the three goals.
Both backs showed good kicking powers, especially the right wing. His display in the first half was splendid, but after the interval it fell away owing to the fact that his half was of little or no use, besides being away latterly. We trust Blair will have a speedy recovery. His accident was simply done and unfortunate.
Mackie was the best of the trio, while Eadie shone in his tactics.
The forwards never seemed to get the ball often, but when they did get it they made good headway.
Stewart is a likely centre, with excellent speed.
The only others to show to advantage were Frame and Brodigan.
Mr. Liddell, who was referee, was very sharp in his decisions. The home crowd must have felt they had found a referee near to their own heart, as, if anything, he was partial to the Aberdeen. Not once did they question a decision.

Source: Bon-Accord September 29, 1904

Aberdeen played their fourth match in the Scottish League, second division, competition at Pittodrie on Saturday, their opponents being the Abercorn, from Paisley. Up till Saturday the Aberdeen club had only secured one point in the League competition, the single point being the result of a very creditable draw with the Hamilton Academicals at Hamilton. Consequently the black and gold brigade were anxious to please their clamorous supporters by a victory on Saturday, and from the start of the game to the finish they played with a vigour, determination, and concerted skill which was not altogether fully rewarded by their win of two clear goals over their opponents. The final result being ? Aberdeen, 3; Abercorn, 1.

Fully 3000 spectators witnessed the game. The pitch at Pittodrie was in ideal condition, and, apart from a slight breeze which did not affect the play very much, the weather was favourable. The teams were:- Aberdeen: Macfarlane; Murray, McNicol; Halkett, Strang, Low; Robertson, G. McNicol, Ellis, McAulay, Ritchie.
Abercorn: Rundell; Graham, Wardrop; Blair, Mackie, Eadie; Bradigan, Smith, Stewart, Frame, Irvine.
Mr. D. J. Liddell, Glasgow, was referee.

Almost at the start of the game the Aberdeen eleven got into their stride, and they played with a dash and accuracy of movement which betokened a perfect understanding between back, half-backs, and forwards. Seldom has a start more exhilarating and promising been made by the local team at Pittodrie. They swept up the field at top speed, their lively movements, their tricky turns and twists, and crisp, correct, snip-snap passes bewildering the Paisley lads, and causing them to plunge about in a somewhat erratic fashion. It was a brilliant start on the part of the Aberdonians, and it was not a flash in the pan, neither was it fancy and unfruitful, for the black and gold sharpshooters gave the Paisley defenders no rest. Low inaugurated the first raid into Paisley territory. Slipping past several opponents in the swerving, gliding way in which he has so effectively adopted, he passed the ball to McAulay, who drew out the Abercorn backs and trickily passed to Ritchie. Dashing in, McAulay failed to catch up Ritchie's low cross. A punt up the field gave Paisley relief, but it was momentarily, as the ball was soon back at the north-east corner, where Low, Ritchie, and McAulay were again delighting the spectators by their fooling of the Paisley "Buddies." The crowd had a thrill of the unpleasant variety when McNicol, the Aberdeen left back, allowed a dribbling Abercorn forward to pass him. Three thousand breasts heaved a simultaneous breath of relief when the parting shot of the raider went wide of the mark. A smart bit of work by G. McNicol was loudly cheered. Tricking an opponent, he passed to Ellis, who made progress, and returned to McNicol. Smack went McNicol's parting shot against the crossbar. It deserved a better fate. Abercorn were breaking away, but their centre forward fouled, and from the free kick the spectators were treated to some lively play in front of the Paisley goal. Ritchie, from six yards out, let drive, but he was woefully wide of the mark. Seldom has a mis-kick on the football field been so generously rewarded as was this one of Ritchie's. The ball took its uncertain flight to where Robertson stood, over on the right, and he tipped it across the goalmouth with his head. It touched a second head on its journey, and finally McAulay got his top tuft on it and turned it in to the net out of reach of Rundell. A stentorian cheer rolled round the field, and when the ball was again kicked off, loud cries of "Come away, Aberdeen," invited the hard working home team to repeat the performance. And the players tried very hard, and very often nearly did it. For a time the game was somewhat spoiled by fouls, the Paisley players being the chief offenders. There was not unusual roughness, but no infringement of the rules of the game escaped the lynx-eyed referee. One of the most gratifying features of the play was the return to form of Robertson, who was dashing along the wing, crossing with faultless judgement always at the right moment, and combining very trickily and effectively with his partner and the half-back behind him. In fact Robertson and McNicol were the best wing on the field, the brilliant work of McAulay on the Aberdeen left being usually nullified by the weak finishing of Ritchie. Ellis, too, notwithstanding his well-meaning attempts to break through, proved an unsatisfactory pivot. These criticisms notwithstanding, the play of the Aberdeen team, taken all over, was much superior to that of the Abercorn, who went in too much for what was called in the old days "the kick and run" style of play, the only merit it had being that when the forwards did get down they were really very dangerous, as the Aberdeen defence usually lay well up the field. Abercorn, with two sturdy sure-kicking backs and a sound half-back line, managed to keep the Aberdeen forwards from scoring. After Ritchie, with a clear field, had missed a chance of trying Russell's powers, Halkett struck the cross-bar with a rocket shot. At this stage the game was stopped twice in close succession, owing to accidents. On the first occasion a player was winded, but the second accident was of a more serious nature. Blair, one of the Paisley men, in trying to head the ball, sprang too high, and turning a somersault over McAulay's head, landed heavily on the ground with his shoulder. He sickened and was carried off the field. Abercorn, with only ten men, for some time played up pluckily, but they could make no headway. A bad miss by McNicol led to Macfarlane getting his first shot to hold. The Aberdeen goalkeeper cleared with ease. Away to the other end went the Stripes, the run finishing by G. McNicol bringing the Paisley goalkeeper to his knees with a hot shot. Rundell cleared with difficulty, in fact McNicol claimed that the ball was through before Rundell got his fist upon it, but the referee said no. So on the game went, Aberdeen constantly pressing on a stubborn defence with Paisley breaking away occasionally. Several times in facing these swoops of the Abercorn forwards the Aberdeen backs were shaky, especially McNicol. He missed his kick more than once, and Murray had to come to his aid. One such incident led to Abercorn getting their first and only goal. McNicol missed, and Strang, in attempting to cover up, was tricked by Frame, who shot from twenty yards out into a corner of the net. Macfarlane threw himself full length at the ball, but he was too late. Aberdeen maintained their pressure, but failed to score, McAulay losing a grand chance close in through lifting the ball over the bar. A shot from the foot of G. McNicol all but found the net.

When the teams had changed ends, Robertson raised the enthusiasm of the crowd by a single-handed run, in the course of which he tricked and passed several opponents. Robertson crossed grandly, but Ritchie just failed to reach the ball with his head. An Abercorn raid was repelled by McNicol, who punted powerfully to the other end, where Ellis almost worried his way through. Aberdeen's second goal came immediately after, and a very pretty goal it was. G. McNicol cleverly drew out the Paisley backs, and kicking overhead, landed the ball at Ritchie's feet. Ritchie steadied himself for an instant, and then drove hard, low, and true, giving Rundell no chance to save. Ellis, McNicol and Robertson led another attack, which was repulsed. The Whites then visited the other end, and Macfarlane had to kick out. Shortly after Macfarlane again distinguished himself by clearing in brilliant fashion, while hotly engaged by two of the Paisley forwards. Three or four times the Abercorn forwards had the Aberdeen backs reduced to their last extremity, these dangerous flying visits causing the crowd no little anxiety. In the open, however, the visitors were invariably outplayed. Both Ritchie and Ellis showed great improvement in the second portion of the game, the latter being only inches wide with a fast shot. Rundell turned aside a shot from Robertson's foot at the expense of a corner. Robertson took the kick, and placed the ball well into the Abercorn goal. Rundell fisted out, and the ball darted from head to head until it reached Ellis, who smartly headed it into the net, thus scoring Aberdeen?s third goal. Aberdeen kept up the pressure, Halkett's tackling being especially noticeable. Ritchie placed the ball in the net, but just as he shot the referee's whistle blew. He was offside. Ellis, with nobody to beat but Rundell, shot over the bar. Towards the end of the game, the Abercorn goal underwent a steady bombardment for a few minutes. A rocket shot from McAulay's foot all but reached the net, while a few seconds later a great shot by Halkett glanced off the underside of the crossbar. In their last desperate effort to score the Abercorn forwards forced McNicol to kick into touch, and from the play following the throe-in, Macfarlane was called upon. With a whoop of warning he sprang from his goal and punted the ball far up the field. Murray delighted the occupants of the grand stand by his cool, and clever play, the way in which he bottled up the Paisley left wing being a treat to witness. Aberdeen kept the upper hand to the end, but there was no further scoring, the result being Aberdeen, 3; Abercorn,1.

Aberdeen worked hard for their first two point in the second division, and they thoroughly deserved them, for they outplayed their opponents at all points. The amount drawn at the gate was £82.

Source: Aberdeen Daily Journal, 26th September 1904