Aberdeen 2 - 1 Sunderland

IF yesterdays friendly between Aberdeen and Sunderland can be taken as a reliable guide, then Scottish "A" Division soccer compares very favourably with English League Division I.
The Dons beat Sunderland 2-1 and the Wearsiders had no reason to complain about the result. The visitors made their big effort in the closing stages.
They equalised through Skackleton, but they had reckoned without the opportunism of George Hamilton.
The Dons leader snatched the winning goal two minutes from time, one minute after the Wearslders had levelled the scores.

THE game as a spectacle was spolied by a wind of almost gale force but even allowing for this the play of the English League team was disappointing. Their attack never really impressed.
Admittedlv they played some neat football against the wind in the first half, but Aberdeen were always the more dangerous combine. They led at half-time by a goal scored by Hamilton, but it should have been two. Emery blazed a penalty kick over the bar.
The Dons played a better brand of football against the wind than they had done with it. Pearson and Baird on the left flank were in merry mood, and Hamilton was a lively leader.

The exchanges became quite teethy in the closing stages of the second period. Shackleton netted a good goal for the Roker Park team three minutes from the end. He raced through from a pass by Ford, evaded Young and cracked the ball past Martin.
Probably the English League club would have been content with a draw, but in their next raid the Dons made the "kill." When Hudgell, the Sunderland left back, headed out a free kick from Emery, Hamilton was right on the spot to head the ball deliberately into the net.

SUNDERLAND'S £30.000 centre-forward Trevor Ford found the first time tackling of Young, the Aberdeen centre half, a trifle disconcerting. The Welsh international missed a couple of chances in the first half, but he had only one real scoring chance alter the interval.
He had a perfect header from a Headley free kick. The ball beat Marlin, rebounded off the post and Kirtley, the visiting inside right, missed a glorious chance.
Sunderland had a couple of accomplished wing half backs in Watson and Wright. Unfortunately the former twisted his ankle in avoiding a tackle from Yorston in the first half.
He finished the opening period on the wing and McLain came on as substitute after the interval. I understand that Watson is likely to be out of the game for several weeks as a result of yesterday's Injury.

Source: Evening Express, 17th April 1951