Aberdeen 5 - 1 St. Johnstone

BAIN NOTCHES BRILLIANT GOAL AT PIT TODRIE

(By "MAC.")

ABERDEEN beat St Johnstone as easily as the score 5-1 suggests.

The home defence was rarely in difficulties. The Dons' attack was livelier in the second half than in the first. They led 2.0 at the interval.
Williams was Aberdeen's most dangerous forward, but Bain, too, showed clever touches. The latter scored a brilliant goal in the second half.
Aberdeen. after two weeks' absence, appeared at Pittodrie to-day against St Johnstone. Both teams took the field as selected. Cooper was absent from the home side as the result of a leg injury and Anderson filled the left back berth.

OPENING THRILL

AWKWARD HIGH BALL CAUSED TROUBLE

There was a thrill in the opening minute at the St Johnstone goal.
Beattie headed a Graham clearance to Bain's feet and raced to take up position at inside right. He sent in a long, awkward high ball, and Wylie almost punched it into the net.
Beattie instigated the next home raid, this time swinging the ball out to the left. Williams was on it like a flash and Wylie had to rush from his charge to block his shot.
St Johnstone replied strongly, and Hird and Howie had Johnstone in action. Ferguson, Beattie and Williams started another Aberdeen attack, but Smith finished by sending wildly past.
Beattie was as lively as a cricket against his old team and he almost opened the scoring when he went to meet a return pass from Smith. Wylie beat him to the ball by a "short head."

BAD PASSING

The Dons certainly held advantage territorially, but their forward movements had a most annoying habit of breaking down when a score seemed likely.
Time and again a bad pass spoiled good play and more than once two players left the ball to each other, with the result that a St Johnstone player got it. Two corners in rapid succession for the Dons were not improved upon. Lorimer burst through and shot hard across goal, and Hird followed by forcing three flag-kicks.
Beattie went charging through after smart play by Bain and Smith but his shot went across the goalmouth. Another raid on the left ended in Welsh saving on his knees from Bain.

LUCKY ESCAPE

Then came a lucky escape for the Saints.
Williams got clear on the left, drew the 'keeper and then crossed for Ferguson to turn the ball towards goal. It seemed a sure counter but Welsh bobbed up on the goal-line to kick clear.

WILLIAMS COUNTS

Smith ran through on his own to shoot past, but in thirty-six minutes the long-overdue goal arrived.
Ferguson put WILLIAMS through, and the winger outpaced Welsh and shot for the ball to enter the net off Wylie.
Just on the interval clever work by Beattie left Williams in possession. The winger was out on the right, but slipped the ball across to FERGUSON, who found the net with a grand drive.
Beattie almost made it three when he dashed through. Wylie left his goal and was lucky to get the ball.

A SOLO EFFORT

SMITH NETS WITH OBLIQUE SHOT

The Dons made a bright start.
In the first minute SMITH dashed through on his own and found the net with an oblique shot.
Following several raids by the Perth team Smith had another solo dash. but this time Manderson headed his shot away for a corner.
With seven minutes played St Johnstone reduced the leeway. LORIMER cleverly heading home a cross from Hird.
This goal put fresh life into the visitors' play, and they kept the Dons on the defensive. Sneddon had one good try, but Johnstone was equal to the occasion.
BAIN scored a great goal for the Dons in sixteen minutes. Williams and Beattie took the ball downfield and Ferguson slipped it back to the inside right. Bain's shot from twenty yards beat the 'keeper all ends up.

FIERCE DRIVE

St Johnstone attacked on the right, and Johnstone held a fierce drive from Hird.
Back went the Dons, and Ferguson dived forward to head narrowly over from a cross from Smith.
Play swung from end to end. Beattie had hard luck with a header and Hird had a good try for Saints.
Smith led the Dons on the attack again, and Wylie was glad to punch away his cross.
St Johnstone came within an ace of scoring when Johnstone missed a cross from the right. The 'keeper was out of his goal, and when Sneddon got his head to the ball, a score seemed certain. To the relief of the home team, Waddell headed clear on the line.
Bain forced a corner on the right near the finish. A scramble followed the flag-kick and WILIIAMS jabbed the ball into the net.

Source: Evening Express, 23rd December 1939