Aberdeen 5 - 2 Arbroath

WILLIAMS GETS HATTRICK

IT was a feckless "derby" game at Pittodrie, where Aberdeen maintained their record of being one of the most consistent home teams in the League.

The Dons ran out easy winners, but it took them a long time to settle down. Arbroath, on the other hand, made the early running, but they could not sustain their effort. In the second half they had their backs to the wall, and it was seldom that their forwards had a look in.
The Gayfield side might have made a game of it had they had experienced player to hold the forward line together. Their attack was seen only in individual spasms, mostly by Christie or Miller, and the Aberdeen half-backs placed strangle-hold on them in the second half.

HONOURS TO WILLIAMS

There was no outstanding player in the home side. Rennie seemed at fault when Arbroath opened the scoring, but otherwise he was safe. Graham and George Thomson were dependable backs, and all three half-backs worked hard.
Williams, though not always reliable, took the honours in attack. He was a hot handful for Becci and finished up by scoring a hat-trick. Bain gave him good support.
Arbroath's defence was sadly overworked in the second half, but it is to their credit that they never flinched. Anderson and Fordyce several times stopped scoring shots, and Adams and Urquhart were tireless half-backs. Vannet, at right half, was inclined to wander out of position.

THE SCORING

Arbroath rather surprisingly took the lead in the thirty-third minute. Christie had great shot tipped over by Rennie.
The outside right took the kick himself and the Aberdeen defenders seemed to leave the ball to each other. When Waddell eventually cleared the ball had crossed the line.
This put Aberdeen on their mettle, and Williams soon levelled matters from Taylor's cross. It was nearly all Aberdeen in the second half and after relentless pressure Bain scored.
Williams followed with two more before Arbroath were awarded a penalty which Vannet missed. In the closing minutes Pattillo completed the Dons' nap hand, and Ross knocked one off Arbroath's deficit. The visiting centre got clean away from what looked like an offside position.

Source: Press & Journal, 8th April 1940