Aberdeen 5 - 1 East Fife

In dull and threatening weather the above teams met at Pittodrie on Saturday, before a good crowd, in a friendly fixture. The visitors from the kick off rushed away on the right and a grand cross from Nangle ended up in Houston beating Ritchie from close quarters. Keeping up the pressure the visitors looked dangerous more than once, showing some beautiful football, but Moir and Brebner kept them from becoming too comfortable. McErachen; the A's new centre, was at this time trying hard to get the home quintette moving in a combined effort, but the other men would not take his splendid lead. On some occasions one or two of the forwards did get a chance for a shot at goal, but their tries were nothing near the mark. At last McErachen got an opening, and taking full advantage of this he beat Russell with a nice low shot, thus equalising matters.

The game continued to keep on equal terms, but the visitors fine play of the opening stages fell away considerably. One or two shots, however, did come the way of Ritchie, the home custodian, but they were all disposed of in a smart manner. Nearing half time, from a foul the new man in centre put the homesters on the lead by a good try, which beat Russell in an unexpected manner. On resuming the A's at once took matters in hand, and it was not long ere McErachen had added other two goals, both of which were well taken. The Fifers at this point were playing much below what was expected of them, and very seldom was the home defence seriously tested. Wilson, who was playing a wretched game, surprised both spectators and himself by actually scoring a fifth point. Play slackened now somewhat, but nearing the close the visitors made a determined attack on the home goal, but all to no purpose, and the game ended Aberdeen A 5, East Fife 1.

Points from Pittodrie.

Taking everything into consideration, the crowd and Rate was exceedingly good, the latter being £18.
The spectators were rather taken with the smart exhibition of the visitors in the opening stages, but as the game progressed this deteriorated somewhat.
Russell is not a great custodian, judging by Saturday's display. The visitors' backs kicked well, bull were not very good in the tackling line.
Melville was the pick of a very fair half-line. The forwards all over gave a very poor display of football and showed a bad sign of laziness. None of them were very brilliant.

In the home goal Ritchie got little or nothing to do but did that little well.
Moir and Brebner defended very well, and should make a good pair of backs with a little more experience with each other.
Ritchie, Thomson, and Robertson made a good half-line, and played with the opposing forwards at the latter end of the game.
The new man in centre was the finest forward on the field and had four goals to his credit. With a little more dash and weight he would make an ideal centre. He gave the other forwards a lesson in shooting, and they are badly in need of it.
If Wilson is the best inside left that the Aberdeen can get for their reserves, then we are willing to get a player for this position who would be an improvement on the present.
Mr. Arthur Watt, who had charge of the game, did make a slip once or twice, but very slight things they were, and he certainly did not merit the hisses and hoots which were put out on him.

Source: Bon-Accord March 24, 1904

The Aberdeen A team had East Fife as their guests at Pittodrie on Saturday. The teams were: Aberdeen: Ritchie; Moir, Brebner; Murphy, Thomson, Robertson; Freeland, Gordon, McEachern, Wilson, Shiach. East Fife: Mussett; Walker, Annan; Adams, Melville, Smith; Mangle, Johnston, Wilson, Dailly, Houston.

The game was of a very interesting nature, and the Aberdeen A team had the best of it all through. The visitors, however, were the first to score. McEachern scored the equalising goal. From a foul, McEachern put Aberdeen on the lead, the score at half-time being ? Aberdeen A, 2; East Fife, 1.

Aberdeen did all the scoring in the second half, putting on no fewer than three goals, McEachern being responsible for two, and Wilson adding the fifth.

Source: Aberdeen Journal, 21st March 1904