Aberdeen 1 - 2 Dundee Wanderers

These teams played their return fixture at Pittodrie, Aberdeen, on Saturday, the Aberdeen having been the visitors at the previous meeting at Dundee. There was a large attendance. The weather was excellent, and the pitch dry and fast. The teams well:-
Aberdeen A: Barrett; Willox, Brebner; Low, Smith, Robertson; Knowles, Cruikshank, Caie, Shiach, Jaffrey.
Wanderers: Ireland; Fitzpatrick, Duncan; Macfarlane, Pearson, McGhie; Jack, Black, Anderson, Graham, Crockett.
Referee - Mister J. MacArthur, Stirling.

From the start the superiority of the Dundee forwards and half backs was evident, and as the game preceded and the visitors' front line got into their stride, the tricky work and shop, quick passing were admirable. The Wanderers scored within the first five minutes, due to the slackness of Willox and Smith, the latter being especially blameable. Willox and Brebner had plenty of work to do, and for a time Wilfred Low was the only half-back who was able to check the advance of the Dundee five. Smith, the Aberdeen right half, could do nothing against the Dundee left wing, and "Gowie" Robertson, facing the other wing, was not so effective as is his wont. Graham, the Wanderers' inside left, who played brilliantly, was the cleverest forward on the field the Aberdonians played wretchedly, the forwards again and again losing the ball when on the run in the most tantalising fashion. The Dundee backs were allowed too much freedom when a little hustling might have unsettled them. The Aberdeen backs put up a stubborn, solid defence, and although Willox was slow, he seldom missed the ball, his clever heading being a feature of the game in the first half. Jaffrey's selfishness and Caie's slackness were responsible for the spoiling of several dangerous-looking runs by the Aberdeen forwards. The Wanderers were undoubtedly the better eleven, and deserved their lead.

Aberdeen were prominent for a time when the game restarted, but soon the clever work of the Dundee forwards, the stubborn tackling of the half-backs, and the sure kicking of the backs pulled up on the Pittodrie eleven. Wilfred Low fell away, until his plate bore no comparison to that which he displayed in the first half; while Smith might just as well have been off the field, the Dundee left wing enjoying perfect immunity from tackling. Accepting a pass from Graham, after that clever forward had drawn out the defence and left an opening, Anderson, the Wanderers' centre forward, dashed off, and with nobody to beat but Barrett, shot from 15 yards out, and landed the ball in the net, the Aberdeen goalkeeper making a commendable efforts to save. Wanderers, after the success, played up with even greater dash than before, and on several occasions almost scored again. At the other end, Low, Shiach, and Jaffrey tried a Ireland but the Dundee goalkeeper was unbeatable. Seven minutes from the finish, however, when the Aberdeen team had weakened up, and were pressing with surprising dash, Ireland was beaten, but he was not to blame. Knowles sent in a high shot, which highland was on the spot ready to intercept, when Duncan intervene with his head, the ball glancing off in striking the top of the net two - inside of course - much to Ireland's chagrin. Jim by this gift the Aberdeen team played with great determination, and it seemed as if they would equalise. The bustle of the A forwards rendered the Dundee backs somewhat shaky, but Aberdeen failed to score, a game ended a well-deserved win for the Wanderers.

Source: Aberdeen Daily Journal, 24th April 1905