Aberdeen 2 - 2 Arbroath

These teams met at Pittodrie on Saturday afternoon. The cold wind blew from the east across the pitch, and the attendance was only moderate. Teams:-

Aberdeen A: Mutch; Hannah, Brebner; Davidson, Simpson, Drain; Muir, McKinley, Wilson, Robertson, Toman.
Arbroath: McKenzie; Clark, Ferguson; Guild, Taylor, Petrie; Black, Dorward, Ford, Henderson, Ritchie.
Referee - Mr. Winter, Dundee.

Wilson kicked off, but, with the wind in their favour, the visitors were not long in visiting Mutch up, Black testing the custodian with a good try from 20 yards out. Aberdeen could make little headway, and with Hannah and Brebner's kicking anything but accurate, Arbroath were within an ace of scoring on several occasions. Ritchie, on the left, was proving a thorn in the flesh of Hannah, and the right back resorted to illegitimate means to keep the lively forward from scoring. From the resulting foul a corner was forced, but Ritchie placed the ball behind. McKinley and raise the run, and after beating several opponents, he passed nicely to Wilson. The centre shot strongly, but the ball went a trifle high. Play was soon transferred to the other end, and quite a crop of corners came the Maroons' way. The local backs improved, however, and was well on to the interval ere Ritchie opened the scoring with a fast drive from close in.

The game underwent a complete change on the resumption. With the advantage of the wind, Aberdeen played up in surprising fashion, and a great drive of Drain's was splendidly saved by McKenzie. Three minutes from the restart Wilson drew the teams level, the centre neatly heading a finely crossed ball by Muir into the net. A minute after the pivot shivered the crossbar with an unsavable shot. The ball rebounded into play, and Muir secured. He drew out the defence, and then crossed. The leather came to Toman, and the outside left lofted into goalmouth. Wilson again got his head in and scored. As the result of fine work by Ritchie, Arbroath again made the scores level. The outside left received a pass from the right, and dashed away. The outcry and Davidson, wound round Hannah, and banged into the net. It was a well-taken goal, but was hardly deserved on play. Two wards the end of the game played became more open, and each goal was visited in turn, but no further scoring took place.

Source: Aberdeen Daily Journal, 30th December 1907

Arbroath Divide Points.

Pittodrie looked black and dreary, while the clouds and surroundings looked wintry indeed. If the two thousand enthusiasts did not see class football, they were rewarded with plenty excitement and energy. With the aid of a strong wind Arbroath, by wide passing, kept Aberdeen's defence busy. There was little finessing with the ball; it was made to travel, and at such a pace that the defenders had to be on the alert every time. Shortly before the end of the first half Arbroath scored, and, but for the ineffectiveness of the centre forward, the home side should have equalised. It was not till the second period was commenced that the A's may be said to have taken a thorough grip of the game, and after scoring twice, they slackened a bit, only to see Arbroath draw level, through a bid mistake by Hannah. The A's pressed most persistently, but the "Red Lichtie's" defence defied all their efforts, and the game ended 2 goals each.

The Players.

Arbroath did not miss much by the absence of Johnstone for McKenzie kept goal as well as the lanky lad. The backs were steady and so were the halves, the forwards being as nippy as ever, with the little outside right the smartest of the lot. On the home side Mutch saved very smartly, and was in no way responsible for the two goals. Hannah has got into his old habit of dribbling with the ball, and must get rid of it if he means to be a success. Brebner was the better of the two by a long way. Both the wing halves were good, but Simpson was out of it on Saturday and performed very poorly indeed. The wing forwards were good, but the inside men and centre missed chances galore.

Source: Bon-Accord, 2nd January 1908