Aberdeen 0 - 0 East Fife

Aberdeen A team played their first home Northern League match of the season at Pittodrie on Saturday. There was only a fair attendance when the teams lined up as follows:-

Aberdeen A: King; Hannah, Macfarlane; Davidson, J. J. Simpson, Low; Hay, Towns, R. Simpson, Roberts, Ritchie.
East Fife:Mackie; Fitzpatrick, Owen; Moodie, Coull, Sloggie; Scott, McEwan, Nairn, Bell, McFarlane.

Aberdeen won the toss, and played during the first half with the wind in their favour. Play at the start was greatly in favour of the home team, and for fully a quarter of an hour East Fife forwards did not cross midfield. Mackie saved cleverly in the East Fife goal, and twice got rid of good shots by R. Simpson. The Aberdeen centre forward had hard luck when he struck the crossbar with a fast drive, while later on Mackie cleared smartly following upon a corner to the A team. A smart run by Macfarlane, on the visitors' left wing, brought the play in the vicinity of King, but the Aberdeen backs were very safe, and spoiled any attempts at scoring on the part of the Fife team. King, however, distinguished himself when he effected a capital save, the goalkeeper clearing finely, almost under the bar, from a shot sent in by the East Fife inside left. The remainder of the first half was greatly in favour of Aberdeen, but they failed at close quarters, and the teams crossed over level - no scoring.

The game rolled fairly even throughout the greater portion of the second half. There was plenty of strong kicking, but all over the play was uninteresting. Half-way through the second. Coull, centre half of the Fife team, got hot, and had to leave the field. Although playing with 10 men, the visitors were able to hold their own. R. Simpson put in some capitol work for the A team, and it was only due to the fine saving of Mackie in goal and the Aberdeen centre forward did not score. Mackie saved on one occasion when a goal appeared certain to come, the ball striking the goalkeeper, when he was practically beaten all the way. At the other end King brought off a very good clearance while at full stretch on the ground. Apart from these incidents the game was quite featureless. Aberdeen almost scored close on time, but the whistle sounded with a game standing:- Aberdeen 0, East Fife 0.

The gate amounted to £27 13s 2d.

Source: Aberdeen Daily Journal, 31st August 1908

A Point for the Reserves.

Aberdeen A made their first appearance at Pittodrie for the season on Saturday, the opposition being furnished by East Fife, who by no means occupy a high place on the table. A strong wind prevailed which caused no end of trouble to the players, who were utterly unable to put a proper guage on it, or to make the ball answer their well-intended efforts. With the wind behind them, Aberdeen pressed at the start, corners and behinds being the main features of play. Mackie proved a clever custodian, and Fitzpatrick and Ower a couple of resolute backs, who kicked and tackled resolutely to the utter discomfiture of the home forwards. What generally happened was the ball going inches past the side of the posts or yards over the bar, those on the mark being safely negotiated one way or another by the aforesaid defence. Very little outfield play was to be seen, the spectators being loud in their urging on the players for a goal.

Without a score the teams crossed over and the visitors had a little more say in the game, but like the home side, with the exception of a couple of rasping shots which were cleverly dealt with by King, they proved as hopeless and helpless at goalmouth as their opponents had previously been. Aberdeen A played cleverly in the open, but their shooting was wild, though twice they had the ball in, the referee ruling against them on each appeal. There were occasions when this official might have been a little firmer and thus prevented the outbursts of temper, which failed to improve the play. As time went on it became apparent that the forwards on both sides were totally incapable of scoring, and this proved to be true. A poor game ended, as it began, without the ball reaching the desired haven whereby a side may be proclaimed victors. King Was in good form between the sticks in what little he had to do, Hannah and Macfarlane being on a par so far as good back play was concerned.
Davidson and J. J. Simpson were good and bad by turns, the best half being W. Low, who made the least mistakes, if any. Towns and R. Simpson were the only forwards worth mentioning; the rest being very much off colour. On the East Fife side, at back and goal they could not have been served better. The halves were so-so, and the forwards lacked greatly in combination, while their shooting was a great bit off.

Source: Bon-Accord, 3rd September 1908