Aberdeen 0 - 1 Dundee

With, on paper, a weaker team than Matt which yielded up two Northern League points on the same ground a fortnight before, Dundee A won their Reserve League match with Aberdeen A at Pittodrie on Saturday afternoon. It was a hard, fast-going game, and, on the whole, produced better football and was seen at the preceding meeting of the pair. The home combinations certainly had the major portion of the play, but they ran up against a sterling defense, and had to cope with an attack which was distinctly more methodical than their own. Gowans, who had been in service so long that he may and now be dubbed as one of the veterans in these parts, was noticeable throughout for "heady move work in anticipating the moves of the opposition and in letting his own men off. Aberdeen A were the more aggressive lot at the start, and their right wing was repeatedly dangerous. Douglas, at centre, was a marked man, and at no time had a yard of rope given him. There was a good deal of slipping on the frost-bound pitch, but this did not altogether account for the manner in which Millar was several times left behind. Duncan's parting efforts, fortunately for the Wasps, were invariably feeble, otherwise more and earlier damage might have been done. As it was, the only goal of the match fell to be credited to the visiting right wing. Duncan was grassed 24 yards out, and Wyllie headed through as fine a point as could possibly be scored. After this success Dundee A were more in evidence, though their own goalkeeper continued to have fully more to do than King.

The visitors restarted as they had left off, by pressing hard. Latterly they were kept well out of danger, the most of the play in the concluding stages being either around Balfour or in midfield. The ex-Brechin City goalkeeper had one bad habit of leaving his charge, and another of failing to get rid of the leather first time, to use the popular phrase. Those propensities almost spelt disaster not once but three times in the course of the match, as a free-kick for carrying the leather too far was given against him in each half. It was at a comparatively safe distance in the first period - almost on the 20 yards line- but the second was not 4 yards from the goalline, though, to tell the truth, the latter infringement looked doubtful from the press-box. No goal resulted, although it was neck or nothing, but bell for should take heed and amend his tactics. He is a first-rate custodian otherwise, and his save of a hot shot from Edgar from 6 yards in the closing moments was marvellous. His backs and hearts were hard put to it in the last 20 minutes, a must have welcomed the end. They might have been lucky, but they were also resolute, and they kept the home forwards from ever looking like getting through.

Source: Aberdeen Daily Journal, 25th December 1911