Aberdeen 0 - 0 Dunfermline Athletic

Aberdeen's most recent Premier League fixtures, against St Mirren at Love Street and Dunfermline at Pittodrie, both failed to produce a single goal, and, indeed, the first of these games was abandoned after an hour's play due to weather conditions at Paisley. Little to report from these games, you might think, but Teddy Scott feels that these two apparently abortive matches each had a positive value far outweighing the negative scorelines produced.
For one thing, keeping the opposition's scoresheet blank over two games (well, almost two games) played in conditions which imposed severe penalties on defensive mistakes could be viewed as an indication that the young Dons' organisation at the back was an improvement on their earlier tendency towards giving away goals needlessly, a fault which culminated in the 6-1 drubbing they received from Rangers just before Christmas. Individually, too, there were encouraging performances, particularly from some of the younger players in action, underlining the value of the youngsters now receiving more individual attention in training sessions since the advent of Willie Miller to share the coaching responsibilities with Drew Jarvie.
In the game against Dunfermline, for example, 17-year-old Colin MacRonald was paired up front with 16-year-old Colin Milne, who was making his reserve league debut. Although they would probably have benefited from the experience of such as Andy Gibson, who was missing through injury, the two teenagers acquitted themselves with considerable credit.
Another teenager to distinguish himself was Ian Downie - and in a variety of positions! Playing at left back, Ian was one of the few Aberdeen successes against Rangers, and he shone against St Mirren, appearing as a 20th-minute substitute for the injured Gibson and operating as a right winger. Against Dunfermline, the right back berth for this versatile youngster, already accustomed to playing in a variety of roles in the Scotland youth squad.

Source: Match Programme, 12th January 1991