Aberdeen 1 - 2 Rangers

One 'cross' that the Reserve team always has to bear is that it must inevitably be subject to constant disruption depending on first-team calls and injuries. This was the case last Saturday with four changes in personnel from the previous game. The 2-1 home defeat by Rangers was disappointing in terms of the result but the overall performance included many plus factors. An eventful match hinged on a couple of incidents just before half-time when, with a shade more luck, Dons could have been sitting on a two-goal lead. There could hardly have been a more encouraging start as Paul Wright kept up his habit of scoring in almost every match with a fine fourth minute header. And until things went adrift just before the interval that looked to have set Aberdeen on the way to another victory. The first mini-disaster came when Brian Irvine was involved in an accidental clash of heads with a Rangers' forward. Although there was no cut he suffered an ugly swelling and was left dazed and shaken, clearly unfit to continue. This resulted in David Robertson being pulled from midfield to join John McMaster in the centre of the defence and some disorganisation was inevitable. To make matters worse Wright then had the opportunity to score a second goal but an unkind bounce as he was about to bury what looked a simple chance left the score at a slender one-goal lead. As is so often the case in football such misses get punished and Rangers came out with their tails up to grab two goals for a 2-1 lead early in the second-half. Both came in the space of a decisive two minutes and could have been avoided. No doubt they WOULD have been, too, had Irvine been still there blocking the middle of the defence. Both had an 'own goal' look about them, the second one accidentally striking David Robertson on the knee to deflect out of Brian Gunn's reach. All teams get spells in games when nothing seems to go for them and this was one of those periods, Eric Porteous being upended on his way towards goal for an 'obvious' penalty that never came. Late on another couple of chances went astray as Dons played some impressive football, dominated more than their share of the play, but could not pull back the deficit to match the first team's result at Ibrox. 'In many ways it was a satisfactory performance,' said assistant manager Willie Garner. 'I feel we could well have won it but for the two incidents just before half-time which, I feel, changed the course of the game. 'We got well back into the game even after we had gone 2-1 down and created some chances.' Once again McMaster was a reliable figure in the heart of the defence. On this his Testimonial year he is still giving his all for a club he has served so loyally. Wright and Porteous were also impressive, providing a good deal of penetrating forward play. They confirmed that as the season's important fixtures start to come thick and fast at first team level, they intend to press non-stop for a place in manager Alex Ferguson's plans.

Source: Match programme 5th October 1985