Partick Thistle 4 - 0 Aberdeen

Partick Thistle had a good win over Aberdeen at Firhill Park, Glasgow, but it was late in the game before they could really claim the mastery over their opponents who were always their match in vigour if not in shooting skills. Goals, however, came with a rush in the last fifteen minutes, and were a good finish to what had been a poor game. The score slightly flattered the home men, for up to the time they got their second goal Aberdeen were having a good share of the attack, and failed only at finishing. For the first 20 minutes play was of a give and take nature, but after that the Thistle were on top, and Hair's goal after 28 minutes was deserved on play. Near the interval Kinloch should have put his side further ahead, but he finished wildly. The Aberdeen forwards were seen to better advantage in the second half, but they failed to push home their attack, and Jackson's only difficult shot to hold came from Cheyne. The issue hung in the balance, however, until Torbet turned a cross from Ness into the net. Three minutes later Torbet sent in a powerful shot which got through between the goal and McSevich, and shortly afterwards, McDougall got the fourth goal, following a corner kick. The attendance would be about 12,000.

Source: The Scotsman, 21st March 1927

There were 12,000 spectators at Firhill Park, Glasgow, where Partick Thistle defeated Aberdeen by 4 goals to 0. It was a fast and often exciting game, with little between the teams prior to the interval, at which stage Thistle led by a goal nothing, but in the second period the play of Aberdeen deteriorated. The defence had one very bad lapse for five minutes during which the Thistle added other three goals. There was not four goals of a disparity between the teams, but Thistle were undoubtedly superior, and even if they were flattered by the margin of victory, they well deserved the points. With this defeat - the ninth of the season - Aberdeen drop from fourth to sixth place on the league table.
Thistle combined and passed much more accurately than Aberdeen, and their forwards shot more frequently. In defence, too, the advantage was with the winners, whose backs and half-backs were more resolute and reliable, the wing halves giving their forwards more assistance than the Aberdeen pair, who seldom were equal to forcing the game. The Pittodrie forwards were clever individually, but their solo efforts were carried to excess. The Thistle attackers, on the other hand, made better use of each other, and they seldom failed to keep the game open.

OUTSTANDING PLAYERS.

McSevich in the Aberdeen goal effected many excellent saves, but it appeared as if his judgment was at fault on at least two occasions when goals were surrendered. Jackson was the better Aberdeen back, but both were prone to make mistakes. At half-back, McHale was easily best, getting through some good defensive work, but all three failed to keep the ball low, and the forwards suffered accordingly. In attack Cheyne and Bruce were most prominent, but as a combination the line was never really effective, and compared badly with the Thistle quintette.
For Partick Thistle Jackson and McKendrick were always conspicuous in rear, McKendrlck being the best back on the field. In the intermediate line, the tall Lambie was outstanding both in defence and attack, and his work contributed very materially to the failure of the Aberdeen forwards. Richmond and McLeod were two forcing wing half-backs. Among the forwards, Ness and McDougall were most prominent in a line that worked more smoothly and more effectively than that of Aberdeen.

PROMISE NOT FULFILLED

Had Aberdeen fulfilled their early promise the result must have been vastly different. Shortly after Smith shot wide when well placed, and following clever play by the Pittodrie front line, Cheyne hit the top of post with a fine shot after Smith had centred. Aberdeen kept up the attack for some time, and McHale sent over from long range. Eventually, Thistle came more into the game and McSevich had to save a ground effort by Hair. Following this, Ness centred when McSevich had left his goal to intervene, but luckily for Aberdeen, McHale cleared from almost below the bar. Subsequently. McSevich saved from McDougall and fisted away from Kinloch. At the other end Smith had a free kick deflected for a corner, and from Reid's centre the Aberdeen left winger shot wide. After this Thistle enjoyed a spell of attack. Bruce (D.) dashed in and cleared when Ness was in the act of shooting, and McSevich at the second attempt deflected a headed ball by Hair over the bar. Subsequently Richmond drove a great shot against the Aberdeen cross-bar, and Jackson deflected what would probably have been a scoring shot over the bar following a scrimmage. Aberdeen rallied for time and Smith and Reid both had centres disposed of before the Thistle goalkeeper stopped a dangerous shot by Reid. After 28 minutes' play, Hair, in an apparently offside position got away, and despite a great effort by Bruce (D.) to overtake aim, he clipped the bail into the net just out of reach of the advancing McSevich. Aberdeen almost equalised immediately, the Thistle goalkeeper saving from Bruce (R.J who, while falling, made a great effort to head through from Smith's centre. Later, Smith shot wide and Calderwood deflected a scoring-like shot by Cheyne. In a breakaway by Thistle, Hair shot against the Aberdeen when six yards from goal. Aberdeen were soon back in attack, and following a run on the left, Smith just failed to count with an angular grounder that slipped behind outside the post. Towards the interval, play favoured Thistle, McHale on one occasion bringing off a spectacular tackle when Ness had the goal at his mercy.

COSTLY LAPSE.

In the opening stages of the second half, play was of an even nature, both defences showing up well in robust tackles. A combined run on the Aberdeen left was negatived by McDermid shooting wide when well placed, and at the Aberdeen end McSevich did well to clear when McDougall wheeled round and delivered a surprise shot from close range. For a few minutes after this, the Aberdeen attack dominated the game. Cheyne had a fierce drive which the Thistle keeper required two attempts to clear, and later, when Smith dropped in a high ball in front of the Thistle goal, there as a desperate scrimmage until the danger was cleared. Following this, Calderwood dispossessed Reid when the latter was well placed. A centre by Edward was fisted clear by the Thistle keeper, and a header by McDermid went wide. Just afterwards Smith cut in a shot only to see the ball cross the home goal and behind. On another occasion Reid was in the act of shooting when McKendrick dashed in and cleared. Ultimately Thistle returned to the attack, and after McSevich had saved from McDougall and Kinloch, Ness got away and crossed the ball to the left, where it was picked up by Torbet and sent Into the far side of the net, McSevich evidently thinking a bye would result and making no apparent effort to save. Ten minutes later, Torbet cut in to finish with a fierce shot, the pace of which beat McSevich, and Thistle became three goals up. Shortly afterwards the eclipse of Aberdeen in the scoring sense was completed when McDougall crashed in a fourth goal. Thistle nearly got a fifth when a ball from Torbet slipped behind just outside the post after crossing the Aberdeen goal. Later, McSevich saved from Hair and Kinloch, and McDougall hit the Aberdeen crossbar. Aberdeen rallied again near the end and Reid had the goalkeeper in action, but the game ended with Thistle attacking.

Source: Press & Journal, 21st March 1927