Aberdeen 2 - 2 Dundee United

A draw of two goals each was fair value of the play at Pittodrie Park. Each team should have done better in taking advantage of opportunities that were afforded for scoring, but each team failed miserably at close quarters. If it had not been for Aberdeen's better defence the northern team would have had another defeat to their discredit. They looked like losing for some time in the second period, when Dundee United assumed the lead. It was curious that in the first half the only scoring was a goal on each side from penalty kicks by Reid and Walker respectively, the home team's point coming first. Meagher's slanting shot put the Dundee United ahead, and the equaliser by Cheyne was perhaps the best bit of play seen in the match. It was due to the inside-right's steadiness and deliberation that the shot was so effective. Dempster, the Dundee United custodian, saved a number of likely shots, but he saw many badly finished shots go past. The Aberdeen forwards seemed to have left their shooting boots at home.

Source: The Scotsman, 28th March 1927

Aberdeen, who have not won a league match since January 29, could only draw with Dundee United at Pittodrie, each team scoring twice. As the United are firmly established at the foot of the League table, and appear almost certain to be relegated, the result does not flatter Aberdeen. The play was a big disappointment to the ten thousand spectators, and apart from the scoring incidents, there was little to enliven the proceedings. The football served up both teams fell far short of the standard popularly associated with the First Division of the League. Certainly there was no lack of effort, but methods and execution generally were wrong, and the contest was one of the most scrappy provided at Pittodrie this season. The spoiling tactics adopted by both sets of defenders probably contributed largely to this state of affairs, but throughout there was a lack of constructive play and very little attention was paid to combination. Misjudgements may be attributed to the greasy state of the pitch following heavy rain, but that does not provide an adequate explanation for the sorry exhibition provided, nor does it excuse those players who failed in respect that they did not make full use of their colleagues.

A GOALKEEPER'S PART.

If either team should have won it was Aberdeen. They accounted for by far the greater amount of attacking, but their shooting was very badly directed. Neither defence was as sound as it might have been. Dempster, in the United goal, had much more to do than McSevich, and apart from a tendency to fist the ball upwards instead of outwards, came well out the game, indeed he did more than any other member of his team to save a point for the visitors. Kay was the better back, and Bauld showed cleverness at left half, although Walker, as pivot, got through some good defensive work. Forward. Meagher and McDonald were the only two to take the eye.
McSevich in the Aberdeen goal had one or two smart saves, but it was an indecisive clearance by him that preceded the visitors' second goal. Jackson was the better back, and McHale and McDermid were prominent in the intermediate line. Cheyne and Bruce (R.) were the best of the home forwards, all of whom were weak when it came to finishing. MacFarlane, the reserve team centre-forward, who made his first appearance In the League eleven, did not make an auspicious debut, but did not get much assistance from his colleagues.

TALE OF TWO PENALTIES.

MacFarlane might have given Aberdeen an early lead, but he failed to get his boot properly behind Smith's ground pass, and Dempster easily stopped the centre forward's slow shot. Almost on their first run up United, too, ought to have scored when Bruce (D.) missed his kick, but the situation found Simpson unprepared. In another United raid, McSevich fielded smartly from McDonald, and at the other end MacFarlane again failed to get in a decisive shot when he found himself well placed. Following warm exchanges in front of the United goal, Reid had a shot, and Aberdeen claimed that the ball was over the line before Dempster cleared, but the appeal was turned down. Play ruled greatly in favour of Aberdeen, and the lead was deserved when Reid netted with a penalty kick after Kay was held to have illegally charged MacFarlane. United retaliated in spirited fashion, and only a timely clearance by Bruce (D) saved the situation when Henderson had the Aberdeen goal at his mercy. United were only five minutes in arrears, as Jackson, while covering McSevich in the act clearing, was adjudged to have fouled Henderson in the penalty area, and Walker equalised from the spot. After a spell of end-to-end play, the exchanges again veered in favour of Aberdeen. MacFarlane lost a good chance by failing to gather a pass from the right. Henderson almost counted with a back-heeled effort for the United, but until the interval Aberdeen had the better of the exchanges, indifferent finishing accounting for their not being on the lead.

WEAK FINISHING.

A shot by Cheyne had the United defence in a tangle after Dempster had fisted into the air following the resumption of play, but the danger was stalled off. Subsequently Smith shot wide with only Dempster in front, but later the Aberdeen left winger had a fine effort stopped by the goalkeeper when several yards out of his charge. Aberdeen maintained the offensive, and after MacFarlane had lifted high over from a pass from Smith, Dempster did well to stop a 'cute turn-in by the Aberdeen centre forward. United took the lead at a time when they appeared more likely to fall into arrears. McDonald got away to send in a high ball, which McSevich deflected to the right, and after another try had been blocked, Meagher netted from close in. Aberdeen equalised immediately, Cheyne scoring with a deliberate shot from the penalty line. Apart from occasional breaks-away by the United, Aberdeen were nearly always attacking afterwards, but although the forwards had many shots these were mostly off the mark. On several occasions, however, Dempster effected several smart saves, notably one from a shot by Smith, when the goalkeeper threw himself at the foot of the post to deflect the ball for a corner.

Source: Press & Journal, 28th March 1927