Heart of Midlothian 2 - 2 Aberdeen

The opening phases of the match between the Heart of Midlothian and Aberdeen at Tynecastle, Edinburgh, suggested a very ordinary club game, but as play developed the contest became keener and play more attractive, with the issue in doubt until the very end. The Hearts were the better side, and did the bulk of the attacking, but they were opposed by a sturdy, steady defence, and had to cope with a dashing rather than skilful set of forwards. In the end they had to be content with a draw of two goals apiece. The best of the Hearts' attack came from the left, where Murray and McMillan, well backed by A. Johnston, were full of running. Had the other wing been on the same level a better result might have been obtained. The first goal came after thirty minutes' play, when R. Bruce scored for Aberdeen at a time when the run of the game was going against the visitors. The Hearts replied strongly and Smith, meeting a cross from Murray, equalised. Just before the interval, however, Moreland failed to check the Aberdeen left wing, and when Gilfillan left his goal to help him, Cheyne slipped in and scored. The Hearts equalised by McMillan soon after the interval, and they followed up that success with a keen attack, but could not beat down the Aberdeen defence, though Morgan made praiseworthy efforts to do so. Near the end Aberdeen revived and both goals had narrow escapes. There was, however, no further scoring, and the Hearts had to be content with one point, when, with a little luck, they might have had two. The attendance would be nearly 13,000.

Source: The Scotsman, 4th April 1927

There was a touch of the "end the season" feeling about the League contest between Aberdeen and the Heart of Midlothian at Tynecastle, where each side scored twice. Except for a quarter an hour after resuming, when the Edinburgh side rose to a high pitch, and in a remarkable last-minute rally when Aberdeen made a shock attack which just failed to carry them to triumph, the atmosphere of the contest was lackadaisical. The Hearts on the preceding Wednesday, when they vanquished the Celtic, achieved a great performance, and one thought from the slowness at times of their movements against Aberdeen that they had exhausted themselves in conquering their great rivals of the west, and only in occasional fitful fires did they sparkle against Aberdeen. Nevertheless, on those occasions when they did sparkle they were ominous in attack, and if ever a team was pulled through by its goalkeeper it was on Saturday by McSevich who, time upon time, gloriously stood the last lone and solitary line repelling powerful shots and fearlessly standing up to the most telling onslaughts. He was the hero of the day so far as Aberdeen was concerned and, undoubtedly, he was the man who robbed the Hearts of the full points; even the most ardent Aberdonian felt that the team taking a point out of the game did more than passing well, and certainly more than the run of the game entitled them to. Jackson was twice rendered hors de combat, but he refused to shout Enough, ' and to the end was a solid tower in front of McSevich, and was second only in importance in Aberdeen's achievement of snatching a counter out of the match.

INSPIRING RALLY.

The last few minutes were the most inspiring of the whole ninety, and when the Hearts' bar was struck and a corner obtained from the rebound, the Aberdonians piled all on in a tremendous shock attack which looked like bringing success at the twelfth hour, but it just fell short, and in the thrill of excitement game ended in a draw of a couple of goals each.
It was a cold and cheerless sort of afternoon, grey and lowering skies, but there was no rain, and the crowd was less than half the customary attendance at Tynecastle on League days, the remainder having joined in the football pilgrimage to Hampden, the scenes at the Edinburgh stations between eleven and one o'clock being extraordinary, with thousands quitting the Capital for the commercial metropolis.

ABERDEEN ON TOP.

The game opened in Aberdeen's favour and a number of openings were presented, but Gilfillan was not to be outwitted, and the biggest thrill came from a remarkable effort by J. Johnstone who, from just inside the centre, sent a cannon ball-like shot at the Aberdeen goal. McSevich did not seem to comprehend that the direction of the ball was accurately trained on the corner of his charge, but, fortunately. D. Bruce sensed the danger and dashing in got his foot on the ball just in time to turn it round the post for a corner which was rendered nugatory, The Aberdeen half-back line was putting in a power of work, placing beautifully, and breaking up the Hearts' combination, but It took the Northerners thirty minutes to get their first goal. The Hearts made an instantaneous response, but it was an extremely lucky goal and one which Aberdeen were justified in grudging them. Before the interval Aberdeen got the lead through Cheyne, and a clever goal it was after outmanoeuvring Reid, and on the run of this half they were assuredly value for their advantage, but the first twenty minutes of the second half the Hearts were in crackerjack trim, and over and over again they looked like drawing ahead after they had equalised. It was McSevich who In this strenuous time bore the brunt of the fierce onslaught. Towards the end the Northern men asserted themselves and in the last great rally they looked good enough to score, but it was not to be. Save for these brilliant cases which have specially alluded to, the game was somewhat uninspiring and drab, altogether the end of the season might be said to have cast its shadow over the gathering, and a fitting result was an equality in the division of the spoils.

Source: Press & Journal, 4th April 1927