Aberdeen 7 - 1 Ayr United

Ayr United were trounced by Aberdeen at Pittodrie in a game played in heavy rain. The visitors put up a better display than the score suggests, although they fell away badly in the second half. They were weak at half-back, and the forwards, although nippy, lacked subtlety in their movements. Scobbie was outstanding in the defence, but the half-backs could not hold the clever home forwards. Fleming and McCall were the pick of the attackers
The return of Warnock strengthened the Dons' attack. The outstanding player on the field was Mills, Aberdeen's inside left. He showed splendid ball control and made many openings. Fraser and Thomson were forcing half-backs, and Gavin excelled in a defensive capacity.
Armstrong gave Aberdeen an early lead, but McCall quickly equalised. Ayr raided frequently, their quick dashes giving the home defence considerable trouble. The superior work of the home half-backs and forwards told, however, and Mills and Armstrong gave Aberdeen an interval lead of two goals. Aberdeen held the upper hand in the second half, and Armstrong completed his "hat trick," and R. Smith (2) and Warnock also scored.

Source: The Glasgow Herald, 18th February 1935

Aberdeen had an easy and well-deserved victory over Ayr United at Aberdeen by seven goals to one. And yet in the early stages of the match the visitors made a gallant attempt to stave off defeat, and equalised ten minutes from the start through a cleverly-placed shot by McCall, the inside-right forward. Thanks largely to Armstrong's constructive play Aberdeen regained the lead. The centre forward secured a "hat trick," and the other scorers were Mills, R. Smith (2), and Warnock. The Aberdeen team worked nicely together and were never in serious danger. They were far too good for their opponents. The attendance was about 5000.

Source: The Scotsman, 18th February 1935

ABERDEEN PILE ON SEVEN AGAINST AYR AT PITTODRIE

DONS' SUPERIOR TEAM WORK.

Ayr Hardly Deserve So Big Defeat.

Aberdeen were well on top in their match with Ayr United at Pittodrie. The Dons were superior in team work and won as easily as the score suggests.

The Honest Men were hardly deserving of so severe a beating, but the blame must rest with the half-back line and the goalkeeper.
Taylor, Currie and Holland, the intermediate trio, never got a grip of the Aberdeen attack, and they lent their own forwards little or no support. Hepburn never appeared particularly comfortable, and might have prevented three of the goals.

Plucky Backs.

The Ayr attack deserves a meed of praise for its never-say-die spirit, and the backs, too, played pluckily, but after the interval the Dons did pretty much as they liked.
The relegation "bogey" is knocking at the gates of Somerset Park. Unless there is an improvement at half-back, Ayr United seem doomed.
Aberdeen were not long in taking the lead. With six minutes gone Mills lobbed the ball up between the backs, and Armstrong raced after it to crash it past Hepburn.
Ayr fought back desperately, and in four minutes a shot by McCall entered the net off Gavin. A clever Mills goal restored the Dons' lead. The inside-left smartly nodded home a well-placed Johnston corner.

Dons Third.

Aberdeen's third goal, seven minutes from the interval, took most of the fight out of the visitors. Johnston and Warnock took the ball through, and from the winger's slip Armstrong managed to scrape it home.
Offside nullified a Ritchie Smith try In the opening minutes of the second period, but the left-winger had better luck in the fourth minute, when he headed home a Fraser cross.
Ten minutes had gone when Warnock raced forward to head in a cross from Johnston, and Armstrong completed his hat-trick by running a Mills slip right into the net. This goal took the Dons' leader's total to twenty-nine for the season.

Winger's Counter.

Two minutes from the end Mills made an opening for Ritchie Smith, and the left-winger popped in the seventh and last goal.
The man who mattered most in the Aberdeen attack was Mills. The inside-left excelled on the sodden ground, and his ball control and dribbling exposed the weaknesses in the Ayr rear lines.

Fine Inside Trio.

Armstrong was an effective and speedy leader, and Warnock, who has been absent since the Hamilton match, on December 15, fitted into the scheme of things nicely. This trio worked with fine understanding.
Ritchie Smith was never brilliant, but snapped a couple of chances, and Johnston, on the right, got across some good balls, although he has yet to reveal his best form.
Aberdeen's half-back line was much superior to that of Ayr. Thomson was the best middle man afield. He was sound in defence and purveyed to his forwards in good style.

Gavin Sound.

Gavin, after a shaky start settled down to a sound game, but Fraser never touched his best form.
Cooper and McGill had plenty to do to cope with the fleet Ayr forwards, and the game was well advanced before they got a tight grip. Smith, in goal, played confidently.
Hepburn, in the Ayr goal, was not impressive, but Scobbie, at right-back, gave a splendid display. In Ure he had a hard working partner.
None of the half-backs is worthy of mention, but the attack would have got goals had they received better support from behind.
McCall, Fleming and Brae were a smart Inside trio, and McGibbon and Rodger, the wings, were fast and dangerous.

Source: Press & Journal, 18th February 1935