Aberdeen 2 - 3 Queen of the South

POINTS GIFTED TO DUMFRIES SIDE

HEAVY PITCH MAKES SLOW GAME

Weak defensive play was mainly responsible for Aberdeen's defeat by Queen of the South at Pittodrie on Saturday. Just how ineffective was the covering up of the backs and half-backs can be judged from the fact that Queen of the South's raids were spasmodic, yet they scored three times, and should have scored on two other occasions at least.

CREDIT DUE

On play Aberdeen should have won. Queen of the South were lucky to escape with both points, but they must be given credit for the manner in which they seized their chances. Fortune did not favour the Dons, but that had nothing to do with the loss of the three goals, which were the result of rank bad defensive play.
Although the visitors were for the most part hemmed into their own territory, when they did take the offensive they adopted the right tactics on a heavy and sodden pitch. When the ball was hit to a player it was hit hard and the man came to meet it.
Aberdeen, on the other hand, insisted on trying to play high class football, and instead of going to meet the ball they waited for it. As often as not the pass was slowed, up on the heavy ground and this generally allowed an opposing defender to nip in and clear.
It would have been in keeping with the run of play had the Dons held a two or three goals lead at the interval. As it was. Queen of the South were two goals ahead.

LUCKY ESCAPES

Twice before Queen of the South opened the scoring their own goal had lucky escapes. A terrific shot by Mills beat the 'keeper and struck the underside of the crossbar, while the same player later had the annoying experience of seeing Bruce, the visiting centre-half, stop a sure counter with his foot while he was lying on the goal-line.
Queen of the South took the lead seven minutes from the interval. Hay was lying unmarked in the middle, and when Tulip broke through on the left and lobbed the ball across, the centre headed it into the net. Just on the interval Hay repeated the performance from cross by Oakes.
There were hopes of an Aberdeen revival when they reduced the leeway two minutes after the restart. Mason punched out a lob from Brady and Mills gained possession to send into the net.

AGAINST RUN OF PLAY

The Dons continued to do the bulk of the attacking, but in twenty-seven minutes Queen of the South regained their two goals lead in one of their fleeting raids. Tulip broke away on the left and crossed for Hay to head a third goal. Two minutes later Aberdeen got their second counter. Brady forced his way through and when his try was breasted out by a defender, Strauss first-timed the ball into the net.
For the remainder of the game the home team strove desperately to secure the equaliser, but the Dumfries defence held out. So intent were the Dons on sharing the points that defence became a matter of secondary consideration, and on two occasions Queen of the South forwards failed to take advantage of good scoring opportunities.
There was no outstanding personality in the Aberdeen defence. The backs were slow and failed to cope with the visiting wingers. Cooper was the better of the two. Johnstone, in goal, had little chance with the balls that beat him.

POOR HALVES,/p> None of the half-backs impressed. Thomson was best of a poor trio. Fraser was ineffective in defence and attack, while Falloon was slow and could not get a grip of Hay.
Brady was the hardest working forward and spared no effort to make openings for his team-mates. Mills was more enterprising than he has been for some time, although he was on the slow side. He was the most dangerous home forward.
Strauss was a menace on the left, but his finishing could have been improved upon. Warnock was not effective on the heavy ground and rarely took the eye after the opening stages. Scott, as leader of the attack, was never convincing. He could not hold the line together and failed to shake off Bruce, the opposing centre-half.

GAME FIGHTERS

Luck was with the Queen of the South defence on many occasions, but they fought gamely throughout. More than once Mason was fortunate to reach scoring shots. Savage and Anderson were a do-or-die pair of backs who tackled and kicked lustily.
Chief honours in defence, however. must go to Bruce, their centre-half, who frustrated many of Aberdeen's most promising raids. Hay was the most dangerous attacker, although Oakes and Law also took the eye.

Source: Press & Journal, 13th December 1937