Kilmarnock 0 - 3 Aberdeen

Kelly Impresses in First Team Debut: Cowie, Injured, Goes to Wing

BY OUR OWN REPRESENTATIVE

ABERDEEN won as easily as the score suggests. They were stronger in defence and more combined and thrustful in attack.

Kilmarnock were not impressive. In fact, their attack never got going. Passes went astray with irritating regularity.
Had the Pittodrie forwards been able to round off their smart outfield play, they would have led by considerably more than a single goal at the interval.
The Aberdeen defence was never in difficulties and this despite the fact that an injury to Cowie in the opening minutes of the second half resulted in a re-arrangement of the right flank.

KELLY DOES WELL

Kelly, who was making his debut in goal for the first team, acquitted himself with credit. He was not overworked but what he had to do he did clearly and confidently.
Cowie, until he was hurt, was a sound right back, and although McGrogan gave Adey some trouble, the left-back was seldom at loss.
The Dons were well served at half-back. Nicholson policed the middle very effectively, and Thomson and Dunlop combined defence with attack smartly, particularly in the Opening half. Thomson's display was first rate.
The attack was clever. The forwards combined smartly, and had they been as confident at close quarters as they were in the outfield they would have won by more than three goals.
Armstrong did not start any too promising, but he finished in good style with a brace of well taken goals.
Hamilton and Biggs, the inside forwards, worked hard without attaining brilliancy. Strauss crossed two balls which produced goals, but apart from this was seldom in the limelight. Brady was seen at his best when he went to right-half after the interval.

RUN OF PLAY

Aberdeen had the better of matters at the start. With the half-backs forcing on the attack the forwards were always active. They played clever, combined football, but it was football minus punch. The first real shot of the match came after fifteen minutes' play, and it was Thomson who delivered it. Hunter brought off a fine, full-length save.
With twenty-six minutes gone the Dons took the lead, but it was from a penalty. When Strauss crossed Milloy and Armstrong went for the ball, and the left back brought it down with his hands. Nicholson took the kick, and although Hunter got his hands to the ball he could not stop it.
Kelly, in the Aberdeen goal, had had little to do, but performed a spectacular dive in cutting out a free kick from Harvey. Armstrong had a good run on the right. He headed a clearance from Cowie past Milloy. regained possession, and cut in on goal. He shot while running at top speed, and the ball swerved out to the left.
The Dons should have got a second penalty kick near the interval when it seemed that Milloy elbowed out a shot by Armstrong while standing on the goal line.

COWIE INJURED

In the opening minutes of the second half Cowie was injured, and had to go to outside right. Brady fell back to right half, and Dunlop to right back. Play was more evenly distributed this half, but Aberdeen were the better-balanced lot, and when Brady carried the ball upfield and sent it across, Armstrong just failed to connect. Killie, too, had altered their team, but ineffectiveness, not injury, was the cause. Hendry went to outside right, McGrogan to outside left, and McAvoy to inside left.
Kelly made his first direct save when he Confidently held a hard drive from Wylie. There was thrill the Aberdeen goalmouth when Brady, Nicholson, and Wylie all got tied up in the penalty area. Things looked dangerous, but Kelly quickly sized things up and dived on top of the ball.
Twenty-eight minutes after restart Aberdeen made the issue secure with second goal. Strauss broke clear on the left and crossed a fast, low ball. Armstrong ran forward to meet it, and the ball went into the net like flash.
Kilmarnock's best try of this half came from Hendry. He sent in a magnificent shot which was only inches high.
Five minutes from the end Armstrong hooked the ball out to Strauss, and ran on to meet the South African's cross and send into the corner of the net.

Source: Press & Journal, 6th April 1939