St. Mirren 4 - 2 Aberdeen

Lapses in Defence: Hamilton Missed in Attack

By NORMAN MACDONALD

The Dons fell from grace at Paisley. Lapses in defence and lack of penetration in attack cost them their unbeaten record.

St Mirren had about a third of the play against Aberdeen and won with two goals to spare. The Dons won't win any championships on this form.
The Pittodrie defensive weakness lay in the middle and Saints exploited it to the full. But that's only half the story. Certainly they should never have conceded four goals, but the Aberdeen forwards should have scored more than two.
In the outfield the Pittodrie attackers made ground by neat, short, accurate passing, but inside the penalty area they "blew up." Instead of shooting they tried to walk the ball into the net.
St Mirren didn't try be clever. Backs and half-backs hit the ball hard, relying on their forwards for the quick follow up. These tactics paid against an Aberdeen defence that never recovered from the shock of losing a goal in the first thirty seconds.
Hamilton was missed in attack. Hume hasn't, the abtlitv of Scotland's inside forward to open up play. Dunlop had a poor game at centre-half. Truth to tell, the Pittodrie half-backs never got a grip of the Paisley inside forwards.

Team Rearranged

The Dons rearranged their team after the interval. Williams went to centre. Harris to right-half. Taylor to left-half and McCall to outside-left.
These alterations made no material difference. Williams was no more successful against Drinkwater, a strong centre-half than had Harris been in the first period.
The Dons had scarcely realised the game had started when they were a goal down. Deakin sent the ball through to Aikman, and when Taylor slipped in tackling the centre he sent past Johnstone.
Clever footwork by Williams, who eluded Telfer to cross an excellent ball, enabled Baird to head home the equaliser in twenty-three minutes.

Dunlop at Fault

Dunlop was at fault when Deakin restored Saints' lead. He failed to head clear a free kick by Drinkwater. This goal came nine minutes from the interval and five minutes later the Paisley team got a third.
When Aikman sent the ball out to Crowe, on the right, the Aberdeen defenders stood up to claim for offside and the winger went on to net with ease.
The only St Mirren goal of the second half came three minutes after the restart. Deakin chased an up-the-middie pass from Aikman, resisted a challenge from Harris and sent into the net.
Aberdeen's second goal came from a penalty taken by Baird. Kiddie was brought down by Crowe.

Source: Press & Journal, 26th August 1946