Aberdeen 0 - 4 Falkirk

Individual Blunders Led to Falkirk's Goals
By NORMAN MACDONALD

THE Dons had a "black out" against Falkirk at Pittodrie. Their unbeaten home League record was knocked sky high and with it their prospects of catching the leaders.

It certainly wasn't a happy New Year for the 20,000 crowd which saw Aberdeen beaten 4-0. There was no fluke about the Bairns' victory. They finished good winners.
On this form the Dons won't far in any of the competitions. The team as a whole played badly, but the "villains" of the piece were the defenders.
Each of Falkirk's four goals can be traced directly to individual mistakes. The first arrived three minutes from the interval.
A free kick well inside the visitors' territory was sent inside the Aberdeen penalty area by Rice. While the Pittodrie defenders waited and wondered. Bain raced after the ball, slipped it to the unmarked Fiddes and the winger drove into the net.
The second half wasn't a minute old when Alison tricked Cooper and dashed on to put Dawson in possession. The winger made no mistake.
Any hopes of an Aberdeen recovery were extinguished with thirteen minutes played. Johnstone clutched a corner from Fiddes near the far post, and, in making a half turn to clear, dropped the ball over the line.
Seven minutes were left for play when Dunlop completely misjudged a ball which came over from the right, and Inglis had an easy job to send into the net.
That was how the Dons lost a game they could have won. They were the better team in the first half, and held a decided territorial advantage.
I have no desire to detract from the brilliance of Jerry Dawson in the Falkirk goal, nor from the sound play of centre-half Henderson and left-back McPhee, and I'm also prepared to admit that luck frowned on the Dons at times, but these factors don't altogether explain failure of the home forwards to get goals.
The line didn't knit. There were bursts of individual brilliance, but there was a lack,of smoothness and continuity about their attacking movements.
I mark Hamilton down as the most consistent forward, but I've seen the inside-right more effective. Archie Baird was played too soon in the first team. He gave me the impression he wasn't tuned up 100 per cent. He took the left wing berth in the closing stages. This was the second forward change. Mid-way through the second half Harris and Waldron switched.
Perhaps the fact that Johnstone received a shoulder injury at Easter Road may have something to do with his lapse when the third goal was scored. Neither Cooper nor Cowie played confidently.
Apart from his slip which led to the fourth goal. Dunlop plaved soundly at centre-half, and Taylor was the better of two hardworking wing half-backs.
Dawson, Henderson and McPhee were Falkirk's defensive stalwarts. The lanky centre-half played with his left wrist in plaster. Manager Craig told me a small bone is displaced.
Like the defenders, the Brockville forwards went to meet the ball. They kept play open and made ground swiftly. Outstanding success was Alison, a clever and progressive inside forward. Fiddes and Dawson, the extreme wingers, were always dangerous.
Big thrills of the first half were centred round Dawson. Luck was with the 'keeper when he thrust out his foot to stop a sure counter by Waldron, but he certainly earned the plaudits of the crowd when he tipped over a grand header from Baird, and again when he parried a magnificent drive from McLaughlin.
With a two-goal lead one minute after the start of the second period, Falkirk played with confidence. Twice in this half the woodwork prevented the Dons scoring. Both McLaughlin and Waldron hit the crossbar.

Source: Press & Journal, 2nd January 1947