Aberdeen 4 - 2 St. Mirren

Scored Hat-trick in Brilliant Display against St Mirren
By NORMAN MACDONALD

ALEX. KIDDIE was the man of the match Pittodrie on Saturday.
For long spells he was scarcely seen in the game, then suddenly he would burst into the limelight with a speedy run down the wing, a dangerous cross, or a lightning shot.
He was the match-winner against St Mirren with a hat-trick.

A football enigma is the amateur. He can be positively brilliant on occasion, and tantalisingly insipid at times.
There's no denying his football ability. He has speed, good ball control, lobs over an inviting and dangerous cross and is possessed of a powerful shot.
If only he would instil more devil into hiss play he would challenge Willie Waddell and Gordon Smith for the right-wing berth in Scotland's team.
It is becaue he is an amateur that he lacks the incentive to put that little bit extra into his play at times.
The Dons beat St Mirren 4-2. The Paisley team had no reason to cavail the result.
Aberdeen were the better team although it was only in snatches that they played like Scottish Cup winners.

Little Inspiration,/p> It was their first appearance at Pittodrie since capturing the national trophy, and actually their first home game since March 5. After their historic victory in the final their supporters must have been a trifle disappointed on Saturday.
The weather was not conducive to brilliant football. There was a strong wind and squally showers. This, combined with the fact that there was nothing of moment at stake, took much of the inspiration from the match.
In brief it had that end-of-the-season tang about it which the football spectator has come to associate with the game at this stage of the season when all the major problems have been solved.
Aberdeen's main advantage lay at half back, where McLaughlin, Dunlon and Taylor destroyed most of the Saints' efforts to attain unity in attack.

Old Fault

The Pittodrie forwards should have had the issue decided in the first half. They had the wind behind them. The old fault of overdoing the football instead of going in for the kill was in evidence.
Kiddie's opening goal in eighteen minutes did something to brighten a drab afternoon from a playing sense as well from a meteorological point of view.
MCall broke clear on the left. Harris failed to reach his cross, but Kiddie, lying unmarked, fired the ball over the head of Newlands into the net.
With thirty-seven minutes gone the Paisley goal fell again. This was the first goal in reverse. Kiddie provided the cross and when Newlands pushed the ball out McCall was on the spot to lob it home.

Surprise Counter

On the half-time whistle Milne went out to the left with the ball to elude Dunlop and it was something of a surprise when his angular shot beat Johnstone and finished in the net.
There was little to enthuse over in the second half until Alex. Kiddie decided to add a touch of colour to the game in twenty-six minutes.
Held up in the middle, Williams parted to McCall and the winger in turn transferred the ball to Kiddie. Tne right winger gave Newlands no chance with a fierce drive.
Within a minute he had the ball in the net again. This time he dashed through on his own. Newlands left his goal to stop his shot. Kiddie gave him no time to recover. He never stopped running and regained possession to shoot into the net.
St Mirren's perseverance was rewarded two minutes from the end, when Stenhouse came into the middle, resisted a challenge from Dunlop and scored with a left-foot shot.
McDonald, at left back, who was making his debut in the Aberdeen first team, has some way to go yet before he is ready for the top flight. Against St Mirren he made the mistake of trying to beat his man beore getting the ball away. He must learn to clear his lines first time.

Source: Press & Journal, 5th May 1947