Partick Thistle 2 - 1 Aberdeen

Team Showed Spirit and Vigour After Bad Start
By NORMAN MACDONALD

THE Dons have often played worse and fared better than they did at Firhill.
It took them twenty minutes to discover that Partick Thistle might be leaders, but that they were no team of world beaters.

An expensive twenty minutes it was for Aberdeen. It cost them two goals and the match. Undoubtedly they started shakily. The anxiety complex was apparent both in defence and attack.
Not so Partick Thistle. They opened with a devastating offensive, and within eleven minutes first McKennan and then Mathie planted the ball in the Aberdeen net.
I was afraid of a Pittodrie debacle. Partick's shock tactics were enough to cause alarm and despondency to any team.
I've reason to criticise the Aberdeen team in recent weeks, and no doubt will have again.
In fairness, however, let me say that the Pittodrie players on Saturday put more vigour and virility into their fight back than they have done for some time.
After the first twenty minutes they gradually started to pull together as a team. Before the interval they were holding their own, and in the second half they claimed a greater share of the play than the League leaders.

Encouraging Sign

It was two minutes from the end before they penetrated the Firhill defence. If some of their earlier efforts - I can recall both Kiddie and Baird striking the crossbar - had had the successful touch Partick might well mourning the loss a valuable point.
The most satisfactory feature to me was the increase in fighting spirit that permeated the team as a whole. If was an encouraging sign.
Partick Thistle were disappointing, apart from the opening stages, when they certainly looked the part.
If you forget their bad spell, the Pittodrie defence answered completely the challenge of the Partick attack.
Two Aberdeen defenders are worthy of special mention.

Cowie'a Best Game Yet

They are Cowie, who played probably his best game of the season, and Willie Waddell, who was a vigilant centre half.
Hugh McVean showed more confidence. He promises well and deserves to be persevered with.
Representatives of Chelsea, West Bromwich, Aston Villa and Middlesbrough were watching McKennan, the Partick Thistle inside forward. For the first twenty minutes he was impressive, but after that Taylor got a grip.
There was more pep about the Aberdeen forwards in this game. They showed a willingness to shoot and cut out a good deal of the irritating, after-you business, that has been all to prevalent this season.
The present Dons may not carry off any honours, but they will gather much-needed points if they reveal the same verve they did on Saturday. They can start this week against Queen of the South at Pittodrie.
Nine minutes after the first whistle at Firhill Aberdeen were fighting an uphill battle. A McKennan special almost shattered the crossbar and the inside right fastened on to the rebound to smash the ball into the net.
Before the Dons had a chance to recover, they were two down. Glover broke through on the left and Mathie beat Johnstone to his cross by a fraction, to head into the net.
Kiddie scored for the Dons two minutes from time.

Source: Press & Journal, 27th October 1947