Hibernian 4 - 0 Aberdeen

Hamilton, Williams, Baird, Millar, McVean, Waddell, McLaughlin
Hard to Find Team for Christmas Week Games
By NORMAN MACDONALD

ABERDEEX F.C. are confronted with a serious problem.

They have a formidable casualty list, and they don't appear to possess the reserve power to fill the vacancies.
Saturday's 4-0 defeat at Easter Road is only incidental. What really matters is that George Hamilton, Willie Waddell and Willie Millar are all likely to be spectators for the next week or two.
Add to this list the names of Stan Williams, Archie Baird, Hugh McVean and Joe McLaughlin and the outlook is anything but encouraging.
I am safe in forecasting that none of these players will be fit for the Christmas Day game against Third Lanark at Cathkin Park or against St Mirren at Pittodrie on Saturday.
If Hamilton was the magnet for the two Newcastle representatives and Fulham's Scottish scout they must have been disappointed. They saw little of the Dons' star. He sustained a thigh muscle injury in eighteen minutes and had to be assisted to the pavilion.

Hearts Would Like Hamilton

Hearts, who are prepared to dip deep into their bank balance to strengthen their team, have a strong liking for Hamilton.
My opinion is that the Aberdeen club would be more willing to do business on a player-and-cash basis, rather than a straight cash deal. As far as I know there has been no move officially, and I doubt if there will be anything doing until Hamilton is fit again.
Waddell followed Hamilton to the pavilion at Easter Road within fifteen minutes of the start of the second half. He fell awkwardly in a tackle with Ormonde and dislocated his left elbow. The injury was X-rayed on his return to Aberdeen.
Millar is suffering from a recurrence of an old groin injury. He could scarcely raise a gallop in the last quarter an hour on Saturday.

Dons More to Be Pitied

Victory was made easy for Hibs. The Aberdeen players are entitled to commiseration rather than criticism. Their chances against Hibs were sabotaged through injuries.
They played for over an hour with ten men, and for the last half hour their ranks were reduced to nine.
Hibs were a good, but not brilliant team. Their main power in attack was on the extreme wings. On the right Gordon Smith had that touch class that marks the international player. Willie Ormond is the terrier type - hard to subdue, and with a devastating left foot.
Hibs' first goal in five minutes was a somewhat fortuitous affair. A shot by Smith was going wide when it cannoned off Dunlop and flashed into the net at high speed.
Two minutes after Hamilton's retirement the Edinburgh team got a second goal. The Aberdeen defence was at fault. Linwood was allowed far too much space and time in which to deliver his scoring shot.

Ormond Scores from Spot

There were only eight, minutes left of the first half when Hibs got their third goal from the penalty spot. Gordon Smith was cutting in towards Johnstone when he went down in a tackle with McKenna. Ormond converted the spot kick.
The left winger also claimed his side's fourth goal. He robbed Cowie of the ball three minutes after the start of the second half and ran on to beat Johnstone.

Source: Press & Journal, 22nd December 1947