Clyde 1 - 3 Aberdeen

Kelly's Best Game Since Joining Pittodrie
From NORMAN MACDONALD

THE Dons bought themselves a grandstand seat to watch the relegation struggle by their 3-1 win over Clyde at Shawfield last night.

Aberdeen were a goal down in one minute and a goal ahead within seven minutes.
It was a whirlwind start - supercharged football. There were three outstanding Pittodrie players - Kelly, who scored all three goals, Pearson and Waddell, best player afield.
Perhaps the most striking feature of the match was the impoverished play of the inside forwards.
Had Baird and Harris kept up with the play instead of roving in no man's land Aberdeen would have had more than three goals.
Leslie Johnstone, the Clyde leader, was in much the same position as Kelly. He received little support from Garth and Long. Even so, Johnstone was the best Shawfield forward.
The Dons deserved the points. They played some bright football. The defence was caught early, but recovered. Cowie played soundly enough at right back, but the best Aberdeen defender was undoubtedly Waddell.

Waddell Grand

He got through a tremendous amount of work. Although some may disagree with me, I think his value would be increased at centre half.
Kelly was on his toes from first to final whistle. It was his best display since coming to Pittodrie.
Pearson was again the fascinating footballer, even though he did miss a grand scoring chance in the closing stages.
Once more he demonstrated he has a good turn of speed. If the selectors pass him over for the match against England they are making a mistake.
It was a clever move by Garth that led to Clyde's opening goal in the first minute. He put Long in possession, and when the inside man crossed, Davis was handy to head into the net.
Before the Dons equalised in six minutes Harris sent a terrific drive against the upright, after smart work by Kelly and Kiddie on the right.
Kelly's First

The goal movement developed on the right. It was McLaughlin got the ball over and Kelly who bundled it into the net.
A minute later Aberdeen had turned a goal deficit into a credit balance.
A corner on the left was perfectly placed by Pearson, and Kelly rose to head into the net.
The Dons' centre completed his hat-trick in thirty-one minutes. Kelly, foraging on the right, beat Milligan and slipped the ball to Harris. The centre forward nipped into the middle to fasten on to the return pass, and jabbed the ball into the corner of the net. It was the best goal of the three.

Source: Press & Journal, 28th March 1948

ON REFLECTION

That's better! We left Shawfield last Friday night feeling more satisfied than we had been for a long time. Certainly the two points won removed the bogey of relegation, but our satisfaction was more over the display of the team.
What a pity this match hadn't, been at Pittodrie! Here was an Aberdeen team playing the sort of football expected of the Dons. With barely a minute gone the ball was in the back of the net - our net! What a shock! Was this to be a repetition of the Easter Road debacle? We hardly had time to ask ourselves this question before Kelly had equalised - and within six minutes of the start of the game, the Dons were leading 2-1. Congratulations to Archie Kelly for his first hat-trick and his best display yet for the Dons. The final score was 3-1, but it might just as easily have been 6-1. There was one glorious Pearson move in the first half where the cross was met by Kelly flying in at terrific speed. Archie met the ball with his head and the ball flashed over the bar with Gullan beaten. Had Kelly scored the goal would have "brought the house down!" The whole team played well, with Tommy Pearson getting the plaudits from a Glasgow crowd tickled at his antics; but Willie Waddell gets this week's "Merkland Medal" for an immaculate display.

Source: Match Programme, 3rd April 1948