Celtic 3 - 0 Aberdeen

Relegation a Real Danger After Parkhead Display

A VERY real threat of relegation faces Aberdeen F.C. There is no point in being complacent because the Dons have matches in hand of sides above them in the League table.

Notr is there much consolation in the fact that four other clubs in the nether regions of the league table failed to win on Saturday.
Hopes of an Aberdeen come-back, inspired by a draw at Greenock the previous week, were shattered in a seven-minute spell at Parkhead, when Celtic rattled on the three goals which gave them victory.
On this form there are no grounds for assuming that the Dons can fight their way clear of trouble.
All three goals were gifts from a defence in a beneficent mood, and equally disturbing was the guileless play of the forwards.
They never looked like scoring, and the total of seventeen goals from fourteen matches shows the urgent need for the introduction of some pep into this department cf the team.
Before the game it was felt that Aberdeen's chances would be much brighter if Tully and Johnston were subdued. Stenhouse rose to the occasion by putting the Irishman right out of the picture and McLaughlin was not wholly unsuccessful against Johnston - yet the Dons lost 3-0!

Waiting Game,/p> The full backs must take their share of the blame. Massie and McKenna failed to profit from the lesson given by Milne and Mallan, who went first-time for the ball on the flint-like surface. The Aberdeen pair preferred to wait and were often beaten, Massie having a particularly unhappy time.
Waddell was the strong man in defence, and Curran, who was rushed from Aberdeen on Saturday morning to deputise for Johnstone, had several fine saves. It looked as if he might have made a better effort to stop the first goal.
The Pittodrie attack was particularly disappointing. It was a line without a plan and almost completely lacking in thrust. Kelly was manacled by Boden from the start, and the wingers suffered from lack of support.
Harris was cumbersome and Hamilton was unable to vary his tactics sufficiently to outwit tha quick-tackling McAulay who, along with Evans, was always willing to go up in close support of his forwards.
Fiftaen minutes had gone when McPhail took a ball from the right and hooked it into goal on the far side from Curran. A miscick by the left back led to another goal four minutes later. Johnston snapped the chance and shot towards the far post where Paton was waiting to tap tha ball home.
Massie was at fault when the third goal was scored. He tapped the ball past Curran as the 'keeper advanced to pick it up, and in the scramble Johnston sent in a shot which McKenna just failed to get his head to.
Aberdeen's scoring attempts were lmited to about five direct shots, and the best came late on. McLaughlin beat three opponents in a run down the left, and passed to Harris. The inside left shot hard for the far corner of the goal and Miller made a wonderful save.

Source: Press & Journal, 27th December 1948