Aberdeen 2 - 2 Third Lanark

Hather Earns Many Friends: Ancell Has Quiet Debut
MISFORTUNE DOGS DONS

DOGGED by ill-luck in their efforts to fight clear of relegation, Aberdeen have been dealt another bad blow by the injury to Archie Kelly. He was hurt in the early stages of Saturday's match and cartilage trouble is suspected.

The centre forward's injury probably cost the Dons a point, they were held to a 2-2 draw by Third Lanark after being two goals ahead in twenty-one minutes. Kelly pluckily carried on at outside right, but the attack was thrown off balance.

Mason's Skill

If fighting spirit was all that was necessary to lift them clear cf the danger zone, the Dons wouid soon be out of trouble, but the fact remains that precious points are being squandered - most of them at home! In ten home games they have gathered the meagre total of nine points.
Early on, the Dons played better than they have done for weeks, and, although handicapped, it looked as if they would register that long-awaited victory. In the end, however, a draw was a good result.
Considering the heavy ground, some of Third Lanark's football was delightful. Orr and Mooney were always prepared to move up in close support of their forwards, among whom Mason was a constant menace with judicious passing and clever use the ball.
The inside right set problems which Stenhouse couldn't answer, and it wasn't surprising that the latter switched places with Anderson in the second half.
Ancell had a quiet debut for the Dons against the dangerous Mitchell, and it was Waddell and Johnstone who were the stalwarts in defence.
After an early mistake in which he was caught out of position when a Mitchell shot crashed against the crossbar the 'keeper had some magnificent saves during Third Lanark's spell aggression in the second half.
The early injury to Kelly meant that the Dons' latest forward formation got little opportunity to settle to a combined game.
Even after the reshuffle there was plenty of life among the home forwards, although they were behind the Third Lanark five as far as combined play was concerned.

Hather Best

Best of the line was Hather, whose play at outside left earned him many friends. He was fast and direct, and generally had the measure of Balunas.
Rice and Hamilton were tireless workers, and Harris was better in the middle than at inside left.
It took the Dons only five minutes to open the scoring, following a corner on the left. Rice had a shot blocked. The winger tried again and his left-foot drive seemed to catch Fraser unsighted.
Minutes later Ancell, lying well upfield, flashed in a shot which had the goalkeeper beaten, but the ball scraped past the post.
Good work by Hather produced the second goal. The left winger had beaten Balunas and was cutting in. when Barclay brought him down in the penalty box. Hamilton took the spot kick and hit the ball hard into the roof of the net.

Defence Panics

McCulloch knocked one off five minutes from half-time. Johnstone left his goal during a scramble and managed to stop one shot. Before he could recover McCulloch whipped the ball into the net.
Henderson threw the Dons' defence into a panic twenty minutes after the restart. He parted at the right moment to Mitchell, who was lying unmarked, and the winger released one of his terrific drives to beat Johnstone.

Source: Press & Journal, 10th January 1949

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