Aberdeen 5 - 0 Motherwell

Motherwell Humbled and Demoralised,/p> THE Aberdeen F.C. forwards have at last discovered the secret formula that produces goals. Against Motherwell there was a complete transformation.

From a struggling, lustreless, goal-shy quintet the attack suddenly developed into a joyous, swashbuckling, adventurous company. They played football with a lilt - a five-goal lilt.
The biggest improvement was at inside forward. Baird and Yorston were scarcely recognisable as the same players who had groped their way through the previous games at Tynecastle and Dumfries.
Motherwell were made to look a team of third-raters. It was hard to credit that the identical side had trounced Rangers 4-0 in their last game.
The Dons won the game when they won the toss. With a boisterous, swirling wind behind them they set sail for the Motherwell goal. Before half-time they were four goals up.

Fought Bravely

The Fir Park lads, although at a big disadvantage territorially, fought bravely. When they resumed at the interval there was still hope of a revival, but they had evidently taken so much out of themselves in the first period that they had nothing in reserve.
Aberdeen's first two goals didn't provide much of a thrill, but the other three were well worth the admission money.
It was sprightly Harry Yorston who touched off the explosive charge in fifteen minutes that blew the Motherwell defence apart.
When Harris headed on corner from Kiddie, the inside right dived forward to head into the net.
Eight minutes later Kiddie made his contribution. After a long lob by Emery had bobbed about the penalty area, the ball ran out to the right. The winger steadied himself and then drove for goal. Hamilton, the Lanarkshire goalkeeper, actually stopped the ball, but he allowed it to spin out of his hands and over the line.
Although Harris gets the credit for the third goal, Baird had his name written all over it. The inside left double-headed the ball to bring it under control, and then went spanking down the wing. He stumbled in a tackle with Kilmarnock, but recovered and whipped the ball into the middle for Harris to head neatly into the net.
Yorston took his second goal in great style. With thirty-eight minutes played, Harris thrust the ball up the middle, and the inside right streaked through the 'Well defence to crash it past Hamilton.

Baird's Goal

Honours for the most spectacular goal go to Baird for his second-half counter. The inside left gathered a short pass from Hather and released an atomic drive from between twenty-five and thirty yards' range. The ball flashed past the Motherwell 'keeper into the net - glorious shot.
Aberdeen's defence was never seriously troubled. Watson in goal was well protected by Emery and McKenna. The Welshman was in paiticularly buoyant mood.
Waddell was not happy at centre half, but this is explained by the fact that he sustained an ankle injury in the first ten minutes of the game.
Anderson played well, and the Pittodrie officials must have derived considerable satisfaction from the promising debut of eighteen-year-old Eric Baikie at left half. This tall, fair-haired lad from Edinburgh has the makings of a first-rate wing half.
It was the Aberdeen forwards who stole the headlines on Saturday. Baird was right back to his best form, and Yorston was happier than he has been for weeks.
The medal for vigour and hard work, however, must go to Harris. The burly left half, who deputised at centre forward for the injured Hamilton, went rattling into the Motherwell defence right from the start. He simply refused to be subdued.
Kiddie had a quiet match, while Hather, although he was the only forward who failed to score, was always a dangerous raider.

Source: Press & Journal, 17th December 1949