Aberdeen 4 - 1 Hibernian

Put Through the Mill by Tearaway Dons
EASTER ROAD ENCORE?
By NORMAN MACDONALD

THIS morning Aberdeen wears an expansive soccer smile. It can be transformed into a hearty laugh if the Dons answer the call for an encore at Easter Road on Wednesday evening.

The laugh will be on Scotland's football pundits. They regarded Aberdeen this season as just another team. The Dons' reply has been to meet and beat the best they could put forward.
Hibs were favourites for the League Cup. They came to Pittodrie on Saturday with a big reputation. They left with a three-goal-deficit.
The Dons will take the field on Wednesday with the confidence born of a 4-1 lead. If they do not make the mistake of becoming over-confident, they are on the high road that leads to Hampden Park and the League Cup final.
The Edinburgh team will throw everything into an effort to make a come-back on their own ground. If Hibs can give Aberdeen three goals of a start and beat them they will have to produce a much more effective brand of soccer than they did at Pittodrie.

Strategy

The Dons' success was due to two things - teamwork and sound strategy. No club nad succeeded in putting the brakes on this freescoring Hibs attack.
The Aberdeen defenders never gave them a real chance to settle and work their wiles. Full marks to the Aberdeen half backs. They pounced on the Hibs inside men and cut the lines of communication. The result was that the star-studded Easter Road front line blinked only fitfully.
The Dons found themselves a goal down at the interval. They swung into the attack with fire and fury in the second half. It was an all-out effort There were times in the opening period when the defence was suspect. Suspicion was turned to certainty in the second half.
If the Dons adopt the same tactics on Wednesday evening I don't see how Hibs can possibly wipe out a three-goal deficit.

Abundance of Thrills

Every Aberdeen player seemed to have the winning urge highly developed. Martin in goal was confident. He had no chance with the shot that beat him.
Both Emery and Shaw could claim to have played well over the ninety minutes and Young hung grimly on to Reilly after a somewhat uncertain start. Both Anderson and Harris played a big part in harassing the Hibs forwards. The former was the best half back afield.
Aberdeen were always more aggressive than their rivals, but both attacks missed chances. The Dons atoned in the second half when they found their way to the Easter Road net four times. All five forwards had the goal craze, although neither Baird nor Boyd figured among the scorers.
If the game did not produce the cultured football anticipated, the loss was compensated for by an abundance of thrills. The excitement and tension remained until the final whistle.
On play Aberdeen were a trifle unlucky to be in arrears at the interval. The Hibs goal came after twenty-two minutes' play. When Johnstone and Souness broke through the Dons' defence was caught napping. There was only Shaw left between the two Edinburgh players and Martin. Johnstone accepted a pass from his partner and gave the home keeper no chance.
Seven minutes after the start of the second half Hather restored equality. When Anderson burst through and shot, the ball was blocked by Paterson. It was cleared to the left and the Dons winger seized his chance to drive the ball into the corner of the net.
In twenty-five minutes the left-winger was bundled off the ball by Govan, and the referee awarded a penalty. Emery crashed the ball past Younger from the spot.
Two minutes later Yorston made his contribution. When Baird headed on a corner from Boyd Yorston nodded the ball into the net.
Ten minutes from the end Hamilton completed the scoring. Younger the Hibs goalkeeper, came out of his goal to clash with Yorston. The ball ran clear to Hamilton and the Dons leader coolly placed it in the empty goal.

Source: Press & Journal, 18th September 1950

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