Aberdeen 3 - 0 Heart of Midlothian

By NORMAN MACDONALD

ABERDEEN F.C. had a heavy casualty list on Saturday evening. After the game with Hearts Fred Martin, Alec Young, Alan Boyd and Hugh Hay were all complaining of injuries.
The Dons’ keeper was accidentally kicked in the first fifteen minutes of the second half and damaged the little finger of his right hand. An X-ray examination, however, revealed that the bone was not broken and it is hoped that Martin will be fit for the match against Falkirk.
Young Injured his ankle; Boyd twisted his back in the opening ten minutes and Hay, who was a flu victim last week, had a stiff shoulder and neck at the finish of Saturday's game.
The list makes ominous reading, but it is expected that most of the players will be fit for this week's fixture.
What a pity it is that the Dons misfired at Kirkcaldy. They would have been close on the heels of the leaders had they beaten Raith Rovers.
The glittering prize for the winners of the "A" Division championship and the Scothsh Cup this season is a place in the Coronation tournament in May.

More Goals

On the face it there seems little reason for criticising a team which wins 3-0. Nevertheless, I have a complaint against ihe Dons’ forwards on Saturday - they should have had more goals.
The outfield play was good, the three goals were good ones, but on several other occasions equally good chances were missed.
Buckley was the guilty man on at least two occasions. He showed speed and skill in manoeuvring for position and then foozled his shot. 
Hamilton was the mainspring of the Aberdeen front line. Hearts had nobody to compare with him in the art of controlling the ball and keeping the attack moving smoothly.

Dashing Hathcr

Hather provided most of the dash and fine power, and two of the goals but, like Buckley, there were times when the finishing of the left winger was inclined to be a trifle wild.
Mitchell and Smith were effective against the Hearts' wingers, and there was an improvement in the play of Harris and Allister.
Hearts are on the slide. There was no comparison between the Tynecastle team of Saturday and the eleven which bewitched and bewildered the Dons in the first half of the League Cup-tie at Pittodrie in August.
Their experimental attack was a failure. I will be surprised if they announce the same line-up this week. The forwards never looked like blending successfully, except for a short spell in the first half.

Versatile

Not a few were surprised by the manner in which Martin performed in the Dons' attack and Smith in goal, in the second half on Saturday.
Martin, of course, was originally an inside forward and still occupies his old position in some the trial games at Pitiodrie.
It is not generally known, however, that Smith, who is as versatile as he is keen, played in goal for a season for Caley Thistle, the Aberdeen juvenile club.

Source: Evening Express, 17th November 1952

The men from Tynecastle have struck a bad spell and their numerous chances last Saturday made no difference to the form of the team. They tried hard but when the Dons attack got going Tommy Walker's lads "hadn't a clue". The game was quite interesting and obviously to the liking of the crowd. The heavy rain of the previous week had made the pitch somewhat "greasy" and this did not make for accuracy in shooting, even so the Dons were rightly blamed for some wild efforts at scoring.

Source: Match Programme, 22nd November 1952