Peterhead 1 - 1 Aberdeen

The Aberdeen first league team paid a friendly visit to the Buchan capital on Saturday to meet the Peterhead in the Recreation Park, and the match created keen interest among the followers of football and the district. The weather was fine, and there was a very large attendance of spectators, many of whom had come from a distance. The teams were:-

Aberdeen: Mutch; Colman, Hume; McCann, Halkett, Low; Simpson, Edgar, Wilson, O'Hagan, Lennie.
Peterhead: Pyper; Bruce, Thompson; McIntosh, Milne, McDougall; Shand, Scott, Imlah, Webster, Cadger.
Referee - Mister R. Massie, Peterhead.

Aberdeen won the toss, and decided to play with the sun and a slight breeze behind them. Peterhead immediately rushed the ball to wards Mutch, and provided a brisk opening. From the onset the locals showed good combination, and were quickly within shooting distance. Mutch had to hold a swift shot from Webster, but he cleared well. Shortly after, Milne sent in a long drooping shot. The crowd watched with intense eagerness the ball's flight to wards the goal, and were disappointed to see and scraped over the top of the bar. A strong punt allowed Lennie and O'Hagan to get away. They carry the leather well into Peterhead's ground, but were checked by Bruce, who accidentally gave away a corner. The ball was cleared and sent to midfield, where it was cleverly trapped and taken towards the Aberdeen goal. Cadger passed into the centre, but Wilson relieved, sending the ball to the left wing, where Lennie and his partner forced another corner. From the kick, Simpson shot past. Shand had a fine run down, but was brought up by Mutch. The play was transferred to the other end, where Wilson had a try but did not score. End-to-end play followed, but some long kicking was indulged in until Scott secured the ball and passed smartly to Webster. The latter shot, but Mutch was on the alert, and saved well. The game was very even, and Peterhead gave quite as good a display as Aberdeen, although the visitors were handicapped by the absence of Hume, who had to retire for a short time through a slight injury sustained in a collision with Shand. Both teams were playing well, and many pieces of smart work elicited cries of admiration from the onlookers. The Peterhead forwards were specially energetic, and gave Mutch a greater amount of trouble than Pyper received from the Aberdeen attackers. No scoring took place in the first half.

On resuming several changes were to be noted in the team's. Imlah and Shand had changed places on the Peterhead side, and Simpson and Edgar had swapped positions in the Aberdeen team. At the outset the visitors put on a stiff pressure, and several of the forwards had shots at goal, but there finishing was rather weak, and nothing resulted. A long punt by Milne took the ball to the other end, where cadger tried Mutch, but failed to find the net. Aberdeen forced a corner, and Wilson, who captured the ball, passed to O'Hagan. The latter was lying well in, and his drive at goal was unsavable, the ball reaching the net before Pyper to touch it. Peterhead then put on a spurt, and by smart footwork got within shooting distance. Scott had a beautiful try, but his shot went a little wide. Several hard drives were sent in the direction of Mutch, but nothing came from any of them. The play ranged from end to end, and there was no diminution in the standard of the exhibition, which delighted the spectators. Aberdeen had now slightly the better of matters, and Pyper had to exert himself to save his charge. Weak finishing too many of the tries, however, made this an easy matter. An excellent break away on the part of the homesters looked promising, but the ball was sent to midfield. The local men, however, returned to the attack, and a few minutes from time the equalised. Imlah shot, and the ball struck the post. On the rebound it was caught by cadger, and the latter immediately headed across to Shand, who scored beautifully.

On the whole, Peterhead deserved to draw. They played energetically, and never slackened their efforts from start to finish. The Aberdeen men also played a strong game all through, and the tactics won the admiration of the spectators.

Source: Aberdeen Daily Journal, 12th April 1909