Falkirk 4 - 2 Aberdeen

This first round North-Eastern Cup tie was played at Brockville Park, Falkirk, before about 4000 spectators in wretched weather. The opening stage of the game proved rather sensational, Brown scoring in the first minute, and Tom Logan adding a second goal before the second minute had elapsed. Aberdeen wakened up after this reverse, and some fine work on the part of Soye and McIntosh ended in Murray, the Aberdeen centre, opening Aberdeen's account. Shortly after Gilmour beat King for a third time with a splendid screw shot from twenty yards out. Half-time :- Falkirk, three goals; Aberdeen, one.
Aberdeen's play in the second half was vastly improved, and the local defence had hard work in repelling the northern forwards. Travers scored No. 2 for Aberdeen, netting the ball off a cross from the right. After some fine play from the local forwards, Tom Logan put the issue beyond doubt by scoring a fourth goal. On the run of play, Falkirk were scarcely worthy of their two goal lead. In the second half Aberdeen were the superior team, but were unlucky in front of goal. Result :- Falkirk, four; Aberdeen, two.

Source: The Scotsman, 12th September 1910

The Aberdeen team visited Brockville Park on Saturday andmet Falkirk in the first round of the North-Eastern Cup competition. Rain fell heavily prior to the start of the game, and continued throughout the first half, but the weather cleared up after the interval. The teams were:- Falkirk: Stewart; Morrison, Orrock; McDonald, Anderson, McMillan; Simpson, Gilmour, T. Logan, A. Logan.
Aberdeen: King; Colman, Hume; Wilson, Wyllie, Millar; Soye, McIntosh, Murray, Travers, Lennie.
Referee - Mr. Mackenzie, Glasgow.

The game opened in sensational fashion, for after three minutes' play Falkirk were leading by two goals. Aberdeen kicked-off. and the visiting forwards at once made tracks for the Falkirk goal. The ball, however, was returned down the field by Morrison, and T. Logan made off in the direction of King. A pass to the left was smartly picked up by Brown, who, rounding the backs, had a clear run into goal and beat King with a fast shot. Restarting, Falkirk again took up the running. Brown and the brothers Logan being prominent in a spirited attack. The centre forward capped the movement with a second goal, King having no chance of saving. This rapid scoring came as a big surprise, but the points were well worked for, the Falkirk men losing no time in shooting for goal whenever they got the chance. Aberdeen, however, retaliated on the right wing, McIntosh and Soye being conspicuous, and the Falkirk goalkeeper did well in saving a difficult shot from the outside right. Gradually the game assumed a more even character until Brown broke away on the left wing, slipped past Colman, and finished with a fast shot on the run. King, however, was in readiness, and cleared splendidly. Good play by McIntosh looked promising for Aberdeen, but Murray's parting shot went high over the bar. The visitors were inclined to keep the ball too close on the heavy ground, while Falkirk went in for the long-passing game, which paid better, and also gave no end of trouble to the Aberdeen defence. Brown and A Logan were particularly active on the left, while T. Logan was always difficult to keep in check when once set agoing. A lovely cross from Brown was cleared by king with T. Logan in close attendance, while a minute later Simpson struck the outside of the net with a fast drive. The Falkirk half-backs - Macdonald in particular - supported their forwards with rare judgment, and, as a result, the front rank frequently got the better of the Aberdeen defence. But for King's clever saving at this stage, the home team would undoubtedly have held even a more pronounced lead. The best attempt at scoring on the Aberdeen side so far came from McIntosh. He worked the ball skilfully from the half-way line, got past the left-half and left back, and finished with a capital shot and just missed the net. The game was contested on exceptionally fast lines, and play was always bright and interesting. Falkirk, however, were the better team, and adapted their style of play to the prevailing conditions. Aberdeen, on the other hand, kept the ball far too close in the front rank, while Miller was the only half-back who could kick with any degree of accuracy. The backs, however, by this time had got over there early weakness, Colman footing in some very fine defensive work. Faulty kicking by Wyllie almost brought a third goal to Falkirk, but King rushed out and cleared in time. King again distinguished himself when he stopped the clever shot from Gilmour, while later on he got rid of a fast drive from A. Logan. Thus within 5 minutes the Aberdeen goalkeeper had saved three times in clever style. Good work by Millar was followed up by a combined movement on the part of the Aberdeen forwards, Lennie and Soye being conspicuous. The ball went from wing two wing, and then Soye crossed from the right. Stewart, goalkeeper, had left his position in getting rid of the ball, and before he could regain his place, Soye centred from the wing. The ball rolled along the goal line, and Orrock slipped back in order to clear, but instead of averting the danger, a left back turned the ball into the net. Falkirk responded with a brisk attack at the other end, the entire front rank joining in the movement. The ball was sent across to the right wing, where Gilmour was standing unmarked, and with a surprise shot he completely beat King, the ball landing high up in the net to the left of the goalkeeper. The home team continued to have the best of matters up to the interval, when the scores stood - Falkirk 3, Aberdeen 1.

The first noteworthy incident in the second half was a smart run by Simpson, but he overdid the fancy work, and finally lost control of the ball. Next minute King cleared a fast shot from A Logan, but Falkirk fell away after this opening attack, while Aberdeen improved right along the line. Ten minutes after the interval the visitors obtained their second goal, cleverly scored by Travers. Soye crossed the ball from the right, and the inside left darted through between the backs and just managed to reach the ball with his head with one knee on the ground. Aberdeen monopolized the play during the greater portion of the second half, but their forwards lacked the shooting power of the Falkirk front rank. Still the visitors were dangerous, and on the run of the play ought to have drawn level. Wilson, Wyllie, and Millar kept the opposing forwards well in hand, while Colman and Hume were equal to all calls. Time was wearing on, and still the Aberdeen team stood a goal down, Soye, Lennie, and McIntosh all tested Stewart, but the goalkeeper had invariably plenty of time to clear. A miskick by Morrison was covered up by Anderson running back and clearing, while Orrock just managed to get his left foot on the ball as it came dangerously near the goal line. Fifteen minutes from time an exciting bit of play was witnessed near the Falkirk goal. Lennie got clear of the backs, and then sent the ball across the goalmouth. And that moment McIntosh came rushing along and closed in on the goalkeeper. Stewart was in waiting, but was forced across to goal line, along with the ball by McIntosh. The charge appeared to be quite legitimate, but the referee gave a foul against Aberdeen, who were thus deprived of a good goal. Keeping up the pressure, the Pittodrie men hemmed in their opponents on all sides. Lennie, McIntosh, and Travers each having good tries for goal. Near the close Simpson came away splendidly on the right, and screwed the ball from the corner flag right into the goalmouth. King managed to clear, but only partially, and Brown, rushing up, just missed scoring. Simpson got away on another of his dangerous runs, and on this occasion centred to T. Logan, who made no mistake with a fast drive that Fairlie beat King. In the last minute Lennie got away on the left, but nothing tangible resulted.

The gate amounted to £85.

Source: Aberdeen Daily Journal, 12th September 1910

Aberdeen provided a bit of a sensation on Saturday - and, one that did not go down well with their supporters. The playing off of these ties on the same date as the Glasgow Cup was thought to be a splendid counterblast to that old-established competition, but if Saturday's experience goes for anything, the North-Eastern Cup has not caught on to the same extent as the western trophy has. The attendances at all the ties were greatly below expectation, but the unpropitious weather may have had something to do with this. There was plenty of rain at Falkirk prior to the match, and when this is the case, Brockville Park is not an ideal field, to play on. Aberdeen soon found this to their cost, for what was otherwise an even game was won before the visitors had had time to get their bearings.

Lennie started with a dash and a good cross shot which rattled the post. From the relief kick, Falkirk went down in a body, caught the usual sturdy defence napping, and Brown opened the scoring with an unsaveable shot.
From the kick-off Falkirk again forced the pace, and got Hume in a tangle with the ball, so that Logan rushed in and scored a goal five minutes from time. Hitherto it has been the usual habit of Aberdeen to lie down after receiving a check like this, but they came into the picture bravely, and their subsequent play was rewarded. Soye sent across one of his best shots, which was bound to score, and Orrock, in an endeavour to save, safely placed the ball in the net, which Murray or Macintosh would have done otherwise.
They had the hardest of luck after this, and deserved to equalise on play, but instead they had the mortification of seeing another goal chalked up against them.

The second period, was a cracker for pace, and the combination was also cleverly maintained on the part of the visitors, who got nothing more than they deserved when Travers scored a second goal for his side. Murray, by rather fine touches, lost what looked like a "dead cert," and Macintosh made Stewart's fingers tingle. It was Aberdeen who were doing the pressing now, but they had no luck. For some infringement or other Travers was penalised when every other body had thought the scores equal. Right to the finish Aberdeen carried on the warfare at goal-mouth, but could not score, and then, a burst-away by Falkirk ended in their beating King for a fourth time, Falkirk thus winning by 4-2.

PLAY AND PLAYERS.,/p> Outside the first five minutes, when the home side scored their two goals, they were otherwise lucky in winning by the score they did. Stewart was fortunate in being on the spot, and the backs worked hard to serve him. The halves were tireless but a trifle robust, and the forwards played splendidly together.
On the Aberdeen side, King played well in goal, but the backs did not play so well as we have seen them. Up till the time he was kicked, Millar was the best half on the field, and it was this incident that practically allowed the fourth goal. There was little to find fault with in the front rank, with the exception that we have seen Lennie aim better, and Murray might have dispensed with his fancy touches that never pay.

CHATTY BITS.

There was a general feeling at home, prior to definite word being had, that the goalkeeper had let Aberdeen down. The newspapers told a different tale.
King is improving every week, and it will take a lot more than one bad game to shift him.
Mutch let his side down on Saturday, and was away from his goal when the ball was netted. He will do this once too often.
Bradford Park Avenue have fixed up James Turnbull, the ex-Manchester United centre, and he is a decided capture. Evidently Bobby Simpson has left his shooting boots at Pittodrie, for he seldom used to allow two games to pass without scoring. He has not got that length yet.
Aberdeenshire Association sent through a selected team to Fraserburgh on Saturday, and they were badly beaten by 3-1.
The "Brochers," by the amalgamation, have now a strong team, and they mean to make matters hum a bit in the Qualifying and other ties.
Nichol was in great glee at beating Dundee A on Saturday. He fancies with a little luck they should have drawn at Dens Park.
Dundee people were not at all pleased at having two reverses chalked up against them in one day. They at least expected to take the points away from Pittodrie.
Local games in Aberdeen will be seriously interfered with this week on account of the Lifeboat Saturday Sports on the links.
Next week Aberdeen will be at home to Falkirk on the Saturday, and; on the autumn holiday (Monday) Queen's Park will be their guests at Pittodrie.

Source: Bon-Accord, 15th September 1910