Aberdeen 3 - 0 Morton

This League game was played at Pittodrie. The ground was heavy after the rain, nevertheless a fast pace was set, Aberdeen scoring through Edgar twenty minutes after the start. Morton missed one or two easy chances in this period. The home side did all the pressing in the second period, and should have had more goals than they got. McAuley scored the second, and from a penalty McNicol added a third. Aberdeen played good football although and but for the excellent defence of the Morton backs and goalkeeper the score would have been higher.

Source: The Scotsman, 06-11-1905

The Aberdeen team were at home on Saturday, and had as their opponents in a Scottish League fixture the Greenock Morton. The weather was dull, and the ground soft and heavy with the recent rain. A crowd of over 4000 spectators, including 500 Greenock supporters, who travelled to Aberdeen by special train, witnessed the game. The teams were:-
Aberdeen: Macfarlane; Boyle, Gault; Halkett, Strang, Low; Robertson, Edgar, McNicol, McAulay, Lennie.
Greenock Morton: Robertson; Stewart, Thompson; Rae, Eddie, McIntosh; Turnbull, Massey, Reid, McCubbin, Walker.
Referee - Mr. Corkindale, Dalmuir.

Aberdeen won the toss, and played with their backs to the sea. It was early seen that the game was to be slow, and more suited to the Greenock style of play than to the short passing game for which the Aberdeen team is noted. Adapting their play more than they usually do to the condition of the ground, and driving goalwards at every opportunity, the Aberdeen forwards were early dangerous, and McNicol lost two likely chances within a few minutes of the start. The burley centre darted between the backs on the first occasion and shot wide. His second chance came from tricky work by Lennie and McAulay, and with plenty of time to take aim from five yards out, McNicol shot straight into Robertson's hands. The next exciting incident was at the Aberdeen goal. Walker, the clever outside left of the Morton, placed a corner kick beautifully, the ball dropping almost on the goal line between the posts. Macfarlane fell on the ball and effected a marvelous save, for had he permitted the ball to rise on the rebound it would have been banged into the net by one or other of the eager Greenock forwards. During the greater part of the game, which was of a ding-dong nature, with only occasional flashes of clever passing and footwork, Morton had quite as much of the play in the open as their opponents, the sturdy kicking of the backs on both sides keeping the ball well in midfield. Walker, the ex-Ranger, was the only man in the Morton front rank whose play was worthy of remark, and the way in which he frequently darted past Halkett and shook off the Aberdeen right half was a treat to witness. A scrimmage close in on the Aberdeen goal gave walker his chance, but as he was about to shoot he was charged off the ball by Boyle. Lennie, like McNicol, was off the mark with his shooting, and he nullified a clever run by banging past the post on the wrong side. Any real progress that Morton made was on the left, Walker and McCubbin, giving Halkett the slip again and again. McAulay was the next Aberdeen forward to shoot off the mark. Robertson finished a dashing run by crossing neatly to McAulay, and the inside left, swerving to the left, drove hard but wide. Boyle's hitch-and-kick misdirected the ball towards Macfarlane, but Gault was on the danger spot and cleared. McAulay and Lennie, who have now a thorough understanding of each other's play, again outwitted the Morton half-backs and backs, and Lennie finished with a creditable shot at a difficult to angle. Edgar, one of the trickiest forwards on the field, drew out the Morton defense and slipped the ball ahead for Robertson to follow up. The Aberdeen right wing flier got in his shot, which was smartly held by Robertson. Mcaulay headed the ball past from a cross by Robertson, and a few minutes later McAulay, with an opening, lifted the ball over the bar. The Aberdeen half-backs, Halkett excepted, had little difficulty in keeping the Morton attack in check, and if they were passed, Boyle and Gault invariably cleared in fine style, Gault's clean, strong kicking and Boyle's resolute tackling checking the wild rushes of the Morton's forwards. So on the game went, the Aberdeen forwards, through weak shooting, failing to make the most of their repeated visits to the Morton goal. Lennie dropped a long shot into goal from the touch line, and for several seconds the ball bobbed about in dangerous proximity to Robertson. Ultimately Strang, when manoeuvring for a shot, was robbed of the ball, and the Greenock forwards banged the ball ahead and raced after it. Macfarlane run out and returned the leather to the Greenock half of the field. At last, after repeated tries, Aberdeen opened the scoring. Edgar, on the run, caught up a fast pass by McAulay, and cutely shot at an angle which completely deceived Robertson, who threw himself at the ball and missed it - a splendid shot and a goal well deserved on play. McNicol, who was frequently given offside, did good service when he drew out the Greenockr defense and gave Edgar the ball to beat the goalkeeper. Edgar's shot was wide. Robertson saved twice for Morton, a shot by Strang giving him some trouble. An exciting scrimmage in the Aberdeen goal all but ended disastrously, Macfarlane springing out and clearing at an awkward moment. At half-time Aberdeen led by a goal to nil - 3-0 would have been nearer the mark.

In the second half Aberdeen completely outplayed the visitors, and seldom were the Morton forwards permitted to make headway. Walker was now easily held by Halkett. A long, high shot by Lennie was held by Robertson, then Walker made off towards the other end. The ex-Ranger tried to work up the centre of the field, but was checkmated by Halkett, and a few minutes later he caught the eye as he dashed off, hotly followed by Boyle and Strang, the latter heaving him over as he was about to shoot. Robertson cleared a high shot from Edgar. Macfarlane, lonely and forlorn at the other end, was seldom visited. Aberdeen lost another easy chance of scoring in somewhat ludicrous fashion. The ball was sent into Morton's goal, and Robertson rushed out and missed it. McNicol just managed to touch the ball with his heel, as he was endeavouring to bring himself round, and the ball rebounded almost under the cross bar. Alas! There was nobody there to put on the finishing touch, and before McNicol recovered his balance, the ball was sent away in a scrimmage. The Morton goalkeeper got plenty to do, and when he was bundled into the net by his namesake in the Aberdeen forward line, he had just succeeded in fisting the ball away. After Robertson had saved a high shot from Lennie, he was beaten a second time, McAulay rushing the ball into the net from a free kick on the right. Aberdeen's third goal came from a penalty kick. Stewart fisted the ball down inside the penalty area, and McNicol, taking the kick with the utmost coolness placed the ball in the net without apparently giving the way it was to be done a thought. In the closing stages of the game Aberdeen simply toyed with the Morton defence, but no further scoring took place, a poor game ending with the score - Aberdeen, 3; Morton, 0. A score of 6-0 in Aberdeen's favour would have indicated more clearly the run of the game, the Greenock team, on their Saturdays display, being undoubtedly the weakest first division eleven seen at Pittodrie this season. Divisible gate, £121; stands about £30.

Source: Aberdeen Daily Journal, 6th November 1905