St. Bernards 3 - 1 Aberdeen

Except for ten minutes in the closing stages of the game at the Gymnasium on Saturday, Aberdeen were a poor team.

During that brief spell the scored once and had the home defence on the run. Had they played with the same vim and vigour for the other eighty minutes they would have won.
The Dons had a bad day. They were beated by a team that could not produce brilliant football but kept the ball going and followed up quickly. Sints had what Aberdeen lacked 0 the adventurous spirit.
The Dons' defence was too easily manoeuvred out of position and the attack failed to find the answer to the first-time tactics of the St Bernards defence.

ABERDEEN'S BEST MEN

It is a simple matter to pick out the best players in Saturday's game. Anderson was the better of the two backs who were never at ease.
Jock Thomson took the half-back honours. He tried hard to get the attack going. George Thomson, on the other flanf, although not so prominent, was by no means a failure.
Waddell, after a good first half, fell away badly.
Ferguson, who scored for the Dons, was the only forward who showed any enterprise. Mills and he changed places in the second half, but this made little difference.

LIVELY FRONT LINE

Wallace, Yorke, Johnston, and Aird were defensive stalwarts for St Bernards, while in a lively front line Linton, on the left wing, and Hay, as leader of the attack, gave the Dons' defence most trouble.
St Bernards opened the scoring after eighteen minutes' play. Hay burst through the Aberdeen rear lines like a hurricane and Johnstone was lucky to stop his shot with his foot. Th eball ran clear to Buchan, who had an easy task to find the net.

UNHAPPY SECOND GOAL

The second goal came shortly before the interval. The blame for the loss of this goal must be shared equally by Waddell and Johnstone. A weak clearance by the centre-half saw Linton get the ball into the middle. Johnstone ran from his charge, but missed it, and Hay netted with a header.
The home centre increased the total a few minutes after the start of the second half. Linton broke clear on the left and Hay, lying unmarked, headed his cross into the net.
Aberdeen's counter came in the closing stages. Ferguson forced his way through, his first shot was blocked, but he got a second chance and scored from close range.

Source: Press & Journal, 19th February 1940