Aberdeen 3 - 1 Queens Park

At Aberdeen. On such a day Aberdeen were lucky in winning the toss, and though Queen's opened the scoring, Aberdeen kept the game well at the visitors' goal., and in the closing ten minutes of the first half, Murray scored three goals. In the second period there was no scoring. Mutch kept a good goal in this half, and saved the situation. Result:- Aberdeen, three goals; Queen's Park, one.

Source: The Scotsman, 24th February 1908

As the result of a keenly-contested and exciting game, played under boisterous weather conditions - the wind at times rising to a hurricane - the Aberdeen team have qualified for the semi-final round in the Scottish cup competition by defeating the famous amateur combination of Scotland - Queen's Park, Glasgow. For the past few weeks football fever has raged in Aberdeen, and for many miles around, due to the great struggle between the Aberdeen and Dundee teams, culminating in Aberdeen's brilliant victory at the third meeting. In consequence of the interest in the local team's doings, and the fame of the Queen's Park, a record attendance was expected at Pittodrie Park on Saturday, but the hopes of the club in this respect were disappointed, the bad weather no doubt keeping several thousands of impending spectators in some more comfortable quarters. Special trains were run from the north, and the Queen's Park followers came in a special from Glasgow. While the crowd was congregating stirring music was provided by the Oakbank Industrial School pipe band. Not more than 12,000 spectators were present at the kick-off, but the crowd was largely augmented as the game proceeded. Just before the teams came out, a terrific gale, with a heavy shower of rain, blew down the field from the north-west to south-east, and the spectators had an uncomfortable 5 minutes, as those who were not in the cupboard stands were absolutely shelterless. The shower ceased, and there was a glimpse of bright sunshine, and then the jaunty Queens Park players left the pavilion, and were heartily cheered as they filed into the arena - a fine body of Paul, sturdy, good-looking young men, modestly wearing the halo of the aristocracy of the Scottish football field. The Aberdeen team, making their first bow to their supporters after their victory over Dundee, had a most enthusiastic reception. Both teams appeared to be fit, but, if anything, the Queen's seemed to be the heavier eleven, and one got the impression that they were fresher and sprightlier than the Aberdeen men, who could hardly be expected to be frisky after their three fierce games with Dundee, the last of which was in mid-week. The referee, Mr. J. B. Stark, Airdrie, was also cheered on coming onto the field. What a cheer went up when the all-important choice of ends fell, by the spin of the calling, to Halkett, the Aberdeen captain, who promptly selected the west goal, with the advantage of the highly wind. The teams lined up as follows:-

Aberdeen: Mutch; Colman, Hume; Halkett, McIntosh, Low; Macdonald, Muir, Murray, O'Hagan, Lennie.
Queen's Park: Adam; Campbell, Richmond; Mick Andrew, Murray, Riley; McLean, Fitchie, Sim, McColl, Paul.

THE GAME

There was no mistaking the look of grim determination on the faces of the 22 players when the game started, and the queen's forwards had hardly got off the midline when a foul was given against Aberdeen. It was thus early apparent that, owing to the deceptive flight of the ball on account of the veering wind, a great exhibition of skill in manipulation was not to be expected. Aberdeen came back from the Queen's free kick, and a sweeping forward movement was checked by Richmond, the Queen's left back, a great power in defence. An attack on the other wing had no better result, Campbell sending Lennie and O'Hagan to the right-about. The Queen's we're making good headway, the forwards, ably supported by their rear ranks, beating up against the wind, and briskly manoeuvring when the necessary ground had been gained. The first really exciting bit of play was in the Aberdeen goal, where from a clever pass from Fitchie, who rounded Wilfred Low, McColl was left with a clear passage. The great internationalist is not some quick as he used to be, and before he got deliberate in, Colman - the De Wet of the Aberdeen defence - slipped through the attacking line, taking the ball with him. Then the Queen's Park back and goalkeeper had an anxious time. After sustaining a period of severe pressure, the Queen's front rank again got on the move, led by Fitchie, whose strong, clever play was giving the Aberdeen defence much trouble. The Aberdeen spectators trembled when they saw Fitchie getting into short range with the ball at his toe, but they were relieved when Hume beat the London amateur, and cleared with a fine punt. Fitchie was a wonderful worker, and when not attacking was assisting his half-backs, his particular Duthie apparently being to lend a hand in holding the elusive O'Hagan and Lennie. Good work by Hume at one end and Richmond at the other nullified attacks on the respective goals, and then Lennie nipped the ball away from Campbell, and clever play by the Aberdeen left wing and the centre-forward was cheered by the spectators. For a long time the Aberdeen attack was somewhat listless, the players not making much of the wind advantage. In fact, the Queen's Park, baffling against heavy odds were holding their own and attacking quite as persistently as the ground team. For a time the Queen's were kept on the defensive, grand work by Halkett McIntosh and Low defying their determined efforts to break out. Lennie, running in on Adam with the ball, was foul charged by McAndrew well inside the penalty area, and the Queen's Park player would have been justly punished had the referee granted a penalty kick.

A BRILLIANT SAVE

From a pass by Murray, Muir headed in, and Adam sprang at the ball and held it on the line, falling as he did so. Lennie rushed in, and tried to kick the ball into the net from under the Queen's goalkeeper, but as he kicked ad and instead he was penalized, and the free kick gave the Queen's relief. Adam made a brilliant save, but it was a narrow escape. Aberdeen continued to press home the attack, and met a sound defence, Richmond, by cool, resolute tackling and strong kicking, beating back the eager Aberdeen forwards again and again. Smart work by Colman and Halkett broke up a clever movement by McColl and company, and the ball going to Murray, the Aberdeen centre was almost through when he was fouled, the referee failing to notice the infringement. McColl was clever - two clever in fact, as he lost several opportunities by over-elaboration in fancy work. Lennie was not getting much scope, but just to show that he could elude the watch-dogs, he danced round the astonished Fitchie - past master in tackling - and drove hard for the Queen's goal, Adams saving just as Murray, the Aberdeen pivot, was given off side in charging him. At the other end Hume, who was steady and sure, cleared close in on goal, and immediately McColl, well placed, shot weekly past. The Aberdeen attackers, disappointed in their efforts at short range, tried several long shots, which were invariably carried past by the wind. Once, however, Adams got a stinger to hold, and he sent the ball away while Richmond held off Murray. The Aberdeen forwards, now realizing the position - still goalless with the prospect of facing the gale in the second half - desperate efforts to score, but were repelled again and again. Muir, about to shoot at short range, was smartly robbed by the queen's centre-half, and then the Aberdeen Murray tried a snap-shot from far out, the ball just grazing the upright on the outside.

FOUR GOALS IN TWELVE MINUTES

More than half an hour of the game had gone, and the Aberdeen players were no nearer improving their position, and the outlook for them was bleak indeed. The Queen's Park followers were delighted with the splendid stand made by their team, while the Aberdonian's were in an agony of apprehension. Then Queen's Park scored, and although the goal was cleverly taken by Fitchie, only the Queen's Park following cheered, for the Aberdonian's, who had witnessed the team pressing most of the time, were sick at heart and their hopes fell to zero. Not so the Aberdeen players. While there thousands of supporters longed for goals as Wellington longed for the help of Blucher at Waterloo, the players set to work to get them while yet there was time before having to face the storm. The aspect of the game changed with electrical suddenness, one the Aberdeen players seeming to be galvanised into new life. Freely swinging the ball from wing two wing, the Aberdeen forwards dashed through the Queen's Park ranks. Macdonald and Muir raced down the wing, and the ball was crossed to Murray, who, wheeling around with lightning rapidity, shot sharply into the net, completely beating Adams. What a cheer greeted the equaliser. Still attacking brilliantly, the Aberdeen forwards worked for goal, Richmond resolutely stemming the tide of attack. From a cross by Lennie, Murray headed in, and the ball was turned round the post, a corner kick following. Not for a second that the Aberdeen players rest. Lennie, getting the ball from Low, sprinted down the wing, slipped past Campbell, and crossed fast and low. Murray, running in, nipped up the pass, eluded Richmond, and drove the ball with great force into the net out of Adams reach, thus giving Aberdeen the lead, amid a scene of extraordinary enthusiasm, the spectators literally yelling themselves hoarse and dancing with the light. But the Aberdeen men were not done yet, and again and again they hurled themselves on the Queen's Park defenders. O'Hagan and Lennie and then Muir and Murray bothered the Queen's backs. From a break-a way Paul had a great run on the wing, and initiated a sharp counter-attack on the Aberdeen goal, the backs with difficulty clearing their lines. At the other end Lennie, in an offside position, stood still, and O'Hagan cutely ran on, misleading the Queen's defence. Lennie got the pass, and shot hard but a trifle high. Then came Aberdeen's third goal. Murray, getting a pass from Muir, slipped between the backs into a shooting position, and from 20 yards out scored a magnificent goal, the ball darting under the crossbar, and beating Adam all the way. The Aberdeen players continued to romp through the Queen's Park defence, and when the whistle sounded looked like scoring again.

SECOND HALF

There was no prospect of the wind falling at the beginning of the second half; indeed, two wards the finish the squalls became worse than ever. Even with a two-goal lead in face of such a wind, the position of the Aberdeen team was numbed to secure, but they soon warmed to the task of keeping the eager Queen's at bay, I and, as the result proved, did so successfully, there being no more scoring. Fitchie was most prominent in the Queen's attack, and no frequently dangerous he was closely watched, and every time he got the ball he had one or more of the Aberdeen players tackling him. At the start of the second. Fitchie sent the Paul out to call, but the speedy left winger shot past. Aberdeen were kept pretty much in their own end of the field, and did not open out and make headway so often as the Queen's had done against the wind. The Aberdeen defence, however, was magnificent. Mutch, the first time he was tried this half, a faulty clearance. It was a long shot, following a corner kick, from Campbell, the Queen's right back, and the ball run up Mutch's arms and rebounded off his face. Queen's Park forced another corner. McColl, although clever and tricky, failed to get settled for effective shooting, and the same is true of Fitchie, who was well held by Wilfred Low. Mutch saved from Paul, and then McColl kicked over. Hume and McIntosh were prominent in defence. With Queen's attacking fiercely, and the Aberdeen defending desperately, fouls were frequent, and feeling crept into the game, and even some of the spectators were affected, the referee having to give a few words of advice to an excited partisan. Mutch did some grand work during the heat of the Queen's Park attack, saving a high shot from far out on the crossbar, and fisting away a second drive with his left hand almost in the same spring. The game was exciting and full of incidents, and again and again regular melees near the Aberdeen goal brought out the soundness of the defence, Hume, Colman, Low, McIntosh, and Halkett working like Trojans' - kicking, heading, charging down opponents, and punting out any where for safety. A rocket shot from Richmond was cleverly returned by Hume, and then the Aberdeen forwards had a characteristic run towards Adam, Lennie leading the way. Queen's came back on the left, McColl and Paul showing brilliant footwork. A cute pass by McColl to Fitchie looked well, but Hume, ever on the alert, snapped the ball away. With such keen pressure, and the Queen's forwards so often in close proximity, the wonder was that the Aberdeen goal did not fall, but it was due to the tireless energy of the Aberdeen players, forwards as well as half-backs and backs taking part in the defence. Fitchie, getting a faultless pass from McColl, had the ball on the penalty line in an unmarked position. He turned to shoot, and from his toes the ball was kicked away by Low. Tired of defensive work, Low tried to open up the game, and with the ball at his feet ploughed through the Queen's, being stopped by the ball going into touch. When the Aberdeen forward line got on the move, Murray distributed play very cleverly, O'Hagan and Lennie making the better progress owing to Macdonald's weakness against Richmond, who was not particular in his treatment of the light outside right. Murray, by clever dribbling, almost got through. Not for long could Aberdeen keep the ball in Queen's territory, and Mutch was again called upon, saving smartly from McLean. A breakaway by Muir almost brought about the downfall of the Queen's goal, O'Hagan not being up in time to drive Muir's pass across the goal. Some keen attacking by Aberdeen was next witnessed, Murray, when sent in a run for goal, being tripped up near the penalty line. McIntosh took the kick and passed out to Lennie, who sent in a hard drive, Hume saving, while Murray, who had run in, was given offside. Lennie had several runs, but McAndrew was too fast for him and sent into touch. Queen's forced many corners, but could make nothing of them. A foul 30 yards out nearly cost Aberdeen a goal. Richmond, taking the kick, shot hard, Mutch springing to the upright and turning the ball round the post. Shortly after Mutch again saved a long shot at the expense of a corner. Notwithstanding their great efforts, the Queen's could not find the net, their forwards, with their close passing, being checked every time by the active Aberdeen half-backs. Near the close of the game, Lennie and O'Hagan burst away on the left, and a dangerous run ended by Lennie crossing, a find chance being lost to Macdonald failing to get up in time. 2 minutes from time Fitchie shook off all opposition, and from 15 yards out sent in a terrific drive, which passed a few inches outside the upright. The Queen's Park never slackened their efforts until the whistle sounded, but they were beaten by a tireless defence.

The game was won and lost in the closing 15 minutes of the first half, when Murray's brilliant play in scoring three grand goals made the Aberdeen teams position secure. For the defence in the second half Aberdeen deserved to win.

The amount drawn at the gate was £270 8s 3d, and at the stands £74 15s 3d - a total of £345 3s 6d, representing an attendance of between 13,000 and 14,000.

Source: Aberdeen Daily Journal, 24th February 1908