Aberdeen 1 - 1 Queens Park

These teams met at Pittodrie yesterday in a Scottish League match, in presence of a gathering of about 8000 spectators. Aberdeen opened in promising style, and for a period hemmed in the visitors. Gradually, however, the amateurs settled down to a magnificent scientific game, in which they gave a delightful exhibition of the finer points of football. Their defence failed to stop a dashing run by O'Hagan and Lennie, and the extreme winger slipped neatly to Simpson, who beat Douglas with a scrappy shot. The Queen's were granted a penalty for handling by O'Hagan, and Leckie took the kick, but Mutch saved grandly. After some exciting bouts, Paul dashed off, and got in a capital cross, which Hume missed, and Leckie, lying handy, banged past Mutch, equalising the scores. The second half was keenly contested, and, although Aberdeen showed more dash, they were no match for their opponents in clever footwork. Simpson, Aberdeen's centre, had to retire owing to an injury to his leg, and shortly afterwards McIlwraith, the Glasgow outside right, was carried off the field, suffering from a sprained ankle, caused in a collision with Hume. No further scoring took place, and a grand game ended in a draw - one goal each.

Source: The Scotsman, 29th September 1908

Smarting under the 7-1 defeat sustained at Dundee on Saturday, the Queen's Park, the famous Glasgow amateur combination, faced a large holiday crowd at Pittodrie, Aberdeen, yesterday in a Scottish League match with the Aberdeen team. The weather was not od the best, rain having fallen for several hours before the kick-off. This and the early start - 11:30 - no doubt had an effect on the attendance at the commencement, there being no more than 7000 spectators when the game started. The full attendance would have been close on 10000. The pitch was slippery on the surface, but there was very little wind. The Queen's Park team had four changes from that which did duty at Dundee, and Aberdeen had one change, Davidson playing at right-half in place of Wilson. The teams were:-

Aberdeen: Mutch; Colman, Hume; Davidson, McIntosh, Low; Blackburn, Muir, Simpson, O'Hagan, Lennie.
Queen's Park: Douglas; Young, Richmond; Riley, Murray, Anderson; McIlwraith, Bowie, Leckie, McColl, Paull.
Referee - Mr. Jackson, Glasgow.

When Queen's Park appeared the rain had ceased. The heartiness of the cheer indicated the presence of a big Glasgow contingent, the day being also the Glasgow holiday. Aberdeen won the toss, and played towards the sea. A foul against McColl for back-charging Muir let Aberdeen off. Clever dribbling by Riley changed the run of the ball, which went by. Blackburn at the other end centred, and O'Hagan drove hard, one of the Queen's intercepting the shot. Quick midfield exchanges led to an attack by Queen's from a foul against Aberdeen, Hume clearing cleverly. Aberdeen scored after eight minutes' play. O'Hagan got the ball from McIntosh, and passed to Lennie, who just touched it, and was tumbled over by Young. Simpson running in, with little room between the goalkeeper and the post, scored a fine goal with the side of his foot, the goalkeeper throwing himself full length, but failing to reach the ball. Even play ruled for a time, until Queen's Park got on the run towards Mutch, the outside right sending across the Aberdeen goal and past. O'Hagan and Lennie broke away in a clever run, and the result was a spell of exciting play in the Queen's goalmouth. Lennie forced a corner, and Douglas saved smartly, but rashly leaving his goal, fell near the touch line. Another corner was forced by the Aberdeen attack, which was then repulsed, the Queen's dashing quickly to the west goal.

QUEEN'S MISS A Penalty

Inside the penalty line O'Hagan while breasting the ball accidentally touched with his arm, and the full penalty was given. Leckie took the kick, and shot fast and low, Mutch saving grandly. In the melee that followed Low kicked past, and gave away a corner for safety. For the next ten minutes the Aberdeen players hemmed the Queen's into their own end of the field, and playing cleverly gave the amateurs' defence an anxious time. Douglas handled twice, both saves being smart. The Queen's goalkeeper made a bad miss, however, of a cross by Blackburn. Queen's then had a turn of the attacking, clever forward play on both wings giving them ground. Murray shot over. Hume was prominent in defence for Aberdeen, his tackling and kicking being sure. McColl was almost through when Colman slipped in with a nice punt. A free kick against Simpson gave Queen's a chance, which they failed to take advantage of, the ball being sent past. Lennie raced a laugh by shooting for the south-east corner flag, but he made amends a minute later with a terrific oblique shot, which Douglas got away with difficulty. Paull lead an attack by Queens, but though he had speed, he whacked control of the ball, and was beaten in the tackle. Black barn burst away on the Aberdeen right, and was upset, the attack resulting in a corner, which came to naught. Queens, who played cleverly, had a prolonged turn of pressing, but they failed near goal. McColl, dribbling beautifully, got through, closely attended by Colman and Hume, and it looked odds on his scoring. He flashed the ball across to goal instead, and, his supports not having come up, the ball went past, and the Aberdeen players breathed freely again. Queen's were now are all over Aberdeen, sparkling play in the open characterizing their movements, with poor finishing, the forwards seeming to lose themselves near goal. At last Queen's got the equaliser. Paull crossed a low ball, and Hume miskicking, Leckie got the ball off the back's foot, and banged it into the net, Mutch making no attempt to save, the range being too short and the call too sudden. Aberdeen attacked and were repulsed, after which Queen's forwards again showed up brilliant footwork, Mutch saving from Paull. Another splendid run by the Queen's front line ended by Leckie heading over. The Queen's Park had been almost continuously pressing for 20 minutes, when the whistle sounded for the interval.

When the teams lined up, but cheer indicated something strange, and the amusement seemed to be derived from Lennie's appearance at centre forward. For a time it looked as if the change were to be profitable. Muir gave the ball to Blackburn, who sent in a fine centre. Lennie trapped the ball, and drove with terrific force, the short passing a few inches outside the post. Queen's dashed to the east goal, Mutch having to handle from Bowie, who dribbled through the Aberdeen defence. Play was transferred, and twice Lennie raised the excitement of the crowd by his movements inside the penalty line, another raking shot of his striking the outside of the net. In the open Aberdeen were not shipping too well, but the wakened up and peppered the amateurs' defence. Amid the cheers of the crowd, Lennie slipped the ball out to Blackburn, who raced away with a clear field, Lennie sprinting up the centre for the pass. Blackburn elected to shoot, Douglas getting the ball on the post, and giving away a corner under the attentions of Lennie. Then the queen's backs had a lively time, and a goal had several narrow escapes, Richmond with a big kick giving relief. The venue of play was changed and amateurs forced two corners, ultimately being repulsed when Lennie broke away and dribbled up the field. The little experimental centre past to Simpson when tackled, the outside left finishing weakly with the ball which went over. Lennie gave Simpson several nice passes, but the outside left, who was lame, did not improve on them. Lennie was ever in the thick of the fray, and the Queen's defence shook before the attack. Off to the other end went the Queen's, and Mutch fisted from under the bar a great shot by Paull. Back game Aberdeen, Lennie again shining in the centre. In a good position he was tackled, and passed to Simpson, who showed bad judgment in passing to O'Hagan, who was palpably offside. Keen and exciting was the play now, with Aberdeen pressing.

ABERDEEN MISS A PENALTY

Wilfred Low was through with nobody to but the goalkeeper in front, when , a few yards from goal, he was tripped, and fell. A penalty kick was given. Simpson, who scored twice off penalties on Saturday, was selected for the kick, and to the chagrin of the Aberdeen section of the spectators, he banged the ball past the outside of the post. More even play followed, with the Queen's trying desperately to get on the lead. The game was fast, exciting, and full of interest. McColl beat McIntosh and Leckie was making his way towards Mutch when he was given offside. A close attack on the Queen's goal looked dangerous, the situation being eased when Muir, neatly trapping the ball, shot over from five yards out. Murray cleverly stopped Lennie, and the return gave Paull a chance, Davidson kicking the ball into touch from the forward's toe. The Aberdeen team slackened down, with the result that the backs - Colman and Hume - had plenty of kicking. A breakaway by O'Hagan led to an anxious moment for the Queen's defenders, Murray heading O'Hagan's centre over the line and giving away a corner. Low fouled, and the amateurs got into the open again. In a dashing run Blackburn beat Richmond, only to find Murray waiting the pass. Aberdeen attacked strongly, the Queen's defence standing up well. Simpson had to leave the field owing to his lameness. Racing Hume to get the ball, McIllwraith fell forward on his face and lay still. He was carried off the field, when it was found he was suffering from a twisted ankle. The closing stages of the game were evenly contested.

The game was one of the best seen at Pittodrie this season, there being scarcely a dull minute from start to finish. The amateurs were distinctly the better team in the first half, but in the second period Aberdeen held the upper hand. The score fairly indicates the run of the game.

The amount drawn at the gate and stands was about £175.

Source: Aberdeen Daily Journal, 29th September 1908

The Holiday Fixtures.

The weather was entirely against a great attendance on Monday when Queen's Park opposed Aberdeen in a League game. Added to this the fact that the Amateurs were soundly whipped by Dundee on the Saturday militated against anything like a big attendance. Notwithstanding these drawbacks some 8000 spectators turned up, and were rewarded by witnessing as good an exhibition as has been given at Pittodrie this season.

The team was altered again. McNair and Halkett were still absent, but Wilson also had to cry off on account of family illness, he being wired for to come home. Davidson took right half position, and filled it well. Aberdeen moved particularly fine at the start, and were not long in finding the net, Simpson again being the scorer. It would have been no hardship had the home side been a few goals up at this time, but the Queen's defence stood up to the attack like Trojans, and got through a great amount of work. A sudden burst let the Queen's in, and getting the defence in a tangle, scored a soft-looking goal. Lennie was unfortunate several times in hitting an opponent when in fine positions, while his aim was only inches wide. Simpson got a nasty knock, which seemed to trouble him, but he kept in gamely till half-time. It was a question during the interval if Simpson would be able to take the field, and though he did so, it would have been better had he stayed inside. Lennie took up the centre position, but with practically only ten men they did not shine so well as in the first portion. The Queen's, on the other hand, improved greatly, and gave Aberdeen's defence a busy time. Mutch excelled in this half by the way he stopped several ground shots, while he also saved a penalty, which is the third time this season that he has accomplished this feat. The Queen's were equally fortunate in stopping a penalty against them, Aberdeen making the blunder of giving the kick to Simpson, who was totally unable to perform the feat of Saturday. All things considered, the game was value for a draw, and so it ended, with the scores unaltered. We should say that the game ranks as the best we have seen at Pittodrie this season.

Chatty Bits.

Aberdeen are at their wits end with injured players just now.
There is hardly a player but is suffering from some cause more or less, and Trainer Simpson has his hands full.
It is expected that McNair and Halket will both be fit this week. There is a risk in the latter player playing too soon.
Kilmarnock were a little disappointed at losing both points on Saturday. They would have been content to go home with one.
Their dissatisfaction was embittered by the fact that they lost through the agency of two penalties.
Aberdeen have made a considerable advance in their League points over last year's results.
There is also an improvement in the gate drawings, and still many consider the team to be not nearly so good as last season's one.
The Queen's seem to have a great fondness for Aberdeen; for they could command all their best men for the Granite City, while there were several absentees from Dundee.
As it was, £170 all in, under the circumstances, is not bad for a holiday.
The crowd seemed well pleased with what they saw, and it is quite evident that the Queen's have not lost any of their popularity in the north.
Blackburn made a welcome reappearance on Saturday and Monday, and will now dispute his right of place with R. Simpson.
It is doubtful if Simpson will be fit to play this week if selected.
There is the makings of a considerable rumpus in Scottish League circles over the Glasgow Cup draws.

Source: Bon-Accord, 1st October 1908