Cowdenbeath 5 - 3 Aberdeen

In a Scottish Alliance match at Cowdenbeath,the home team reserves beat Aberdeen "A" by 5 goals to 3. Cowdenbeath caught Aberdeen napping in the first half, and in less than ten minutes Paterson, the Cowdenbeath centre, had the ball twice past Cunningham. This was too much for the visitors, whose defence got so upset at the rapid reverses that Paterson had five goals in the net before the interval. Occasionally the Aberdeen forwards broke through, only to to be brought up suddenly by the last lines of Cowdenbeath defence, who were sure in their tackling, especially the new right back on trial. Forbes, the likeliest forward of the visitors, sent in one that Falconer could not touch, and the interval came with Cowdenbeath leading by five goals to one. The Aberdeen defence had been unsettled, and McHale, the new centre-half, failed to keep a grip on Paterson. He had little support from his backs, who, too, were flustered in the presence of Paterson and Co. and miskicked frequently. It was a different story in the second half. The first three shots at Cunningham looked like scorers, but the goalkeeper had gained that confidence that served him in good stead, and all the rest of the game he played a safe and sound game, refusing to be beaten further. This placed confidence in other members of the team, and following the interval the visitors were superior to the locals. However, the score of five goals was too much to wipe off, though Forbes did his best by accomplishing the "hat trick." Of Aberdeen team the inside forwards, especially Forbes and Grant were the pick. McHale came out in a better light in the second period, and the result was that he kept Paterson from adding to his quintette, and at the same time he had a large say in Aberdeen's other two goals. All the visitors played much better in the second half, and but for the early reverses which upset Aberdeen defence in all divisions they would have held Cowdenbeath.

Source: Press & Journal, 2nd March 1925