That return certainly captured the imagination of the Pittodrie punters for as Teddy said: "There were more than 3,000 in the ground and there is no doubt they were here to see Joe. In fact with 10 minutes to go I took Joe off and the crowd started to drift away. But it was marvellous for some of the younger lads to be playing in front of a crowd like that and they certainly responded well. The result was one of those that just come out of the blue."
It certainly came like a bolt out of the blue to the Angus outfit and they were well and truly flattened. But if it was Joe Harper the crowd came to see it was young Steve Cowan who stole the show with a hat-trick and new boy Andy Harrow who caught the eye too with a couple. The rest of the goals came from Duncan Davidson, Joe Harper, Doug Bell, Willie Garner and an own goal.
The Dons reserves are running bang into form right on time for they are on course to cart off the League Cup. Teddy Scott said: "We have Dundee United, Dundee and St Johnstone to play in our section and then if we come out on top we go on to play the winners of the other section in the Final."
"That is usually a home and away tie so the fans could be in for a treat in seeing the Final at Pittodrie with the youngsters lifting a trophy." Not that such a wise old campaigner as Teddy Scott is starting to count chicken before they are hatched, despite that goal parade last week. He said: "We still have some hard matches left to even get through as winners of our section."
On the League front the Dons youngsters have just a couple of outstanding fixtures to clear up and they hope to have the programme complete by the beginning of next month. But really at the moment it is the League Cup which is capturing the imagination of the men in the reserve team dressing room. Just as it is the return to action of that favourite pin-up striker, Joe Harper, that has got the fans talking and walking too. In the direction of Pittodrie - all 3000 odd of them for a reserve match.
Source: Aberdeen FC Programme,21st March 1981