Aberdeen 1 - 1 Rangers

At Pittodrie Park, Aberdeen, in presence of 5000 spectators. The game opened at a fast pace, both teams showing up well in the front rank. Play ruled very even, and during the opening fifteen minutes the spectators were treated to some really clever football. Following upon a smart bit of tackling, and placing by Wilson, T. Murray beat Rennie. A few minutes later, however, the same player missed badly wneh he had a better opportunity. Subsequently the Rangers took the game in hand, and completely outplayed Aberdeen. Hogg had hard luck with two stinging shots that just went past the posts, but eventually Reid equalised for the Rangers with a hard drive. In the second half Aberdeen pressed for a long time, but few shots were directed at goal, although Lennie on one occasion hit the cross-bar when the goalkeeper was beaten. Result :- Aberdeen, one goal; Rangers, one.

Source: The Scotsman, 7th March 1910

Dull weather, threatening rain before the start, kept a good many away from Pittodrie on Saturday who would otherwise have been present, and who missed witnessing a rousing game. Till well on in the second half, when the teams seemed to take a breather, there were few intervals in which there were not some exciting passages between the sides - either at one end or the other. Rangers worked at the start as if they were to rush the Aberdonians off their feet; but finding no luck at goal, they were gradually forced out of the picture. The great Hogg was clever in his footwork, and Alick Smith is not a spent force yet. These extreme wing men gave trouble at the start, but Wilson got onto Smith's ways and practically knocked him off his game. Hogg was wonderful, and but for quick recovery work on the part of Hume and Millar, he was scoring goals sure. Once he had Mutch beaten with a great shot, but nobody was up to clinch it, the work leading to it being the best we have seen on Pittodrie this season. The way the Rangers halves kept in the home forwards made us think that the locals were not going to get a look in at all.
Tom Murray made a big improvement in the centre, feeding both wings with judgement, and it was quite a relief to see the game take a turn in our favour, Bert Murray being prominent with a hard drive. O'Hagan also gave Lennie some work to do, but the little man was not anxious to trouble Campbell too often, and he allowed the ball to get too far away or into touch several times when he might have got it. The best work came from the right, and here O'Hagan began to plank the ball with tangible results. Wilson caught one of these crosses, and sending on to Simpson, Tom Murray accepted the pass, and eluded Rennie by driving away into the far corner of the net low down. He had hard lines shortly after this, for the Rangers were determined to score, but they were held out till 40 minutes had gone, when Reid scored a perfect beauty, the ball going straight to Mutch, when it swerved slightly, and took the north side of the goal low down. The teams crossed with the score 1-1, which proved a fair index of the run of the play. Aberdeen forced matters in the opening stages of the second half, but their shooting was "off," all the forwards making mistakes. Twice they ought to have scored, with Rennie beaten to the world, Lennie striking the goalkeeper with nothing to hinder the ball's passage. A rally by the Rangers very nearly saw Hogg score, but nothing tangible resulted, and the game finished one goal each.

The Players

Rangers have the nippiest forward line and the fastest we have seen at Pittodrie this season. Hogg in the first half was brilliant, but seldom got the ball in the second, Reid and MacPherson sharing the honours at the close. May and Waddell were the best halves, the former doing some grand head work, and the latter was in the thick of the fray all the time. McKenzie depends too much on his strength to get the better of an opponent, while Campbell was easily got round. Rennie is not the keeper of old, and lacks the dash and daring of a few years back. Mutch was smart and saved well, but we have never seen the backs so often beaten as they were on Saturday, and but for their quick recovery would have been out of it. Wilson was the best half, with Macfarlane and Millar coming next; and of the forwards, O?Hagan and Tom Murray were most prominent, with Simpson and Bert Murray the strongest wing. Lennie was a bit off in his shooting, and otherwise did not do so well as in the cup tie at Pittodrie.

Source: Bon-Accord 10th March 1910

The football fixture at Pittodrie Park, Aberdeen, on Saturday, was exceptionally attractive, the famous Glasgow Rangers hall was proving a strong card. The Aberdeen team have never defeated the Rangers in a Scottish League match, and the supporters of the Pittodrie team were hopeful of that record being broken on Saturday. The Rangers were not at full strength, no fewer than five of their regular first players being off from various causes. About 8000 spectators witnessed the match, which was played under excellent conditions. Teams:-

Aberdeen: Mutch; Colman, Hume; Wilson, Macfarlane, Miller; H. Murray, Simpson, T. Murray, O'Hagan, Lennie.
Rangers: Rennie; Campbell, Mackenzie; Gordon, May, Waddell; Hogg, Millar, Reid, McPherson, Smith.
Referee - Mr. G. W. Hamilton, Motherwell.

Aberdeen had to face a slight breeze in the first half, and for a time their play was loose. They were, however, the first to attack seriously, Rennie saving from Herbert Murray. Rangers then got into their stride, and looked like overwhelming Aberdeen, so strong and persistent was their attack. Mutch smartly caught a dangerous cross from Smith, and the clearance let O'Hagan and Lennie away, the Aberdeen left wing finding the Rangers' defence too much for them. Hogg for Rangers, running in, failed to time a cross from the left, with only Mutch to beat. Then Smith got the ball well in, and, tackled by Wilson, had to be content with a cornered. The ball was well placed from the kick, and Macfarlane's head proved useful for Aberdeen in getting the ball away. Play was fast and exciting, with both goals visited in turn. Rennie held a fast low shot from Bert Murray on the post, and at the other end, following a free kick for an infringement, May with a surprise shot almost found the Aberdeen net. After 20 minutes play, in which Rangers had certainly had the best of the exchanges, Aberdeen scored in a sudden attack. Hardened-working Wilson commenced the goal-getting movement. He worked with the ball over to the left, cut in, and parted with it to Simpson, who'd tipped on to Tom Murray, who with a clever touch sent the ball past Rennie into the far corner of the net. On the run of play Aberdeen were not deserving of a league, although the goal was well worked four, and smartly taken, the Rangers' defence being thoroughly outwitted. Spurred to greater efforts by their misfortune, the Rangers played up desperately, and the Aberdeen defence had a hot time. Hogg had hard lines with a shot which went a few inches outside the post off Mutch's knuckles, the goalkeeper lying prone. From the corner kick Mutch again saved, and a few minutes later he held a fast low shot from Reid. The Aberdeen defence, with luck, prevailed over the attack, and then Wilson kicked clear, and Aberdeen went to the other end and forced a corner. Hogg by clever play worked close in on Mutch, and almost got the equaliser, the Aberdeen goalkeeper, on the ground, having to throw the ball over the line. Mutch then save from McPherson and Gordon, and in an exciting attack made a daring saved by rushing out and fisting the ball away from a crowd of players. It looked every minute as if Rangers were to equalise, so well sustained was their attack, particularly Hogg on the right, but it was only after Rennie had saved from Bert Murray, and Tom Murray had missed a good chance from O'Hagan that the Glasgow forwards got past the Aberdeen defence. 5 minutes from the interval McPherson, tackled by Colman, slipped the ball ahead, and Reid running in, scored on the run with a terrific ground shot, which proved too fast for Mutch.

The second portion was not nearly so well contested as the first, and was in consequence less interesting. Aberdeen had the mastery for the greater portion of the half, and frequently had the Rangers' defence beaten, only feeble finishing depriving them of victory. In the first 10 minutes Rennie had shots to deal with from right and left, and at the other end Smith got in a shot at close range which was luckily blocked by Colman. May had to put the ball into touch to keep Simpson from getting at Rennie with a shot. Rennie made a mess of a shot, dropping the ball with Tom Murray, O'Hagan, and Lennie all in position for seizing the chance, but between them the group lost an easy goal. Rennie had a warm handful in a shot from Simpson, and the crowd cheered when Lennie slipped past Campbell and sprinted in as Rennie came out, the Rangers goalkeeper getting on the ball first and changing the course of its flight. From a corner at the Aberdeen end, Smith shot past, and then Lennie again got the better of Campbell, who slipped and fell. The outside-left ran on with the ball, two out Lennie, and lifted the ball over the goalkeeper's head. To the chagrin of the Aberdeen players and the crowd, the ball struck the cross-bar and rebounded into play - a lucky escape for Rangers. Bert Murray compelled Mackenzie to concede a corner. Much made a slit by running out and missing his kick at a crossing ball, which, fortunately for Aberdeen, rolled harmlessly over the line. For a time the Aberdeen defence was again kept at full stretch, but with the backs steady,the scores were kept even. Rangers' goal had another marvellous seascape, when Rennie managed to get in the way of shots by Tom Murray, Simpson, and Lennie, all at point-blank range. Aberdeen, by better finishing forward, could have won the game easily, but they failed to benefit by the mistakes of the Rangers defence, Mutch saved from Hogg near the finish.

Source: Aberdeen Daily Journal, 7th March 1910