Hamilton 1 - 0 Aberdeen

At Hamilton, before some 5000 spectators. Murray for Soye at outside right on the Aberdeen right wing was the only team change. The Academicals had a decided advantage in the first half, although they failed to break down the sterling defence of Aberdeen. Ten minutes after crossing over, Waugh scored what proved to be the only goal of the match. For a spell after that success, the Academicals pressed determinedly, and it was only the clever work of King in goal that saved them. In the last quarter Aberdeen made a plucky and sustained effort to get on level terms. Nichol sent the ball into the net just as the whistle had gone for a foul, and Watson stopped a fast shot from Travers with nothing to spare. Right up to the end the Academical defenders were in difficulty, yet they managed to come through. Result:- Academicals, one goal; Aberdeen, nothing.

Source: The Scotsman, 27th March 1911

The Aberdeen team visited Hamilton on Saturday in the return league match, and lost by 1 goal to 0 after a very keen game, it which the owners undoubtedly lay with the Academicals. The weather was bright, and although the wind at times troubled the players, the conditions were on the whole favourable for the game. Hamilton played their strongest eleven, but Aberdeen were without Soye for, for whom Murray appeared at outside right. Teams were:-

Hamilton Academicals: Watson; Davie, Miller; Black, McLaughlan, Eglinton; McLaughlin, Waugh, Miller, Hastie, McNeill.
Aberdeen: King; Colman, Hume; Wilson, Wyllie, Millar; Murray, McIntosh, W. D. Nichol, Travers, Lennie.
Referee - Mr. Muir, Glasgow.

The match was a fast one, and right away both sides showed up well in defence, the backs being practically unbeatable. The first really good bit of forward play came from the Academicals' left wing, where Hastie and McNeil gave lots of trouble to Colman and Wilson. The outside left got the better of Colman in a race along the wing, and when he crossed squarely in front of goal the odds were distinctly in favour of Hamilton scoring early in the game. However, the Academicals' centre and inside right failed to reach the ball in time, and Hume cleared with a strong kick. Aberdeen replied with a break-away on the left wing, but Davie closed in on Lennie, and transferred up play to the other end of the field. A free-kick to Hamilton just outside the penalty area looked dangerous for Aberdeen, but McLaughlin kicked the ball wide of the uprights. No time was lost on either side, play on the whole being fast and free. If anything, however, the home players were the most likely a lot, and twice they came very near scoring, mainly as the result of a clever work of McNeil and Hastie. A pass forward by the last-named was followed by an offside decision against a Hamilton centre. Forcing play by McIntosh led up to an attack on the Academicals' goal, but Murray failed to respond to the efforts of his partner. The outside right was invariably too late in getting away, even when he got the ball in a favourable position. Nichol, too, was unable to get set agoing in the centre, the opposing half-back being seldom far away from the Aberdeen amateur. Latterly the game took a turn in favour of the Academicals, and but for a capital save by King the home team would have gained the lead. Hastie broke away from midfield, tricked Wyllie, Wilson, and Colman, and then let drive for goal. The ball was going direct for the far corner of the net when Kings sprang across the goal line and saved splendidly. However, while on the ground, he lost possession of the ball, and J McLaughlin, rushing in, shot with great force, but the ball hit the upright and went past. Aberdeen, profiting by this escape, pressed home the attack at the other end of the field. Lennie and Travers got round Davie, and then the outside man crossed squarely. The ball appeared to be going past, but it glanced off the crossbar and into play. The brisk tussle in goalmouth followed, A Miller, left back, eventually clearing after Murray, Nichol, and McIntosh had made futile attempts to get up the ball. Play continued very fast, a feature of the match being the strong play of the backs on both sides. Their kicking was first rate, while at close quarters Colman, Hume, Davie will, and A Miller tackled with rare effect. A smart run and cross by J. McLaughlin brought out the defensive powers of a Aberdeen, for the movement on the right wing was followed by a fierce onward rush on the part of the home forwards. An accident to Colman cause the stoppage in the game for a few minutes, the right back receiving a nasty blow in the face while heading the ball cleared of McNeil. McIntosh had the first really good shot on the Aberdeen side. Racing along the centre of the field, he finished with a fast grounder, which Watson cleared, while a minute later the inside right was pulled up by Eglinton when well on his way towards goal. Travers had a shot charged down by Davie, but eventually the Hamilton forwards gave the Aberdeen defence more than they bargained for. McNeil crossed a low ball to the right wing, where Waugh was in waiting, but he failed to get his shot in ere Hume came on the scene. A corner to Hamilton was followed by some good work on the part of King who in quick succession, fisted away shots from Waugh and Hastie. Hamilton pressed hard, but the interval arrived with a game level - no scoring.

The game was full of interest during the second half, with Aberdeen leading the way on the left wing. Travers opened out the play, and kept Lennie well supplied with the ball, but the brilliance of Davie had always to be reckoned with. On several occasions and nipped in just at the right moment, with the result that Lennie could make little headway. Nichol improved on his opening play, but he could not shake off the attentions of the opposing centre half at close quarters. Clever work by Waugh and J McLaughlin carried the play to the Aberdeen end of the field, and, with Hume none too sure in his tackling, the home right wing were continually threatening the visitors' goal. A smart run by McLaughlin was finally the means of the Academicals' opening the scoring. Lennie fell back to assist the defence, and tackled the outside right near the touch line. For a minute the ball away between Lennie and McLaughlin, and then the first named got the better of the Hamilton forward, but, instead of getting the ball away, Lennie tried to dribble ahead. However, he failed to make progress, and Waugh immediately gained possession and beat King with a lovely shot. The Academicals' kept hammering away at the Aberdeen goal, and Waugh almost scored again with a fast shot, which King cleared splendidly. Later on J McLaughlin struck the crossbar with a fast drive. Aberdeen, realizing their position, made a bold bid for the equaliser. Travers let Lennie away on the left, and when the latter crossed to the centre there was just the prospect of a goal falling to the visitors. Nichol made a good attempts to score, but he hooked the ball over the crossbar. Millar next came into prominence when he lofted the ball into the goalmouth, but just as Lennie appeared to have the goal at his mercy, McLaughlin rushed back and headed clear. The game was keen to a degree, with Aberdeen striving hard for the equaliser, and the Academicals' showing resolute display in the defence of their goal. McIntosh, as the result of sheer desperation, got through between the backs, but the ball bounced off his knee and went past, a good opening being thus lost. Nichol was very anxious to save the game for his side, lying well up the field with the off chance of a dart through the opposing defence. The backs, however, repeatedly played Nichol offside, and as a result the referee's whistle was held almost continuously. The Aberdeen backs followed the example of the Hamilton pair, and as a result much feeling crept into the game, although the play was never rough. Near the close, Nichol picked up a pass from Lennie, and ran past the defence. The centre forward netted the ball, but the previous infringement against Nichol who accidentally handled the ball, deprived Aberdeen of a goal. A shot from Travers was splendidly saved by the goalkeeper, an appeal for a goal, on the ground that the ball had passed over the line, being disallowed by the referee. To the end match was contested on fast lines, but Aberdeen retired beaten by a better team.

The gate was estimated at £147.

Source: Aberdeen Daily Journal, 27th March 1911