Aberdeen 1 - 2 Third Lanark

At Pittodrie, Aberdeen. Ten thousand spectators turned out to witness the match, which started none too promising for the home team. The defence seemed to be unsteady, while the Third's forwards were out for goals. Aberdeen's forwards soon came away, however, but Soye dallied too long, and missed two chances. The Tird forward line worked well, and, after fifteen minutes' play, Rankine beat King with a fine shot. Ferguson was laid out, but soon came round, and Wilson then had a chance of equalising, but shot over. Wyllie gave Brownlie a hot handful. The visitors' defence was down, and Aberdeen got little latitude. Wood was playing gamely, and all but beat Brownlie. Main had a good try when hard pressed. There were several exciting passages at Third's goal, and the homesters were unlucky to fail in securing the equaliser. Half-time:- Thirds, one; Aberdeen, nothing.
Aberdeen made strenuous efforts on resuming, but were lamentably weak in finishing. Prentice and Rankine were working hard, but King was very safe now. Aberdeen was none too well served by the half-back division, who seemed ill at ease. Brownlie saved sensationally from Main when all seemed over. Back came the Thirds, and Smith gave King no chance with a beautiful drive. Rankine got upset, and had to retire temporarily. Aberdeen stuck in, but they had met their masters. They missed several chances of turning their fortunes, whilst Thirds were ever on the alert. Their backs were very powerful, and did not require to resort to kicking out, which was frequently indulged in. At length, with two minutes to go, Lennie notched a point amidst intense excitement. They played now, but too late, and, despite a great rally, were defeated by two goals to one.

Source: The Scotsman, 28th August 1911

Nearly 10,000 spectators at Pittodrie on Saturday witnessed an inglorious display by Aberdeen, and at the hands of Third Lanark the first league defeat which the home team has sustained on their own ground for two seasons. The game, which ended in a 2-1 victory, was most disappointing, the huge from the local standpoint, but few could deny the superiority of the visitors, who were much the cleverer and more finished side. There was only one period of the game - the last quarter of an hour in the first half - when Aberdeen struck anything like their form, and even then their aggressiveness was not so much the outcome of good play as it was of rushing tactics, which are usually foreign to the Pittodrie combination. This was the only period, when they were striving to make up a goal leeway, that they were deserving of sympathy, as their movements then when attended with consistent bad luck, and although it ought to have come, they failed to secure the equaliser, which obtained at that time might have turned the course of the game. In that juncture the players appeared to have shot their bowl, four never at any time before or afterwards did their game compare favourably with the quicker and more decisive movements of Third Lanark, whose all-over superiority won the match and appreciation of the majority of the spectators.

A DANGEROUS SIDE

The game was but 2 minutes old when it became evident that the visitors were a dangerous side. Their forwards and half-backs struck their game at once, and often in the opening stages the home defence was bewildered, and had it not been for the brilliance of Colman his side must have been early in the leeway. Half-hearted attempts were made by the locals to get near Brownlie, but these were easily repulsed by the visiting defence, who were ever masters of the situation. Bright play by Prentice on the left, followed by hesitation on the part of the home defence enabled Rankine to score the first goal for the visitors at the end of 15 minutes. After this the Cathkin team looked to increase their lead. The Aberdeen half-backs, the specially the wing men, presented no obstacles to the fast combination game of the Cathkin forwards, and it was due to lack and Stirling work by the rear divisions that further disaster did not be fall the local citadel at that time. Following upon this game and Aberdeen awakening, and several chances, notably two by Soye and Lennie, were missed through over-eagerness. As the interval approached the ball swung near Brownlie school. Several Aberdeen men got their feet opponent, but their efforts to score we're as crude as they were futile, and Third Lanark turned about a goal to the good.

A FURTHER COLLAPSE

Will there was a further collapse of the Aberdeen combination in the second half, when, although for the greater part of the time play was confined to the visitors' territory, the home attack made little impression on the opposing defence, which was as masterful as it had been before the interval. A few wretched attempts had long shooting were made, but these were only in accordance with the ineffectiveness of the side in the field. The forwards were eager to score - too eager - and this fact accounted for their letting slip the few chances which a steady and robust defence happened to present. It was in vain that attempts were made to rush the ball and Brownlie through the goal, four on one occasion the keeper was in sore straits, with four opponents on him, when the referee's whistle came to the rescue. When many were looking for the equalising goal that never came, another point fell to the visitors. Smith getting the ball from the right dashed past Wyllie and Colman, and King was beaten for the second time with a characteristically good shot. With 10 minutes to go, Aberdeen made vain attempts to gather themselves together. Main, Wood and McIntosh tried individual efforts, and on one occasion the first-named was true when Brownlie veritably picked the ball from off his toes. You're though they were, the Aberdeen players were as disjointed as ever, and even when they did score 3 minutes from time to Lennie, the point was the result of scrappy work, which did the side little credit. The closing minutes, when a corner fell to Aberdeen, were full of excitement, but the game ended with visitors deserving winners of a game in which generally stamina and robustness played a big part, but all the meted their wars belonged to the visitors and won them the game.

Drawings amounted to £200.

Source: Aberdeen Daily Journal, 28th August 1911