Hibernian 1 - 3 Aberdeen

The disappointing home defeat by Clydebank in the Premier Reserve League, discussed in the last issue, was quickly softened by the next League result, a 3-1 win away to Hibs.
Once again it was a case of using the Reserve League fixtures as a means of giving match practice to players during the spell in which World Cup calls caused a break in the major programme. Although it is important for all of the club teams to win their matches and make progress in the various competitions these games are often also useful to simply give outings to players who would. otherwise have only training sessions to keep them sharp.
Frank McDougall is not a player who enjoys being away from match action so, in the absence of first team fixtures, he was glad to play in the Reserve side. Throughout the season the Reserve games have also been used constructively to help players back to full fitness after injury. The Premier League, Skol Cup and European programme, not to mention World Cup calls on some of the Aberdeen staff, meant an intensely heavy first half of the season schedule for the club. However this situation makes it impossible to field the same Reserve side from one match to, the next and it is to their credit that with the enforced regular changes they have kept a reasonable level of performance together.
Team work is the most important aspect of football and this came across forcibly in the victory over Hibs with Scotland's most dangerous striker, McDougall adding two fine Reserve goals to his impressive first team haul. There was a good deal of superb approach play throughout, which created many openings. Central defender Brian Irvine proved that he is made of stem stuff when he returned to the side after injury. Irvine quickly recovered his form despite his lay-off but with what proved to be the very last kick of the game he was struck in the face and knocked out cold as he lunged down for a header and an opponent tried an overhead kick. It was a pure accident and as he went down the referee blew for full time. Willie Garner and Teddy Scott dashed on to give Irvine the necessary attention as everyone else trooped off the field. They quickly revived Brian who, when he came round, shrugged them off and said: 'It's OK I'm fit to play on ... ' What he didn't realise was that, by this time, the only thing the rest of the players had in mind was a nice hot shower!
Gutsy Brian was left with a nice healthy 'shiner' to remind him of the time he was that dazed he missed the final whistle. In addition to Irvine's satisfying return and McDougall's goals, assistant manager Willie Gamer nominated Porteous and Grant as having played a leading part in an impressive team display.

Source: Match Programme 4th January 1986