Aberdeen 2 - 2 Dundee

After a game brimful of exciting incidents at Pittodrie on Saturday, Aberdeen and Dundee shared in a draw of two goals each. It was the 18th meeting of the teams under Scottish League auspices. Of the previous encounters Dundee had won six, Aberdeen had 15, and six games had been drawn. Great interest was taken in the match, and a crowd of fully 14,000 was present. Some brilliant work was shown, but the score scarcely does justice to the run of the game, which greatly favoured Aberdeen, and who were most unlucky in not registering their fifth successive victory over their great rivals. Aberdeen attacked for three fourths of the game, and on many occasions nothing but the vilest of luck and some brilliant goalkeeping by Balfour kept them from scoring. Aberdeen were much superior to their opponents at half-back and forward. The latter division scintillating, and although they shot often and well, they might with advantage of shot more frequently. Under pressure the Dundee backs were none too sound, although they indulged in big kicking, but Balfour was always in the eye with his find saving. The Dundee half-backs were frequently beaten, but where the Aberdeen line excelled was in placing to their forwards. The dens park attack was never so collectively dangerous as that of Aberdeen, and although Philip had a prettily taken goal, Hogg was really the only dangerous forward in the line. The Aberdeen attack, on the other hand, moved very smoothly, but what militated against their complete success was a tendency to engage in rather close work in front of goal, when they might have been trying to beat Balfour.

BRILLIANT GOALKEEPING

The game was peculiar for the fact that Dundee scored sensational goals in the first minute of each half, and, having done that, were scarcely ever in the game during the remainder of the respective periods, if a 5 minute rally in the second half be excepted. The Aberdeen crowd was spellbound when in the first minute of the game Philip got through and scored a wonderful goal for Dundee. So far as they were concerned, the success proved but a flash in the pan for Dundee, as Aberdeen subsequently setup such a bombardment of Balfour's charge that it seemed impossible the equalising goal would be long delayed. The Dundee goal had many hairbreadth escapes, Kelso once nearly put them through his own goal, before Wylie put through from a well-placed corner kick by Soye. On level terms, Aberdeen strove hard are than ever for the lead, and on one occasion three successive shots were blocked by defenders in the goalmouth. The excitement was intense right up to the interval, at which time, although they deserved a comfortable lead, Aberdeen had to be content to divide honours of one goal each. The second period proved as thrilling as the preceding half. In the first minute Hogg put Dundee on the lead from a corner kick by Steven, and almost immediately Thomson handled in the penalty area and Wyllie equalised the scores. Aberdeen attacked persistently after this and were most unlucky not to score. Balfour defied all efforts to beat him, and his fine display was deservedly cheered. All the Aberdeen forwards and Low and Wyllie tested him, but on every occasion he triumphed. Hogg had two brilliant runs and shots for Dundee. The second was followed by an exciting passage in front of the home goal, and Markey was lucky to get his left hand down on a grounder from Macdonald. Aberdeen again took up the running and pressed until the finish, but there was no further scoring, and a most exciting struggle ended in a draw.

Source: Aberdeen Daily Journal, 30th March 1914

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