Hamilton 6 - 1 Aberdeen

HAMILTON WORTHY WINNERS.

Aberdeen Forwards Never in Picture.

Seldom if ever have Aberdeen given a poorer display than at Douglas Park last night. Perhaps there was not a five goals disparity between the teams, but there could be no doubt that on the day's play the better team won.

The Aberdeen attack failed to knit together and never looked dangerous. Not one of the five forwards touched anything like his best form. This was easily their most unimpressive display of the season.
They got little support from the intermediate line, but it does not altogether explain their lack of unity and ineptitude at close quarters.
The defence battled gamely in the first half and it is to their credit that they were only one goal behind at half-time, but in the second half they faded away and the Accies forwards were allowed to do pretty much as they liked.
Hamilton are a fast-moving, go-ahead combine. Their forwards believe in swinging the ball about, and they certainly know the shortest route to goal.
Smith in the Aberdeen goal might have presented two of the counters. Cooper had a bad game. He never got a grip of the fast-moving and elusive Reid. McGill was undoubtedly the better of the backs, although overworked towards the close. Falloon was a heroic defender for three-fourths of the game but near the close he was injured.

Drastic Changes Necessary.

Fraser played a hard ninety minutes while Anderson was game but does not yet appear ready for First Division football. He showed promise but was slow.
Not one of the forwards is worthy of mention. Unless there is big improvement drastic changes will have to be made in this department.
The Hamilton defence played well after a shaky start. Thomson was a grand left half, but the heroes of the match were Reid and Wilson.
Aberdeen made the running at the start, but Shevlin was not tested. Harrison and Reid instigated the first Accies' attack. This pair worked their way through the Dons' defence and all seemed lost, but Cooper rushed in to block Harrison's shot.
Hamilton took matters in hand for a time, and Smith held a grand drive from McLaren. There were several near things in the Aberdeen goalmouth but the defence prevailed.
The best try of the match so far came from Reid. He beat Devers and Cooper with one movement and his parting effort from twenty-five yards flashed past the post.
The Dons replied in spirited fashion. The ball was kept swinging in fine style, and Devers was just too high with a good effort. Play was evenly distributed for a time, but the Hamilton attack looked the more dangerous. This was borne out when the home line went through in fine style and Smith knocked down a stinger from King.
A foul against Anderson Just outside the penalty area looked dangerous, but Aberdeen's human barrier proved successful, Falloon stopping Young's drive with his back.

King's Counter.

Ten minutes from the interval Accies, not unexpectedly, took the lead. Reid started away on the left and swung across a fine centre. Smith and McGill just failed to reach it, and King, lying near the post, smacked the ball into the corner of the net.
Aberdeen appealed for hands, but the referee remained adamant.
The Dons were quick to reply, and Shevlin held a header from Spittal following a nice run by Beynon. The ball came out to Devers, and the little fellow carried forward, but his shot was blocked.
Reid and Harrison were prominent on the home left, and from a centre by the former McLaren shot narrowly past.
The inside right next went through on his own, and his parting effort ran across the goalmouth while the crowd held their breath. A free kick on the centre line saw McGill bring Shevlin into action with a fine drive.
A poor clearance by Smith in the first minute of the second half led to Hamilton's second goal.
Harrison gained possession after an attempted clearance by Falloon, and with Smith unsighted by several of his own defenders the ball landed in the net.
Armstrong had a smart effort from a free kick, but unfortunately Shevlin was in line with the ball. Anderson saved a certain goal when he rushed back to grass Wilson when the centre was clean through. Falloon was caught napping on this occasion.
Hamilton did the bulk of the pressing, and the Pittodrie defence was kept busy. Spittal broke away on the Dons' left to force a corner off Wallace, but Shevlin punched clear.

Chance Lost.

The former Rosslyn Junior took the eye a minute later by cleverly beating Wallace. He placed the ball to Armstrong's feet, but the centre failed to connect - a great chance lost. Beynon and Devers broke through on the right and forced a corner, but Beynon made a poor job of the flag kick.
In twenty minutes Aberdeen reduced the leeway. Spittal was going through when he was held in the penalty area, and from the resultant free kick Armstrong found the net. A minute later and Accies were again two goals up.
Wilson gave to Harrison, and the inside man ran through to find the net with a low shot. Smith was late in getting down to the ball.
The ball had no sooner been re-centred than King scored a fourth goal. With thirty-three minutes gone Harrison drew the Dons' defence, gave to Wilson, and the centre beat Smith all ends up. In the closing minutes King crossed the ball, Wilson got his head to it, and Smith, who had left his charge, missed it and it landed in the net.

Source: Press & Journal, 13th September 1934