Third Lanark 2 - 0 Aberdeen

Dons Ineffective at Cathkin

THIRDS WORTHY WINNERS

Aberdeen gave their poorest display of the season against Third Lanark at Cathkin Park, Glasgow, on Saturday. The Dons have been disappointing before, but never have they been more harmless than they were against the Warriors.

No one individual or department is to blame. The defence was unreliable, and the attack lacked cohesion and thrust.
Third Lanark are a good but by no means a brilliant combination, but they were a better-balanced side than Aberdeen and thoroughly merited their victory. There was a surprising lack of spirit and purpose in the Aberdeen side. They played like a tired team.
For the opening ten minutes they were a lively company, but after this they lost their buoyancy, and although they occasionally shook off the lethargy one never gained the impression that they would triumph. It is cold comfort, but the fact of the matter is that their form was too bad to be true.
Although Third Lanark did most of the pressing in the first half they were not impressive in attack, and there was no scoring before the interval. Ten minutes before half-time Yardley took up the leadership of the attack, Kennedy going to inside left.
One minute after the start of the second half the change was rewarded. Cooper and Falloon went for a high free kick taken by Hamilton, and when the ball was headed out to the left Yardley, lying unmarked, banged it into the net.
This reverse failed to rouse the Dons, and in eighteen minutes they fell further in arrears. Mason sent the ball through to Yardley, and when Falloon failed to dispossess the centre, he passed to Kinnaird, who had nothing to do but run forward and send into the net.
Once again the play of the Aberdeen defence was uninspiring. Smith in goal had no chance with the shots that beat him, but Cooper and Urquhart were unreliable. Cooper never got the measure of Kinnaird, and both goals came from the left. Urquhart was eager and daring, but was over-impetuous, and his kicking under pressure was erratic.

Falloon Fully Occupied

Falloon did a lot of good work, but found the speedy Yardley a big handful, and has been seen to better advantage. Fraser was completely off form, and neither in attack nor defence did he prove consistent. Thomson can do better, yet he was best in a poor defence.
Aberdeen's much vaunted attack proved a flop. McKenzie was the best of the quintette, and was the one player on the side who emerged from the game with reputation undamaged. He was a strong, forcing inside forward, and he was always willing to try a shot.
Mills and Armstrong were most unenterprising. The inside left never got going, and one waited in vain for him to initiate one of his clever attacks. Armstrong roved about the middle with no success, and failed to reveal his usual nippiness and enterprise.
So closely watched was Strauss that he was never allowed to become dangerous, but it may be mentioned that he received little support. But for the fact that he pulled a muscle early in the game Beynon might have done some damage, for Hamilton appeared to tire towards the close.

SOLID THIRD'S DEFENCE

Third Lanark were a go-ahead, virile side, particularly strong in defence. Muir in goal actually had little to do, so well protected was he by Carabine, Hamilton and Denmark.
Carabine gave a splendid display, and Denmark, although he received a head injury in the first half, was sound all through. In Craig and McInnes Third Lanark had an excellent pair of wing halves, who combined defence and attack with judgment.
The attack was only mediocre, however, although the players showed any amount of dash. The cleverest of the five was Mason, the youthful inside right. Kinnaird, former Inverness Caledonian player, on the left also took the eye, and was always dangerous, while Yardley distributed play smartly when he took up the leadership.

Source: Press & Journal, 18th January 1937