Aberdeen 2 - 1 Heart of Midlothian

Brilliance of Brown Keeps Down Score at Pittodrie
By NORMAN MACDONALD

CALLING Ibrox Park! The Dons have thrown down the gauntlet to the champions. Their win over Hearts at Pittodrie establishes them as challengers-in-chief to Rangers.

Narrow though their victory was, it was well merited. The form of the team as a whole, and the attack in particular, inspired me with more confidence than I've felt for some weeks. I'm hopeful that brighter things lie ahead of the Dons.
Two things prevented the Aberdeen team finishing up with a more emphatic victory - the brilliance of Brown in the Hearts goal and the stout-hearted work of the Tynecastle defence as a whole.
The 'keeper was magnificent at times. Agile as a cat, he displayed an almost uncanny knack of being in the right place at the right time.
He frustrated the Dons' best efforts until the sixty-fifth minute. At this point McCall sent Harris away with a nice crossfield pass. The winger made ground and crossed a dangerous ball. McSpadyen brought it down, but before he could complete his clearance, Waldron darted in like a flash to send the ball past Brown into the net.
Seven minutes later Aberdeen further asserted their superiority with a second goal. Harris darted off on the right to force a corner, and Hamilton, always a potential match-winner, calmly headed his flag kick into the net.
That second goal would have finished most teams. Not so Hearts. An attack on the right brought a free kick, and Conn fastened on to Whitehead's cross to dart through and score.
The loss of this goal is the one criticism I have to make of the Aberdeen team's display. This goal should never have been conceded. The marking was bad.
There was certainly more "devil" in the Pittodrie front rank in this game. With good service from the wing half-backs the line moved smoothly and alwavs threatened danger.
Ernie Waldron, from Crystal Palace, gives promise of filling the bill at centre-forward. He is small but fast, and his goal stamped him as a first-class opportunist.
Hamilton and McCall, his inside supports, kept the Hearts' defence on tenterhooks. The inside left was even more prominent than his team-mate, in possession he had the opposition guessing and with his accurate carpet passes he gave Harris plenty of room to work.
The former amateur may have found his niche on the right wing. As was the case the previous week, it was the second half before he got into top gear, but with the ball in front him he showed speed and got over some dangerous crosses. Again he played a prominent part in both goals.
Williams was the least successful member of the line. He failed to shake off the attentive McSpadyen.
Dunlop was always resourceful at centre-half, and McLaughlin was more prominent at wing half than Taylor.
Cooper was a steadier back than McKenna. The left back had any amount of the never-say-die spirit, but he never succeeded in subduing Sloan to the same extent as his partner did Walker.
I thought the Hearts' defence stood up well under the consistent Aberdeen pressure, and would bracket centre-half Baxter along with Brown as the outstanding men in the rear.
Laing was a hard-working wing half, and in attack Sloan threatened most danger.

Source: Press & Journal, 25th November 1946

Because of poor weather, there was a poor crowd at Pittodrie to see Aberdeen record a victory over near rivals Hearts. New signing Ernie Waldron was making his debut after joining up from Crystal Palace and with the teams separated only by goal difference at kick-off there was plenty to play for.
Stan Williams twice came very close to scoring but it was the new player Waldron who eventually put his new team in front with George Hamilton following up a few minutes later. Conn pulled one back but there was only going to be one winner in this match .