Nithsdale Wanderers 0 - 5 Aberdeen

But After First Goal Rest Was Easy,/p> IT took the Dons fifty-five minutes to find the key to unlock the door to the Nithsdale Wanderers' goal.

The uneven playing surface at Crawick Holm, Sanquhar, plus a tricky wind and eleven rollicking, hell-for-leather village lads combined to give the cup-holders an anxious first half.
After Archie Kelly found the way, the rest was easy. Goals came regularly.
Until the arrival of the first goal the Pittodrie players weren't happy. The Dumfriesshire crowd were hopeful that the local lads would "do a Colchester."
Anything could have happened. 1 A first-half goal for the nonleaguers might well have prefaced serious trouble for Aberdeen.

Narrow Escape

It almost happened. Near the interval, in one of Nitihsdale's death or glory assaults, Cowie headed out a powerful drive from inside left Coupland. I doubt if Johnstone could have reached the ball.
Nithsdale Wanderers had the advantage of local knowledge. Once the Dons were moving downhill in the second half they gradually took command. Kelly's opening goal provided the Dons with the necessary confidence and took most of the "ping" out of the village team.
It would unfair as well as practically impossible to judge the latest Aberdeen formation on this game. The match against Partick Thistle at Pittodrie this week should be much more informative.
Jimmy Stenhouse from St Mirren made quite a satisfactory debut. He was clever on the ball and quick to follow up. Injury had kept him out of the game for three weeks and he needs sharpening up.
I understand he has arranged with his employers to train at Pittodrie for a week or two.
Harris provided Kelly with the through pass that produced the first goal and one minute later the Dons' centre forward shot high into the net from a cross from Williams.

Quick Thinking

Seventeen minutes after the start of the second half came the third goal. Harris followed up a long clearance and gave the Nithsdale 'keeper no chance.
Stenhouse got the fourth and fifth. The former St Mirren forward's first was a good example of quick thinking. Anderson dropped a simple-looking try from Kelly and Stenhouse smartly flicked the ball into the net.
A cute pass from Kelly gave the inside right his second goal.

Source: Press & Journal, 9th February 1948