Motherwell 1 - 1 Aberdeen

Aberdeen completed their league programme in rather sedate style with 1-1 draw against Motherwell at Fir Park. It has been a worrying season for all concerned.

Credit must be given for a magnificent rally by the Dons in their last eleven games, eight of which were away from home, but it is obvious that there will have to be an infusion of new blood if the Dons are again to be a power in the game.

BACKS NEEDED

The task of getting new players must start immediately, and full backs ought to be a No. 1 priority. Only Ashe and McKenna have been, retained. Robson, one of the two backs freed, has already been made an offer by Norwich City, while Burnley are also interested.
One crumb of comfort in an otherwise disappointing season at Pittodrie is the fact that the reserve team occupied fourth place in the Scottish Reserve League and reached the semifinal of the Scottish 2nd XI. Cup. They concluded their league card with 1-0 win against a Morton team which included a number of experienced players.
It had been hoped that the Dons' final Scottish League fixture would provide a fast, entertaining game, but expectations were not realised. Play was often scrappy, and any credit that was going went to defenders.
Mathie gave Roy more trouble than the majority of centre forwards, and invariably troubled the Aberdeen pivot in the air. McKenna was the pick of the defence, and Stenhouse vied with internationalist Willie Redpath for half-back honours.

RESTLESS MATHIE

The forward play on both sides was disappointing. Hamilton got Aberdeen's goal in twenty-eight minutes, but he was but a shadow of his old self, and even a switch with Williams failed to bring an improvement.
Pearson was so closely marked by Kilmarnock that he got little chance to show any clever ball manipulation. Even so he was more effective than Rice, who seems to have lost the art of getting the ball into the middle.
The restless Mathie was Motherwell's most dangerous forward, but Watson got the equalising goal with a back-header which beat Curran and went in off the post. Willie McCall, former Aberdeen winger, missed an early chance to put Motherwell in the lead when he shot softly and almost straight at Curran from a penalty kick.

Source: Press & Journal, 2nd May 1949