Aberdeen 2 - 1 Kilmarnock

THE YOUNG DONS did not play nearly as well as they can last Saturday or on the Monday. In the Reserve League game we were able to get away with both points from Kilmarnock but in the Second XI Cup semi-final replay our hopes of making a clean sweep of the three honours were shattered by Hearts' 86th minute goal. Monday's defeat was a bitter disappointment and it is a great pity that the young Dons went off the boil when in with an outstanding chance of winning the Reserve League championship, the Reserve League Cup and the Second XI Cup. Partick Thistle's defeat by Rangers on Monday night boosted our title hopes and by the time you read this we will have resumed our league campaign against Dundee United at Tannadice. A victory was needed to get us into the home straight with a clear advantage.
Andy Geoghegan, Willie Miller and Ian Hair were our best players in both the earlier games and it is to be regretted that the experienced players we fielded against Hearts could not provide the inspiration to lift the younger players to a higher standard of performance. Nevertheless, after Bertie Miller had equalised in Monday night's cup-tie, I felt we could win. Had Bobby Street's second-half header gone into the net instead of coming back off the post, I don't think Hearts would have been able to come back into the game. But that's football. It never pays to dwell on defeat. Let's learn the lesson and look forward to the Reserve League title and the two-legged Reserve League Cup final against Motherwell. The treble is now out of reach but the double is still within our grasp.

Source: Match Programme, 31st March 1973