Aberdeen 0
Dundee 0
League (Premier Division)

Match Report

Newspaper extract from The Courier .

A week which promised so much for Aberdeen has turned into a nightmare.

I've seen their three games in eight days and lack of a class finisher has cost them dearly.

As well as being out of Europe their hopes of a third successive Premier League championship are diminishing.

Although Dundee produced a gritty display, Aberdeen had three glorious opportunities and missed them all.

Billy Stark was the first sinner. Paul Wright set him up with a good run and cross, but he completely missed his kick eight yards from goal.

Sinner No. 2 was Joe Miller. An inswinging corner from Hewitt landed at his feet four yards out. He tried to burst the net and scarcely made contact with the ball.

No. 3 sinner was Paul Wright. Joe Miller crossed from the left, but he got in a terrible fankle and ended up clearing the ball.

No wonder the Dons trooped off at half-time shaking their heads.

It was a disappointing game throughout, although in fair- ness the swirling wind did not help.

Neither did referee Tom Muirhead, who made no allowances for the conditions and continually awarded fouls for little more than innocuous collisions.

To look at the crime count you'd think this game was a bloodbath. Yet there was scarcely a nasty foul.

Three players were yellow- carded-Cooper for a trip on Stephen, Harvey for an alleged backheel on Bett (which only the referee saw) and McKinlay for a trip on Joe Miller.

All these came in the first half when Dundee had what- ever advantage could be claimed from the wind. However, they rarely got to grips in midfield and created virtually nothing.

Leighton did have to pull off a couple of smart saves, but both followed long-range efforts from Brown and Stephen.

However, their midfield players rarely got into attacking positions to help their out- of-touch strikers.

Aberdeen could not bel faulted for lack of aggression. There was more devilment about their play here than at Paisley or Gothenburg.

Immediately after half-time they won five successive corners. Ironically, the closest they came from any of them was when Connor almost put through his own goal.

Only Cooper, McLeish, Willie Miller and Bett played anything like the way we have come to expect at Pittodrie.

Dundee have developed into a well organised outfit with team spirit the key. They had good service from all their defenders, Geddes, Shannon and Smith in particular.

Even when Smith and Brown had to be taken off injured they kept plugging away and never panicked.