Archie Glen gave Aberdeen the lead from the penalty spot, but in the second half Leeds hit back with goals from John Charles (2) and Albert Nightingale.
Programme: Courtesy Mark Ledgard
Crowd, Match Reports and Aberdeen information courtesy Steve Bell.
Match Report: Aberdeen Evening Express: 30th March 1954
DONS FADE OUT
Both Leeds and Aberdeen played with all the fervour of a League encounter in their floodlight friendly at Elland Road yesterday. Despite the pouring rain there was much clever inter-passing, some good shooting and plenty of thrills and spills. Glen put aberdeen ahead with a penalty in the twenty-first minute but in the sixty-fifth minute a terrific drive by John Charles levelled matters. Leeds then got on top and Nightingale and Charles added to their score. The Dons fell away after having much the better of the exchanges in the first half.
Unreliable defence
Until the Leeds forwards suddenly found their feet and shooting power, Aberdeen had appeared to be cruising comfortably to victory. Their linking between wing halves, backs and inside forwards often upset an unreliable Leeds defence. Clunie held Charles well for a long time, but like the rest of the Aberdeen defenders, he lost his grip when the home attack turned on the heat. Had Aberdeen been ay full strength there might have been a different ending to a gruelling struggle. They lacked Leggatt and Allister. Two amazing saves from Charles and Forrest, in quick succession, were the highlights of the second half.
Match Report: Yorkshire Post: 30th March 1954
United hold on to their record
Two more goals by Charles
Leeds United 3 Aberdeen 1
Leeds United's unbeaten home record under floodlights remained intact against the Scottish Cup semi-finalists Aberdeen at Elland Road last night, but for long periods of a hard fought game it seemed to be in jeopardy. They owed their win to a second half revival in which two goals by Welsh international John Charles and another by Albert Nightingale wiped out the deserved interval lead of the Scottish side, gained from a penalty which left-half Glen converted after Marsden had brought down Buckley. Continuous rain kept the crowd down to 7,500 - United's lowest for floodlit games - yet for the first half and a good spell of the second Aberdeen served up fast, attractive football which kept United's defence contiually at full stretch. United's rally, prompted by the untiring work of Kerfoot and Burden, started with a typical Charles goal after sixty-five minutes, when a terrific cross shot gave Martin (a confident goalkeeper) no chance.
Man of the match
United, who had looked lethargic against the incisive Aberdeen men, gained encouragement from the spur and fought on spiritedly. Nightingale put them into the lead after seventy minutes when a McCall shot was only partially cleared, and victory was confirmed with another from Charles, laid on by Williams, after eighty minutes. Charles was again the shining light of United's front line, but it was only late in the game that his colleagues responded to his promptings. Kerfoot, Burden and Scott were the pick of the United defence, while Aberdeen, who showed the reasons for their Scottish Cup successes, were well served by Boyd and Hather, a thrustful centre-forward in Buckley and a strong middle line in which Clunie had more than usual success against Charles in the air.
