SPORTING NEWS.

No one doubted the ability of the Villa to beat Sheffield Wednesday at Perry Barr, and the favourites easily won by 3 goals to 0; the game at Perry Barr was not altogether satisfactory. The Villa won, it is true, but their play was scarcely so good as was anticipated, and contrasted unfavourably with their display at Derby a week ago.

The combination was not so perfect, and the attacks frequently lacked finish.

Singularly enough, the score was the same as that of the preceding week, but equally polished play would have given the Villa several more goals than they gained on Saturday.

The defence was all right, a fact testified to by the inability of the Wednesday to score, but at times the half-backs showed a tendency to their old fault - namely, leaving a gap between themselves and their forwards. Their tackling, however, was grand, and Cowan, who had been unwell all the week, and was only included in the eleven at the last moment, acquitted himself very creditably.

Reynolds, as usual, displayed consummate skill, and was never at fault in his passing, whilst Groves was excellent, and was rarely beaten by the wing to which he was opposed.

Welford and Baird were a fine pair of backs, and Dunning in goal was responsible for some very clever work.

Individually all the forwards were good, Smith and Athersmith, the extreme players on either wing, making, some brilliant runs whilst their centring left little to be desired. The last-named player is fortunately performing as well as ever he did, and some of his dashing runs on Saturday won the warmest applause from the crowd.

Hodgetts played fairly well, whilst John Devey worked indefatigably from start to finish, and A. Brown was good as inside right. At times he displayed all his former cleverness, and really made some admirable shots in the first half. He is scarcely, however, as useful a player as Hare, who possesses an advantage in size and whose rushes have proved invaluable to the Villa on so many occasions. He was absent from the team through illness, and it is to be hoped that he will be well enough to take part in the contest against Newton Heath at Manchester next Saturday.

The Wednesday played very pluckily, but they were distinctly outclassed.

Of the forwards Davis, the old St. George’s player, and Spikesley were, perhaps, the pick, whilst amongst the half-backs Betts especially distinguished himself. Earp and J. Brown were a fine pair of backs, the former kicking with great power, and Allan in goal never made a mistake.

Throughout the Villa held the upper hand, and there was never a moment’s uneasiness as to their ultimate victory.

In the first half neither goal was captured, but during the first seven minutes of the second the Wednesday goal fell twice.

On the first occasion the ball, which was centred by Smith, cannoned through off J. Brown, one of the visitors’ backs; and two minutes later Hodgetts headed the ball through from a free-kick by Reynolds.

Subsequently the home team quietened down, and cries of “Play up, Villa” were frequently heard. However, the Villa never really allowed their opponents to get dangerous, and Athersmith scoring again they won comfortably by three goals to nothing.

There was one attack in the second half that calls for description; a finer bit of play has never been seen on the ground. The Villa five came down the field at a great pace, and Athersmith centred the ball when it was only a few inches from the touch line. Devey made a galant attempt to head it through, but failed by a few inches.

Saturday’s was the fifth successive League victory, and the Villa have scored eleven goals against one-a fact which is highly creditable to the defence.