​

Wednesday

2-2

Aston Villa

Scorer(s) | Albert Brown, Unknown

Assists(s) | Not recorded

STARTING LINE UP

GK Bill Dunning |
D John Baird |
CB Jimmy Cowan |
FB Jimmy Welford |
M Jack Reynolds |
M George Russell |
W Charlie Athersmith |
W Albert Woolley |
F Jack Devey |
F Dennis Hodgetts |
F Albert Brown |

THE OPPOSITION

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ex: Also played for the Villa

g: Scored

s/o: Sent off

s-: Sub off; s+: Sub on

SUBSTITUTES

No Substitutions permitted in period

UNUSED SUBSTITUTES

No Substitutions permitted in period

MATCH TIMELINE

[Exact timings not recorded]
7’ Goal, 0-1, (Sheffield Wednesday)
Goal, 0-2, (Sheffield Wednesday)
Goal, 1-2, Albert Brown
HT Sheffield Wednesday 2-1 Aston Villa
Goal, 2-2, Unknown
FT Sheffield Wednesday 2-2 Aston Villa

ON THIS DAY

Villa draw the first game of 1894.

KEY MAN

Albert Brown, scored Villa's first, Saturday, 6 January 1894

MATCH REPORT

*The Sporting Life*
Monday 08 January 1894

SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY V. ASTON VILLA.

At Olive Grove, Sheffield, the League leaders met the local Wednesday. On the home side a pleasing feature of the game was the inclusion of Harry Woolhouse as centre forward.

The playing pitch was in fairly good condition, having been covered with straw for several days. The portion of the ground devoted to the accommodation of the spectators was also cleared of snow. There were 3,000 spectators. The ground was hard, but the snow had been cleared. Wednesday played best at first, scoring twice; then Villa pressed, and Brown scored. Subsequently the play was even, Half-time score Sheffield Wednesday, two goals; Aston Villa, one.

The Villa drew level in the second half, and the game ended in a draw—two goals each.
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*Manchester Courier and Lancashire General Advertiser*
Monday 08 January 1894

Sheffield Wednesday v. Aston Villa.—
Played at Sheffield. Though cleared of snow, the ground was very slippery, and only a small crowd was present. The Villa won the toss, but Wednesday were the first show up. After the visitors had cleared a corner, Spikesley beat Dunning seven minutes from the start.

Even play followed, and then the Wednesday went to the front again, and a second goal was scored by Spikesley from a centre Webster.

The play that followed was in favour of the visitors, who showed pretty passing, and eventually scored for them with a low shot.

More even play followed, though Woolhouse twice only missed a few inches. Right up half time the Sheffielders had much the best of the play, but though the Villa goal had some narrow escapes, the interval arrived with the score —Sheffield Wednesday, two goals ; Aston Villa, one goal.

The opening stages of second half were greatly in favour of the Sheffielders, who showed capital combination. Dunning had to save smartly out of a scrummage, and the play settled down somewhat, each goalkeeper being called on. The Villans broke away, and a smart run on their left ended in a second goal.

From this to the end the game was fast and exciting, both sides working hard for the winning point. The defence, however, was too good to be again pierced, and though the Sheffielders had very hard lines on occasions, nothing more was scored, and the game ended in semi-darkness in a draw. Final Score Sheffield Wednesday 2 Aston Villa 2.
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*The Birmingham Daily Post*
Monday 08 January 1894*
NOTES ON SPORT.

The game between the Villa and Wednesday, at Olive Grove, Sheffield, was played in very foggy weather, and there was a possibility of the fog becoming so thick at any moment as to bring about an abandonment. However, the game was played to an end, and a very even contest it proved to be.

The Sheffielders opened brilliantly, and Spilkesley’s two goals in twenty minutes were well got.

After that, however, the Villa, who, it should be mentioned, were without Groves and Smith, set to work with dogged determination, and fully deserved to equalise.

Indeed, they pressed the Wednesday defence severely in the last twenty minutes.

Taken altogether, a tie of two goals each is a fair indication of the form shown by the opposing team.

Baird and Welford played a powerful game at back, but the Villa halves were not so brilliant as usual. Forwards Hodgetts and Woolley made a clever wing.