NOTES ON SPORT.
THE FIGHT FOR THE ENGLISH CUP.

THE VILLA WIN HANDSOMELY.
No one who was present at Perry Barr on Saturday can deny that the Villa deserved their handsome victory. From start to finish they were the superior side, for at no period of the game were the Forest allowed to get on level terms with them.

It is true that in the second half the visitors flattered their supporters momentarily, but it was only momentarily, for during the next five minutes the Villa scored no fewer than three goals, their attack during that period being equal to anything we have ever seen.

It was when Mclnnes scored the second goal for his side and reduced the Villa’s lead to three goals to two that the Notts spectators began to shout, for they had hopes that the match might yet be saved. But these hopes were speedily dashed, for Smith quickly scored from a free kick, followed this success up by shooting a fifth point, and then Cowan was successful with a beautiful shot taken from a distance of twenty yards, and, to use a colloquialism, all was over bar the shouting.

Having, the good fortune to win the toss, the Villa played with the wind and commenced with a determination most acceptable to their supporters.

A free kick took them close up to their opponents’ goal, where a second free kick followed. It was entrusted to Cowan, and he judiciously placed the ball to Chatt, who shot in into the net amidst great cheering, about a minute and a half from the commencement.

It was a sensational start, but further excitement was in store for the crowd, for hardly three more minutes had passed when the Villa dashed close in to the Forest goal, the ball was centred by Athersmith to Hodgetts, who passed it in turn to Russell, and he scored a second point with a lovely shot which Allsop tried in vain to reach.

Many teams would have been disheartened by two such unexpected reverses, but not so the Forest, who played very pluckily, and within twenty minutes of the start they were given a free kick for a foul near the Villa goal, and Stewart shot the ball in hard and low. It went straight for Wilkes, who tried to avoid it, but it touched his legs, and the turn off the wearers of the red rosettes to cheer had arrived.

The game was afterwards very fast, but the Villa held master hand, and before the interval Chatt obtained third goal, which was very similar to that with which he opened the scoring. The Forest were penalised near their own goal, Cowan was again entrusted with the kick, he again placed the ball to Chatt, and the latter player headed it into the net.

By three goals to one the Villa led at the interval.

The Forest were expected to make a better fight after the change of ends, for they were now playing with a favouring wind, but the Villa passed better and consequently attacked for the first ten minutes, Scott and Ritchie were busily and employed in defending their goal. They did so successfully, and the game became more open, and, nearly twenty minutes passed without either side gaining material advantage.

A sudden and desperate rally by the Forest forwards, however, landed them close up to the Villa goal, and, amidst uproarious cheering from their supporters, Mclnnes secured an opening and placed the ball well out of Wilkes’s reach.

Then it was that the game looked more open than at any period since the start. Ritchie pulled up his sleeves, and there was an evident determination on the part of the Forest players to make a great effort for an equalising point.

But the Villa were equally determined, and the ball had barely been restarted from the centre of the field than the players in chocolate and blue swooped down upon their opponents’ goal.

A free kick was awarded for some infringement of the rules by a player in red; Elliott took the kick, and Smith, this time, hooked the ball into the net.

Not content with this lead the Villa attacked again; Smith shot a fifth point, and, marvellous to relate, from the centre kick the Villa again rushed the ball down, and Cowan shot the sixth goal, The three goals had been obtained well within five minutes, and such rapid scoring doubtless constitutes a record for an important Cup-tie The Villa subsequently did most of the attacking, but failed to add to their total, and thus gained a decisive victory by 6 goals to 2.

As we said before they thoroughly deserved their success, for they were the superior side all round.

Forward there was no comparison between the opposing players. The Villa’s passing was at times excellent, whilst there was always plenty of dash in their play around the goal, and judgement too.

The Forest forwards on the contrary, rarely got away well together, and their efforts were easily frustrated by the Villa half-backs and backs.

John Devey played a good game in the centre. He worked unflaggingly from start to finish, and his passing to his wing men was most judicious.

Chatt and Athersmith were a very good right - wing, the former playing a hard game, being always prominent in front of goal, and showing more judgment in feeding his partner than we have seen him do for some time.

Athersmith made some excellent runs, and on the whole centred capitally.

Hodgetts, as usual, was a splendid partner to Smith, whom he fed most unselfishly, and Smith was a constant source of great trouble to Ritchie. He dodged cleverly, and his centres were nearly always true. In addition Smith made the run of the afternoon, and Frank Forman only just succeeded in spoiling his shot.

The three Villa half-backs acquitted themselves admirably. Burton, although not such a finished player as Reynolds, put in a great deal of honest work, whilst Russell fairly held his wing throughout the contest. His tackling was very safe, whilst his passing was rarely at fault.

Of Cowan’s play scarcely any praise is too great. He was the best man on the field, and on Saturday always seemed to do the right thing at the right moment. He is to be congratulated upon his brilliant performance.

Welford and Elliott were a a dashing pair of backs and Wilkes in goal did what little he had to do satisfactorily.