ASTON VILLA V. BLACKBURN ROVERS

Blackburn Rovers have long been a popular team with the Barr people, and this fixture is always productive of a lot interest. There were fully 15,000 people round the ropes Saturday, when the wearers of the blue and white came to battle in their return League fixture.

The weather was perfect from a footballers point of view, and the ground was dry and hard. Altogether everything favoured a fast game.

The absence of James Cowan and Campbell necessitated a reconstruction of the front line, but the Villa have such a long and strong reserve string that we may say the team was representative.

The Rovers, too, had a full team, the visitors won the toss, and played downhill.

The homesters went away, but Brandon returned with the ball, and the Rovers’ left attacked, Chippendale nearly getting home.

Villa went away with the ball their leet, and after Ogilvie had saved twice brilliantly, Crabtree headed through out of a scrimmage.

Fast play ensued, both goals being attacked, but with no further result until just on the interval, when Chippendale shot, and the ball catching Welford’s foot, it went into the Villa's net, thus making honours even.

For a short time after the interval, the home team changed their forward line, but with no success, and the old positions were resumed.

Even exchanges resulted in the play becoming slow for a time. Hodgetts levered both sides after he had dodged past Brandon, and put his side in front by cleverly scoring.

The visitors now put more spirit into the play, and both teams showed to greater advantage. A clever run by Dorrell ended by his scoring a brilliant goal.

Play ruled very fast right to the finish without any alteration in the score, and the game ended Aston Villa, three goals; Blackburn Rovers, one.