EVERTON V. ASTON VILLA

The presence of the League champions, Aston Villa, at Goodison Park, Liverpool, always proves a great draw, and on Saturday they maintained their character. The day was altogether against a big gate, a gusty wind accompanied heavy rain showers almost all the day. Still this did not prevent fully 25,000 spectators lining the ropes when the start was made, and this number was increased after the interval to quite 30,000.

The Villa put their best side on the field and so did Everton. The result was a game which, though the Villans held a decided advantage in the first half never for a single moment lost its absorbing interest.

The Evertonians right from the start went off and got at close quarters, but Whitehouse was not to be beaten, for he got rid of several fierce shots from Milward Cameron, and Chadwick. Then the Villa forwards got the better of the Everton halves, and Campbell, Devey, and others went straight for goal. Baker, however, proved a stumbling block, and Briggs several times fisted out brilliantly.

The Villa vanguard, however were not to be kept back, and though the Everton defenders were sound, Campbell eventually got through and beat Briggs with an irresistible long shot.

This did not by any means dispirit the home lot, but they had found more than their match when playing against the wind.

Campbell soon put the Villa up two goals, and though Cameron, the ex-Queen’s Park man, got right in and shot brilliantly, the home side could not score before the interval, when they were two goals to the bad.

The second half was fought just as keenly, and Everton for a while looked like scoring, but the first goal resulted to the Villa, this time through Campbell.

The Evertonians worked up brilliant passing, and a mistake by the defence let them in and they scored. This set them on their mettle, and just before the close Milward put on a second, and the game ended, amid tremendous excitement, with the score—Villa, three; Everton, two.