ASTON VILLA V. SUNDERLAND

The meeting of there teams, who have shared the League Championship between them for the last five years, and always have been the most keen rivals was spoiled by beastly bad weather at Sunderland on Saturday. There was a gale of wind blowing, and this was accompanied by showers of hail and rain at intervals. These untoward circumstances, notwithstanding, there would be fully 10,000 persons round the enclosure, the stands coming for a lot of patronage.

The Villa captain having won the toss elected to put Sunderland to face the storm, and a hard time of it they had. For the first tie this season Campell was left out of the home attack, and the recruit, Morgan, who has done well before, did himself credit in the position. The Sunderland men right from the kick off made matters warm for the opposing defence, and a couple of free kicks and a corner against them did not make the Villa’s prospect of the brightest. Still they stood up manfully. Then Charlie Athersmith made tracks for Doig, but Gow blocked the way, and again Sunderland were pegging away.

Johnston forced a corner out of Whitehouse, and then placed the ball so grandly that Gillespie had no difficulty in scoring a fine goal for Sunderland. This took a bit out of the Villa, but Athersmith, Devey and Campbell made grand attempts to score, but found Doig when M’Neil and Gow had been beaten a terror to pass.

The game waxed fast for thirty five munges, Sunderland, all through, having a bit the best of matters until within only some five minutes to play, when a rush and several quick passes by the Villa bewildered the home halves and backs, and the ball bounced through the goal off Ferguson’s back, who Devey had made a great effort to score.

At half time the score was one all.

The Villa had not much hope of winning when they had to face the gale, for their men had not placed so well as Sunderland’s so far. Still, they were the first to put on a goal. The visitors’ right ran away, Athersmith shooting, and then turned the ball over to Campbell, who put the Midlanders one ahead.

They had, however, now shot their bolt, for the Sunderland men literally ran all over them.

The Villa halves could not stop the heavy charges of the forwards, and after five minutes from Villa’s goal Johnston had righted matters with a second for Sunderland. The same player got through again, and was ruled offside, but Morgan was not long in placing a third to the credit of his side, while a fourth was put on just on the finish. Result - Sunderland, four; Villa, two.