SATURDAY’S FOOTBALL MATCHES ENGLISH CUP TIES. ASTON VILLA V. DARWEN These famous teams, having been drawn together in the sixth round of the National Cup competition, met at Perry Barr to play off their tie. The Darwen team this season by their successes have shown themselves to be one of the first clubs in Lancashire. In the seasons of 1878 and 1879 Darwen was one of the best clubs in the county, but in subsequent seasons they very much declined in form, and last year they were defeated in the English cup competition by Small Heath Alliance. This season they excited universal surprise by their return to their most brilliant form, and in the second round of the English Cup competition defeated the Bolton Wanderers, who it was thought had a great chance of winning the cup outright. Having successfully weathered the third and fourth rounds, Darwen in the fifth defeated Chirk by 2 goals to 1, and were then allotted to do battle with the famous Midland team. It is not worth while to chronicle this season’s achievements of the Villa, for every footballer is familiar with them. In former years the Villa have always had the worst of luck in their cup ties, at any rate so far as the national trophy is concerned; but this year it would seem as if fortune had been striving to make amends for her former hardness, and the Villa had the good fortune to have the choice of ground in every round - of course, a very great consideration. When the draw was made known, the knowing ones seemed to think that the Villa would just win, but there weren’t wanting those even among the most ardent supporters of the Villa who thought otherwise. There is little to wonder at, therefore, that the match attracted a great deal of attention in the district, and the Villa committee, as on the occasion of the Wolverhampton Wanderers; match on the 29th January, made every preparation for a big gate. They were right in doing so, for on Saturday the number of persons present fell very little short of the great “gate” on the 29th. Every space allotted to spectators was densely crowded. The Darwen were the first to put in an appearance and were enthusiastically received. There was nothing about them calculated to attract great attention, There were, with the exception of MacIntyre, the goalkeeper, of medium height, but were a well proportioned team. They were quickly followed by the Villa, who were loudly cheered. The Darwen won the toss, and played downhill with the sun at their backs and the wind in their faces. Amidst the greatest excitement, Archie Hunter kicked off. For a moment or two the play went backwards and forwards, but soon Albert Brown made a dash up to the Darwen goal but shot outside. Immediately after the goal kick the Villa forwards exhibited a splendid bit of combination, and carried the ball into the vicinity of the Darwen goal, where a foul was given to them. A good shot was the outcome of the free kick, but the Brobdignadian goalkeeper, who called up recollections of Hawtrey, the once-favoured London custodian, fisted out the shot. Continuing to play with splendid combination, the Villa kept the ball close to the opposing citadel, and Leach had to kick out to prevent its downfall. The corner was taken, but whilst the ball was bobbing about five yards from the visitors’ fortress it was fouled, and the referee gave his decision for the Villa but nothing resulted. One had not had any opportunity up to the present of forming any opinion of the visitors’ style of play, except indeed that of the defence, for the game had been wholly confined to the Darwen half of the field. The visitors scarcely seemed to understand their opponents’ quick short passing, in which on Saturday the Villa were seen to the greatest advantage. After an unsuccessful attempt by Hunter, Albert Brown had the Darwen goal at this mercy, but his shot was very weak and was easily stopped by MacIntyre. The visitors’ forwards tried their hardest to change the scene of the play, but all to no purpose, the Villa half-backs, more especially Dawson and Yates, playing a magnificent game. From a kick towards goal by the latter player, Vaughton had an opportunity to score, but he sent the ball over the bar. Fouls and corners kept falling to the Villa, but they could not get the ball past MacIntyre, who seemed to be here, there and everywhere. He was repeatedly cheered for saving his goal when his downfall seemed almost certain. It must, however, be said that the Villa shots were not quite so strong as they should have been, and now and again the players missed an easy chance of scoring; but the sun was shining brightly in their eyes, and this would, no doubt, account for a little misjudgement in the placing of the ball. The game continued to be little better than a game of “shots in” for the Darwen forwards scarcely ever got past the middle of the field. Twice did Hodgetts centre the ball, twice was it shot at lightning speed at goal, and twice MacIntyre saved his charge in superb fashion, till the spectators begin to this he was invincible. At last, from a pass by Davis, Dawson sent the ball whizzing through the posts. MacIntyre apparently never having seen it. This feat was the signal for tremendous cheering. From the centre kick the Villa forwards bore down on the goal, and Marsden, to save, had to give a corner. The kick was well taken, and the Villa forwards tried to rush the ball through goal, but Macintyre fisted it out. Then the Darwen’s forwards essayed to carry the contest into the vicinity of the Villa goal, but Simmonds checked their career, and again the fight was waged in the very mouth of the Darwen goal. A centre by Hodgetts gave Davis a splendid opportunity, of which he availed himself, but MacIntyre again threw out. Hodgetts returned the ball, but MacIntyre again caught the leather. At length, however, Archie received the ball from Davis, and put in a shot which beat MacIntyre and lowered Darwen’s colours for the second time. The Villa continued to press, and just before the whistle sounded for half-time Hodgetts scored a third point for the home team. The game had been most one-sided up to this point, the Villa doing all the pressing. However, nothing we could say would give our readers so clear a conception of the way in which the first half was played, as the statement that the Darwen never had a shot at the Villa goal. During the interval, Mr. Amos Fox, president of Moseley Rugby Football Club, took on to the field the Midland Counties Challenge Cup, won by the famous Midland Rugby team and filled it with champagne, of which the players of each team partook. The game in the second half was very different. The play was much more exciting, and both goals were attacked. There was a better opportunity of judging the style of the Darwen forward play which is very different to that of the Villa. They play with rare dash, but their combination is not nearly so good as that of the home team. On the game being recommenced, the Villa forwards went away with a rush, and carried the ball over the Darwen’s lines. They returned to the assault, and shortly afterwards Archie Hunter had a chance to score, but put the ball the wrong side of the post. After these two efforts the home team tired down slightly, whilst the visitors played up with great determination, and, from a long shot by Rostron, the visitors scored their first goal. The shot was a most easy one, but Warner kicked at it and missed it, to the great indignation of the spectators. Warner must learn to use his hands to stop the ball wherever possible. Had he have tried to stop Rostron’s shot with his hands instead of kicking the ball the goal would not have fallen. The Darwen continued to play up with great perseverance, and the Villa backs had all their work cut out to keep their opponents at bay. The Darwen attacks came chiefly from the right wing, where Burton’s defence was very indifferent. On one or two occasions the Darwen were almost let in through Simmonds’s old fault of venturing too far down the field; but, fortunately for the Villa, Coulton was always in his position, and saved his side splendidly, kicking clean and well. The Villa forwards were not on their part idle, and MacIntyre had to use his hands again and again. The game continued to get more and more exciting as the ball traveled from end to end of the field. At length from a miskick by Burton, the Darwen got clear away on the right, and Shorrock scored the second goal for the visitors. Then came repeated assaults on the Darwen goal, but MacIntyre kept his charge intact. About a quarter of an hour before time the Darwen rushed down upon the Villa goal, and Slater shot the ball through for the third time. An appeal against the goal was made and was allowed by the referee, Slater being plainly offside when he received the ball. Magnificent was the game now played by the Villa forwards, and the Darwen’s goal was kept in a state of siege; but, despite every effort, the home team were unable to score. The call of time came with the Villa still swarming round the Darwen goal. The Birmingham team were thus left the victors by the narrow majority of 3 goals to 2. The Villa will compete in the semi-final of the Cup, and it is to be hoped that the English Association will order the semi final tie in which the Villa will compete to be played at Aston Lower Grounds, for the Association can rest assured that, circumstances being favourable, there will be an immense gathering of spectators. The following were the competing teams :- Darwen: MacIntyre, goal; Marsden and Leach, backs; Hamilton, Owen and Thornber, half-backs; Haresnape and Broughton, rights; Rostron, centre; Slater and Shorrock, lefts. Villa: Warner, goal; Simmonds and Coulton, backs; Burton, Yates and Dawson, half-backs; Davis and Albert Brown, right; Archie Hunter (captain), centre; Hodgetts and H. Vaughton, lefts.