6-1

ASTON VILLA. NOTTS COUNTY.
RUNAWAY VICTORY FOR THE VILLA.

Brilliant weather prevailed in Birmingham on Saturday, and as a consequence there was a huge crowd present at Aston Lower Ground to witness the return League match between Notts Ctonnty and the Villa.

Points are precious to the Aston men at the present time, in view of the hot opposition offered by Liverpool in the race for the championship. The visiting team was at full strength while the only change in the ranks of the home eleven was the substitution of Garraty for Johnson.

Previous to the big match there was schoolboy Cup tie and when the League teams appeared the attendance would number 25,000.

The strangers won the toss, and the Villa had to face slight breeze at the outset. Straight away the homesters attacked Wheldon finishing a brisk run shooting in the direction of the neighbouring chimney tops. The County retaliated, and from a burst away by Maconnachie, Evans was compelled to concede a corner. This was cleared, but a second corner immediately afterwards led up to an attack on the home stronghold, from which Bull scored for the Notts team six minutes from the start.

This in no way disconcerted the homesters, and with little delay the entire front line of the Villa swooped down on Suter. A regular bombardment was raised on the strangers’ goal, and although Bull and Lewis saved repeatedly, Jack Devey eventually espied an opening, and to the delight the crowd, banged through the equaliser.

The game was now fought out at a very fast pace. Wheldon and Smith on one side, and Maconnachie and Hadley, on the other, being especially prominent.

Chiefly through the efforts of Crabtree, Wheldon wriggled his way through the County defence, but his shot rebounded into play off the crossbar.

Try as they would, the County could make little headway against the defence of Bowman, Cowan, and Crabtree, and for the most part the issue was fought out in the visitors’ quarters.

Garraty, Devey, and Wheldon all tested Suter without effect, and Bull brought much needed relief to the Trent Bridge team. Boucher and Fletcher raced towards George, but Spencer intercepted their progress, and following some really brilliant forward play, Wheldon scored a second goal for the Villa.

The home team appeared now to have the measure of their rivals, and it was no surprise when Devey beat Suter for the third time.

The strangers strove hard to break away, but were repulsed, and once more the Villa assumed the aggressive, Garraty heading a fourth goal.

The successful marksman had to leave the field immediately afterwards, the result of a nasty kick on the frontispiece.

At the interval the score stood; — Aston Villa, four goals; Notts County, one goal.

Garraty reappeared with his club mates on resuming, the game opening with a dangerous looking rush, which resulted in the visitors conceding a corner. This was followed by another immediately afterwards, from which the Nottingham men were completely hemmed in, Suter saving on two occasions in brilliant style amid the plaudits of the crowd.

Calderhead got his forwards on the go, only to see Evans drive them back before they reached range. Wheldon changed the scene of operation, and both Devey and Garraty dribbled prettily, the home captain ending some good work by netting the ball for the fifth time.

The visitors played pluckily, but their effort was short lived, and the home backs had no difficulty in bottling up the spasmodic rushes of the County forwards.

Boucher, however, eventually got in a good shot, which gave George the first opportunity he had had in this half to handle the ball.

Working well together Wheldon and Crabtree drove the strangers back, and from a timely pass the first named Garraty increased the home score to six.

All interest in the game was practically over, the Villa slowing up, which enabled the strangers to have a bigger share in the proceedings than hitherto. No further points were scored, the final result being— Aston Villa 6 goals; Notts 1 goal.