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SATURDAY’S FOOTBALL.
LEAGUE MATCHES.

STOKE V. ASTON VILLA. This return League match was played at Stoke-on-Trent. The weather was cold and wet, but there was a good attendance, the spectators numbering upwards of 3,000.

The teams were as follows:

Stoke: Rowley, goal; Glare and Underwood, backs; Smith, Shutt, and Ramsay, halfbacks; McSkimming, Lawton, Sloane, Edge and Millarie, forwards.

Aston Villa: Warner, goal; Coulton and Cox, backs; Yates, Devey, and Burton, half-banks; Brown, Green, Hunter, Allen, and Hodgetts, forwards. Referee, Mr. J. J. Bentley, Bolton.

The first half of the game was very evenly contested, both teams making short invasions in turn. Stoke gained the first corner, which was well placed by Ramsay. Hunter kicked out in defending the goal, and from the throw-in Edge narrowly missed scoring.

The home team pressed their opponents with great determination, but the defence of the Villa was excellent and rendered all the efforts of Stoke to score abortive. When the whistle sounded at half-time, no score had been made on either side.

On the change of ends Stoke, playing against the wind, made a short invasion, but Coulton closed, and after some excellent combination play Allen succeeded in scoring for the visitors.

The visitors kept up the pressure, and Rowley was repeatedly called upon to defend his charge, which he did in a very satisfactory manner. Some even play succeeded until the home team, from a throw in, gained a corner, and from this the ball was rushed through the posts by Shutt, and the scoring thus equalised.

Both teams subsequently put the ball through the posts, but the points were disallowed on the ground of off-side.

A grand game ended in a draw-one goal each.