SATURDAY'S FOOTBALL.
LEAGUE MATCHES.

Aston Villa v. West Bromwich Albion.

The return match between these clubs was played at Perry Barr on Saturday. Great interest was centred in the match as it was known that the Villa were going to do their best to wipe out the heavy defeat which they recently sustained at West Bromwich.

Although the weather was dull and threatening, there were about ten thousand persons present when the ball was kicked off.

The Villa played the same eleven which defeated the Derby County so heavily a fortnight ago but the Albion team was by no means the strongest. Roberts, through playing in a scratch match at Walsall a week ago, was unable to appear in goal. J Horton did not play back, whilst Timmins was not sufficiently well to take his position as half-back. Their places were well filled by Reader, Walker, and Millard, but the team was admittedly weakened.

Under such circumstances it was naturally expected that the visitors would receive a severe thrashing, but, thanks to the wretched play of the home team, they were only beaten by one goal to none, and were rather unfortunate in not gaining a draw, for a splendid shot by Perry sent in just before the end struck the crossbar and came out.

The match was most disappointing, and through the greater portion of the time may be fitly described as a scramble. The forwards on each side as combinations were bad. The Villa's were wretched, but the Albion's were worse.

Mistakes were made with alarming frequency, indeed, the sole aim of both sets of forwards seemed to place the ball on the toe of the opposing back a game with which H Green and Aldridge had apparently no fault to find, and some of their kicks must almost have beaten a record.

The only man amongst the Villa forwards who played well was Dickson, and he worked very hard, and must have been very much dispirited when he found all his efforts thrown away through the mistakes made by his confreres.

The Villa half-backs played well, and there was no fault to find with the backs and goalkeeper — in fact, Warner saved some very nice shots; the fault lay with the forwards, and the heavy defeat sustained at Blackburn is easily understood when viewed in the light of Saturday's performance.

It is sincerely to be hoped that the forwards will recover themselves before next Saturday, otherwise they will be disgraced by a defeat at home, the Wolverhampton Wanderers are playing a splendid game, a fact testified to by their defeating the North End at Preston.

As before stated, Saturday's match at Perry Parr was very disappointing, and no more uninteresting match between first-class teams has been played on the ground.

The Villa, who kicked with the wind, commenced the attack, and their initial efforts promised well, for they puzzled the Albion backs, and Hunter sent in a fine overhead shot, which Reader stopped.

After an attack by the Albion right wing had been checked by Clarkson, the Villa once more ran the ball close to the visitors' goal, but Hodgetts made a miserable shot, and the ball went several yards wide of its mark.

A corner soon afterwards fell to the Villa, but Brown headed the ball out.

The game now became of a scrambling nature, combination being conspicuous by its absence. The Albion gained a corner which came nothing, and then Reader stopped a fine shot from Brown.

The game was played for the most part in the Albion's half of the field, but the visitors' backs easily prevented the home team forwards becoming dangerous on account of their loose style of play.

The Albion forwards, who were also playing a loose game, several times became dangerous; but their shooting was even wilder than that of their opponents.

For thirty minutes nothing was done, but then the Villa drove back the Albion, and Green missed his kick. Brown took advantage of this, and running in sent the ball past Reader.

From this point to the interval the Villa forwards played in something like their proper form, and kept the Albion's backs and goalkeeper very busily employed.

Dickson made a splendid run, and came through his opponents in fine style, passed the ball to Allen, who promptly shot it through, but only to have disallowed on the plea of off-side.

Ends were changed just afterwards, and it was hoped that the game would take a turn for the better.

To the disappointment of all, however, it continued as it began, and was far from exciting.

The Villa forwards had several splendid chances of scoring but missed them all, and the Albion were no better.

The game was, in fact, devoid of all interest until a few minutes from time, when the Albion strove desperately to equalise. They made some ugly rushes, and Perry was responsible for two fine shots, one of which Aldridge headed out and the other struck the crossbar.

No more goals were made however, and the match ended a win for the Villa by 1 goal to 0.