SATURDAY'S FOOTBALL.
LEAGUE MATCHES.

Aston Villa v. Wolverhampton Wanderers.

No match, excepting perhaps the historical struggle with the North End two seasons ago, has attracted more attention than the one played between the Wolverhampton Wanderers and Aston Villa at Perry Barr on Saturday.

The rivalry between the two clubs, always great, has increased this season on account of the successful career of the Wanderers. Playing in consistently fine form they have beaten the West Bromwich Albion on their own ground, and similarly treated the North End to a result looked upon as impossible.

Whilst appreciating the victories of the Midland team, the Villa supporters have nevertheless viewed them with feelings akin to dread, for they recognised to the full that their supremacy in the district was being rudely challenged.

The committee felt some doubts as to the result of Saturday's match, although playing on their own ground, and consequently put their men into training for several days. The Wanderers did likewise, and both teams were fit and well when they stepped onto the field. The visitors brought their strongest eleven, but the Villa were not fully represented.

Clarkson, who was injured the previous Saturday, was replaced by Burton whilst Moore, the new man, played instead of Hodgetts, who is at loggerheads with the committee.

At the time fixed for the commencement the attendance had grown to large proportions, and was by far the largest the season. The people were ranged around the ground many deep, the stands were crowded, whilst the tops of the breaks and omnibuses swarmed with spectators.

The game was a grand one—a better has never been played on the ground. The result was never certain, and the excitement from start finish was tremendous.

The hopes of those present rose and fell as each team attacked, and every kick was watched with the greatest interest. The result of the game is now common news. The Villa won, thus demonstrating that when in form they are still as good as ever.

They won, but after having admittedly the worst of the game and for their victory they have to thank their Warner.

The Wanderers, always strong behind, have this year a much better vanguard than previously, and consequently are a grand team.

They pressed persistently, and sent shot after shot into the Villa goal, but it was as though the space between the posts had been boarded up. Warner seemed to everywhere. One moment he would be punching out a ball in the right-hand corner of the goal, and the next was dealing with the ball the opposite end.

His goalkeeping, in fact, was about the most brilliant achievement in that line ever seen at Perry Barr, and the performance of Rose, which was an exceptional one, was dulled by comparison.

Every shot that there was the slightest chance of stopping Warner stopped. But the most remarkable feature of the performance was the rapidity with which he recovered himself. At one period of the game a perfect succession of shots were sent in, seven coming to Warner in as many seconds but he saved all, notwithstanding that he was hampered and harassed by the Wanderers' forwards.

Nothing too good can be said of the performance, which stamps Warner as one of the best goalkeepers of the day.

The Wanderers, before stated, had the best of the game, in the first half in particular. Their powerful half-hacks broke up the Villa combination again and again, and aided their forwards in fresh assaults upon the Villa goal, which, splendidly defended though it was, at length fell.

Then it was thought that the Wanderers would win, but the Villa, contrary to their usual style, fired up and played better.

Just, after the change of ends, indeed, their play was grand, and when Moore scored a tremendous shout went up.

After this the game became terribly fast, and it was just a toss up who would win.

The teams let no opportunity slip to get ahead, but could not do so, and three minutes before time the match seemed a certain draw.

Then, however, the Villa rushed up the field. Brown centred, and Moore in the twinkling of an eye screwed the ball through and the great match was won.

The Villa played well to a man. The forwards worked hard, whilst the half-hacks —Burton especially— never relaxed their efforts. The backs both played well, Aldridge in particular kicking and tackling splendidly.

Nor was there a weak spot in the Wanderers' team. Wykes and Booth were the pick of the front division on Saturday, and the Wanderers are very fortunate in securing the services of the latter, who is indeed a splendid left-winger.

The Villa won the toss, and played downhill, thus deriving some advantage from a cross-wind. They at once attacked, and Brown shot, but Rose easily stopped the ball.

The Wanderers transferred the play to the opposite end, and a foul was given them in the goalmouth. A desperate struggle ensued there, but Aldridge managed to clear.

Playing in splendid form, the visitors forced the game, and a corner was the result of a combined attack. The Villa defence, however, proved equal to the demands made upon it.

A couple of tussles then ensued near the home team's goal, but the Wanderers could not get through, and were then driven back by the the Villa.

A miskick by Mason, whose play was not so good as that of Baugh, placed the Wanderers' goal in jeopardy, but a corner was all that resulted. This was not taken very well, and Booth dashed down the field in fine style. Nearing goal he centred nicely, and Worrall sent in a hard shot, which Warner cleverly saved. Then Rose had a turn and saved his goal, which was endangered in curious fashion, the ball, kicked hard by Mason, rebounding off a player's head into goal.

The ball was soon taken the other end of the field, and a series of desperate assaults were made on the home citadel.

Shots followed each other with bewildering rapidity, but Warner saved in a manner which was little short miraculous; and, baffled by their attempts, the Wanderers fell back before the onslaught of the home team's forwards.

Moore, the new man, who will doubtless be a valuable acquisition to the team when he has played a little oftener with them, dashed towards the Wanderers' goal at headlong speed, but was stopped by the referee's whistle.

Then the tide of the attack set once more against the Villa, and Warner again brilliantly saved his goal.

It seemed as though the Villa goal was impregnable, for, play their hardest, the Wanderers could not pass Warner.

The Villa forwards, of course, were not idle, and repeatedly troubled Baugh and Mason, who however, acquitted themselves splendidly and defied the attack.

At length the Wanderers made an onslaught more desperate than any that had preceded it, and so hard pressed was Aldridge that he gave a corner. The ball was advantageously placed, and from a scrimmage in front of goal Brodie scored, being impossible for Warner to stop the ball.

The goal was appealed against, but was justly allowed amidst loud cheering.

This reverse put the Villa men on their mettle, and they redoubled their efforts. They forced the visitors back, and Rose had an experience similar to that safely weathered by Warner in the earlier part of the game. Like Warner he was equal to his task, and the way in which he saved his goal drew appreciative cheers from the spectators.

Booth raised the siege, and made a magnificent run. He centred at full flight, but Warner punched the ball away, and similarly dealt with the shots that succeeded, so that at half-time the Wanderers, though attacking, had not increased their score.

The first few minutes in the second half came as a surprise to the spectators.

The Villa forwards played magnificently, and were soon swarming around the Wanderers' goal. Their attack was stalled off, but then Moore, the new man, received the ball, and rushing towards goal cleared the defenders, and with a fine screw kick equalised the score amidst tremendous cheering.

Soon after the Wanderers sent the ball through the Villa goal once more, but the point was disallowed, and then the struggle for supremacy was more fiercely waged than ever.

Backwards and forwards rolled the fight, and now one team looked dangerous, then the other.

The spectators watched every kick with breathless anxiety, and ever and anon burst into loud cheering at a particularly fine piece of play on the part of one or other of the opponents.

Now Warner would be applauded for a clever save, and then Rose; whilst both sets of forwards would be cheered for their cleverness.

A grand run was that of Dixon's, perhaps the best made in afternoon when the play was exceptional. He centred grandly, but the defence was as firm as a rock, and the attack was dashed back, the Villa goal once more becoming the scene of the combat.

The Wanderers had hard luck in not scoring, two shots striking the bodies of opponents, and a third directed in by Brodie hitting the crossbar.

The Villa supporters, who had an anxious time, were afforded relief, for the home team's forwards drove back the invaders, who were compelled in turn to act upon the defensive.

So was the game played until three minutes from the close.

A draw seemed the only termination to the match, but to the intense delight of the spectators Brown ran between the opposing backs, centred to Moore, who promptly kicked the ball through the goal.

The game was now more fiercely contested than ever, but the time was too short to allow of further change, and by 2 goals to 1 the Villa won one the hardest fought games ever witnessed Perry Barr.