Leigh (6)
Unknown (2)
A Smith
Neil
Hamilton
Unknown (1)
Match Information
Manager: No Permanent Manager
Attendance:
Referee:
Matchday: Saturday
Match Trivia
One of the most remarkable football matches on record was the outcome of the return friendly yesterday between the Rangers and Aston Villa. To attempt to justify the result would be absurd. To insinuate that the teams could meet again under similar circumstances, and bring about a similar result would be equally absurd. The match must be set down as a football freak; Aston Villa 8 Rangers 4. What a farce it seems, and yet on the play the scores were as they should be. It is all very well to contend that the result is an illogical out, but it would not be far to say anything which would detract from the merits of the show made by the Villa colts, for to add to the absurdity of the situation the Rangers, who with the exception of Crawford and Mitchell, were at their full strength, were beaten by almost a second string of the Villa. When folks read that Crabtree, Devey, Johnston, Spencer, Evans and George were being rested in view of the League match at Everton on Saturday, and then read out the names of the brilliant team put into the field by the Rangers they shook their heads dolefully, and wondered how it would end. By far the most surprising part of the performance was the play of a youthful centre named Leigh, who has never before represented the Villa in an important match. He scored six goals, four of them brilliant ones. The dash and skill he showed in front of goal flabbergasted the Rangers defenders and made the Villa crowd marvel who the new wonder was. Aston Villa centres do not as a rule appreciate the value of dash. But Leigh went for the goal dauntlessly, and was continually flashing the ball past Dickie. Wheldon and Smith played a perfect game on them wing. Athersmith outpaced everyone, and James Cowan made Birmingham people wonder what Christies normal form must be if he is preferred to the veteran Villa Half. Cowan was certainly the most skilful, as he was the most judicious on the field. To what was the Rangers defeat due. Mainly to the pace of their opponents, but largely to their own folly on allowing decisions of the referee to put them all off their game. Mr John Lewis knows far more about offside than any member of the Rangers or Villa eleven, and yet whenever he quite legitimately penalised Alex Smith or Miller they turned and protested angrily, and then apparently sulked. This conduct prejudiced their game considerably. Weak back play also contributed to the disaster. Drummond and Miller (Elgin) were very weak at left back and left half respectively, and Dickie did not shine in goal. Hamilton, McPherson and Alex Smith were clever forwards, but Cowan choked the choked the combination repeatedly. Alex Smith made his reappearance in the team for the first time since he had injury and shot a fine goal, but he persistently poached, and in that very upset the team just when their were going well. It would serve no purpose to describe the game in detail. The Villa got two goals straight off, then the Rangers drew level and seemed to have the game at their mercy, but the young Villa forwards were like unbroken colts, and scored as if in a frenzy until they led by 6 goals to 2 at the interval. Leigh made it 7 to 2 then Mr Lewis gave a penalty which Neil converted, and Hamilton shot a fourth, and the end was 8 to 4. We may never see anything like it again. The moral seemed to me to be dont stand offside and dont get piqued when you are caught so standing. If the referee seems to be against you, lay up all the harder.
