EVERTON REVIEW : Everton v Aston Villa
January 18 1900. The Liverpool Mercury
Since the Villa removed to their new quarters at Aston, visits of the Everton team to the headquarters of the midland club have not borne gratifying results. Last season and the one before saw Everton defeated on each occasion by three goals to nil, but on Saturday there was every indication of the ‘’Blues” making amends for these failures, and by no mean limited
margin. They gave a far more skillful exposition at all. Points of the game, and particularly was this manifest arriving the forwards whose display was generally admitted to be faultless with but one exception, and that in occasional faulty finishing up touches. At the end of nine minutes play Everton had opened their accout after magnificent passing between the centre and left wing, and though facing a brisk breeze, they more than held their own up to the interval. On resuming they were seen to even greater advantage, and with a little luck must have piled on goals, but so watched were Spence, and George, combined with none more faulty shooting, that they failed to increase their lead. A quarter of an hour off time Athersmith headed into the net, and the game finish one goal each. Both sides adopted almost identical tactics, and the Villa spectators were ready to admit that their favourities were fairly beaten at their own game. Supporters of the home club, judging by their warm appreciation of good play are certainly exceptions to the general run. They do not, as in many centres of general run. They do not as many centre of general the football world. Simply pay their nimble sixpence to see their side win. They go to see good play, and are not slow to appreciate excellent, no matter from what side it emanates. The frequent applause meted out to the Everton team when they brought out prominently the nicer points of the game almost led one to image that the contest was at Goodison Park, especially when the splendid bout of passing reterest so above culminated in Taylor opening the scoring. The contest was thus rendered all the more enjoyable by the impartial conduct of the spectators, and are would like to see this spirit extended to visitors on numberous other enclosures. As stated above, the Everton forwards play a surpassingly good game and though it would appear somewhat unfair to single out players for special mention, criticism on this branch of play would be incomplete without a passing notice of the work by Proudfoot who played an ideal centre for game. The half backs too, were very resourceful, and there was scarcely an occasion where a wild pass or loose tackling was noticeable. At full back both Balmer and Eccles got through their work creditably, and the capital turn of speed possessed by the latter player served him in good stead against Smith and Wheldon the speedy Villa left wing, Muir in goal was always reliable, and it was a pity after successfully keeping out his opponents during determined rushes, that his charge fell as the result of the ball rebounding from the upright. Owing to the vigilance of the Everton trio the Villa forwards were only on odd occasions seen in those dangerous movements which have been witnessed on other enclosure than their own. Like their opponents, they had fairly easy chances of scoring and he greatly delinquent in this respect were Wheldon. Blythe struck most tenaciously to Garrirty, the Villa centre, and this enhinged the concerted movements that have been too prominent in late matches and taking the line as a whole they were much below the opposing quintet. Cowan at centre half gave a disappointing performance, but the work of Spencer at right full back was the brightest feature in the display of his side. For clean kicking, accurate tackling, combined with sound judgement and gentlemanly play, he
had no superior on the field, and but for his efforts Everton must have secured a prounced victory with the advent of the Cup tie fever one naturally anticipates much progress in the competition by the Everton Club, and with a view to keeping the players in the best of conditions, they leave for Lytham today for a course of special training.