Kennington Oval - Saturday 2nd April
Aston Villa 2 West Bromwich Albion 0
Aston Villa
(Hunter, Hodgetts)
Warner; Coulton, Simmonds; Yates, Dawson, Burton; Davis, Brown, Hunter, Vaughton. Hodgetts
West Bromwich Albion
Roberts; H. Green, Aldridge; Horton, Perry, Timmins; Woodhall, T. Green, Bayliss, Paddock, Pearson
Referee: Major Marindin
MATCH REPORT
For the first time, but by no means the last, the Final was fought out by two sides from the Birmingham area. Albion, after their splendid 3-1 win against the Scottish imports of Preston North End in the semi-final, were expected to win, and they certainly began the match as if they had the world at their feet.
Villa could thank their defence for not cracking before the Albion onslaught in the first twenty minutes. Warner played a brave game in goal, repeatedly foiling Albion's attempts to charge him, ball in hand. over his own goal-line.
Albion's forwards had tried so hard in the first half without the reward of a goal, that they began, perhaps understandably, to lose heart in the battle against the rugged Villa defenders. After half-time the play very definitely swung Villa's way, and they took the lead on the hour as a result of a ghastly error of judgement on the part of Albion goalkeeper Roberts. Assuming wrongly that Hodgetts was offside, Roberts made no attempt to save the winger's shot.
In the last minute. Hunter, Villa's centre-forward and captain, intercepted a back-pass, and, after colliding with Roberts, succeeded in stabbing the ball over the line while lying on the ground.
Aston Villa - Cup Winners 1887
Players in Striped Kit
Middle Row: Burton, Davis, Warner, Dawson, Coulton
Seated: Simmonds, Hunter, Vaughton, Hodgetts
Front: Brown, Yates
Round By Round