ASTON VILLA RETURN TO FORM. Aston Villa have not been going very well lately, and their supporters had begun to believe that the team were not good enough to uphold the high prestige of the club which had been garnered in past seasons, the many changes which had taken place in the front ranks inducing the feeling that the committee were most uncertain as to the calibre and strength of the forwards, for it is fact that only on two occasions in fourteen matches have the same players officiated in the same positions. Saturday morning in Birmingham was sunny and bright, but half an hour before the match was timed to start there was a heavy downpour of rain, which had a most disastrous affect upon the “gate,” as for at least the last decade Preston North End has been a most popular team in Birmingham; but when the match had fairly started and the men were well going there were probably seven or eight thousand persons who had braved the shower and the breeze, and were determined to see the show. Preston were well represented, and the Villa had the best team on the field of the year. For a start Praeton had certainly the best of the exchanges, and in the first twenty minutes Wilkes stopped three hot shots from Beeton, Gordon, and Smith in first-rate style, and it seemed highly probably that the Villa were in for yet another reverse: but they were the first to score, Devey heading a capital goal, which was not improved upon for some time, though Preston were decidedly unlucky in not drawing level. But their reward came at length, for Smith got a nice chance after a series of clever and determined assaults, and in exactly half an hour from the commencement he draw level with a fast low shot which Wilkes had not the remotest chance with. The Villa had many subsequent endeavours to once again obtain the lead before half-time; but at the interval the scores were level—one goal each, and it looked likely that the game would end in hard tussle for mastery; but the Villa, evidently feeling that a big effort was required from them, metaphorically pulled up their socks, and waded into the fray with the result that North End had very little chance indeed. One of the North End defenders pushed and badly impeded Hodgetts as he was going to shoot, for which Mr. Armitt allowed a penalty kick, and after Trainer had saved a scorching shot by Reynolds, Dunn was so pressed by Hodgetts that he kicked through his own goal, much to the chagrin the stalwart Preston custodian who had no chance whatever to clear, the men were all on top of him. Very little relief came to Preston ere a fine run by Hodgetts and Smith raised the enthusiasm of the crowd, and sweeping down the field in resistless fashion, and passing the ball beautifully from toe to toe, the Villa vanguard got close in, and Hodgetts receiving a deft and accurate pass, swiftly sent the ball past Trainer, and their victor was practically assured. The pressure was still kept up, the home half-backs playing a remarkably fine game, and after several really fine saves had been effected by Trainer and his helpmates, Hodgetts sent in a hot shot and the ball, after rocketing about among the forest of left in the Preston goal, came to Chatt, who put it through, which made up the quartette. It seemed probable that more would follow, but as the game grew older, the visitors played up manfully and pluckily, and more than once they were in an ace of decreasing the led, but the end came with the score of four to one in favour of the Villa unaltered, though a splendid run by Athersmith and a lightning shot switch hit the list deserves to be recorded in connection with the game. There was no doubt about the Villa being the better team on the afternoon’s play, though it took them a good while to show their superiority, even on their own ground. The North End had the most perverse fortune at the beginning of the match, and had not Wilkes been exceedingly lively they would have obtained a lead substantial enough to have quailed the hearts of a team quite as plucky as Aston Villa, but the home contingent came up very gamely in the middle of the second half - very often the rime when the crux of the contest manifests itself - and fairly and squarely beat their antagonists at pretty nearly every part of the game. The Villa front rank played excellently, and the committee will be wise if they let well alone, and determine to give this quintette a prolonged trial before any more choppings and changes are made. Preston North End played a good game, and often received the hearty plaudits of the crowd, though it would be a mistake to say that they approach the famous combination of six or seven years ago. But they are sure to make a good name for themselves, and are certainly a vastly superior eleven to that which did duty for them last season. The Villa are to be complimented upon a good and well won victory, and as a team all round played a most excellent and wonderfully level game, I will not particularise, but finish the lesson by saying that the Alpha of their present season ought to be a much more unhappy period than their Omega, for the team are likely to win a lot of matches yet.