Disputed goal by Liverpool floors Aston Villa

Liverpool, with Smith dropping back at the very start to make an additional defender, made nearly all the early running. Milne was continually setting his forwards on the move but Villa covered well in defence and, except for two shots by St John and Thompson, Withers was untroubled in the Villa goal.

After 15 minutes Liverpool went ahead with a hotly disputed goal. Hunt burst through to round off the move started by Milne, but the linesman stood signalling offside. The referee refused Villa's demands that he should consult the linesman and allowed the goal amid protests from the 20,000 crowd.

It was not the only decision of the referee that annoyed the spectators and he was subjected to bursts of slow handclapping.
Pountney was doing sterling work in the defence for Villa, but neither he nor Parker playing in his second first-team game, were able to give much support to their forwards. As a result Villa rarely looked dangerous and Lawrence had only one real shot to save in the first half.

Towards the interval Villa did put on rarther more pressure but their moves were very crude compared with the smooth-flowing attacks of the visitors.

Liverpool continued to provide the finess after the interval, but Villa showed more purpose in their play.

Following one move started by Aitken, Lawrence had to dash out and grab the ball off Hateley's toe.

Then Lawrence ran right to the edge of his area when Woosnam broke through. The Villa man squaring the ball across the empty goal, but before Hateley could get a boot to it Yeats hacked it clear.

Young Parker had settled down to a useful display and several times started Villa attacks. When he got a chance himself, however, he blazed his shot well wide.

Liverpool broke away afater a spell of Villa pressure and Hunt burst through on goal, and only a great save from Withers prevented him from increasing Liverpool's lead.

Copyright - The Coventry Evening Telegraph