1887 FA Cup final

Route to the Final

Aston Villa's route to the final was a turbulent one, smashing Wednesbury Old Athletic 13–0 in the first round, but having to play three replays against Wolverhampton Wanderers. After that, they recovered to make it to the final.

Although West Bromwich Albion didn't have any wins nearly as large as Aston Villa's, their path to the final was less turbulent, constantly defeating teams without much variation.

Aston Villa

West Bromwich Albion

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Background

Aston Villa and West Bromwich Albion had already played each other in the FA Cup once, in 1885. They played out a goalless draw, with West Bromwich winning the replay 3–0. Although the two clubs have a fierce rivalry, this match was well before the rivalry developed and was probably not even a catalyst for the rivalry.

Match

Summary

After defeating the incredibly strong team Preston North End in the semis, West Bromwich began the match as favourites. For forty-five minutes, the Aston Villa defense was besieged. The Albion strikers even attempted to run the goalie over his own goal line. However, the first half ended goalless. In the second half, momentum began to shift Villa's way, as West Brom lost confidence. Finally, Villa broke the deadlock when Archie Hunter fired home, the West Brom goalie not even attempting a save, believing Hunter to be offside. In the final minute, Villa completed the win, with Dennis Hodgetts colliding with West Bromwich Albion goalie Bob Roberts, and poking the ball over the line to make it 2–0

Details

Hodgetts

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References

References

1. "F a Cup Final 1887".
2. "The Four Acres 1882 – 1885".