company, s.v.c.
On Saturday afternoon the Shanghai Football Club and "A Company. 8.V.C., met in the final round of the Skottowe" Cup Competition on the ground of the S. M. Police, which had for this occasion been provided with a stout rope barrier to prevent the spectators from encroaching on the field of play. The game proved to be one of the most interesting and closely contested in the history of this annual competition and was witnessed by at Toast 1,000 spectators. On paper, the Shanghai Football (lub had the stronger team and for this reason, probably, well as the fact that the Shan; Footbalf Club has been all-powerful in Association Football for many years, the sympathy of those present lay with the "A" Company's team.
In the first half the Football Club defended the Loongfei goal and played with the wind in their favour. Immediately after the start the Clab rushed the ball to the Volunteers' goal, but the defending backs cleared well and "A" Company took up the attack. Good combination between Scotaon and Gray on the left wing carried the ball ires to the Football Clab's twenty-five, but Daries and Ollerdessen were quite equal tothe occasion and by judicious kicking the Sold, Phere Lacks, ce ® pose transferred to the opposite end by Gray, just missed the net. During the remainder of the first half exch side attacked in turn and every attack was eventually repulsed by the backs of defending side. Billings was constantly conspicuous for his brilliant defences in goal. At half-time neither side bed On resuming, the Shanghai Football Club carried the ball well into the Volunteers' twenty-five and for some time kept up the pressure, but their shooting was and the defence was good. Billings made several splendid clearances and the fall backs tackled well. From time to time Sooteon, Cooper and Gray came away with the ball down the left side of the field, but lost control when nearing the goal, and Davies and Ollerdessen were generally successful in clearing, without calling upon the goalkeeper. At one period the Football Club were conceded several corners in success sion, bat found Billings invincible. After a prolonged invasion of the Vol-untoers' twenty-five by the Club forwards, Scoteon and Cooper led a determined attack on the (lub's goal, which lacked effect through defect tive shooting. On many occasions couple of forwards seemed to have the goal at their mercy, bat shot either too widely or too high; and this remark applies to the forwards on both sides, So the game continued until within two minutes of the call of time, when Scotson came down the left centre and with " pretty back kick transferred to Gray. The latter unselfishly put the ball across to Cooper, who out-manceavred the opposing fall back and scored with a swift, low shot, which entered the net in the extreme right-hand corner, There was little time left in which the Football Clab could equalize, and almost immediately afterwards the whistle was sonnel for "A" Company winning the Cup by one goal to nil, for the second year in succession.
From the fact that the sympathy of the majority of the spectators was with "A" Company, the statement that the Shanghai Football Club had much the better of the game will doubtless be The shooting was most erratic on both jnestioned; but it is nevertheless trae.
sides, bat on recalling the game to mind, all who witnessed it will remember that Billings, "A" Company's custodian, was very frequently called pon to fist out or kick out well-directed shots. It was only due to his bril-hance in goal that the Shanghai Football Club failed to find the net on several occasions. On the other hand, Welch, the 8. F. C. goal-keeper, was rarely in difficulty, for the reason that the shots by "A Company's forwards were from long range and generally high or wide. "A" Company's success was mainly due i their excellent staying power; for the winning, was secured asa result of fast fated work when the majority of the remainder of the field were exhausted.
Billings was again the saviour of his side, He always soamed to anticipate the direction of the shots of the opposing forwards and in addition to using
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.