'THE GAME'
   The English captain, Stanley Harris, won the toss, but there was little to be gained, by this advantage, as only a slight wind was blowing. Brown kicked off, and England at once dashed away. Harris was at once given a good opportunity for scoring, but he miskicked, and the Irish right wing, well supported by Wright, made a strong attack, but Crompton relieved promptly on two occasions, and the Englishmen again took the game in hand. A return by Herbert Smith glanced off Brown's head into goal, but Sherry cleared his charge. England exercised considerable strategy, but the thawed surface of the ground was all against close passing. The Irish swung the ball about well, and Kirwan receiving the benefit of a nice pass from McConnell, centred. Crompton cleared, but McConnell shot into goal, Ashcroft saving. Kirwan was again conspicuous, and some nice combination work by the Irish forwards left Hunter well placed, but he shot over the bar. Gosnell was allowed to break away, but when he centred Brown was harassing the back from an offside position, and a free kick resulted. England again attacked, and Stanley Harris was tripped. England forced a corner by Bond, but it was abortive. Veitch was playing exceedingly well, and passing to Warren, he gave to Bond. M'Ilroy made a bad mistake, and Bond dribbling into goal, looked certain to score, but he shot straight, and Sherry saved cleverly at five yards range. Ireland rallied, and Val Harris transferring to Kirwan, he drove in a beauty, which Ashcroft cleared with one hand although full length on the ground. From a straight pass down the centre by Brown, Bond by sheer pace obtained the ball, and scored in twenty-five minutes. Ireland tried hard, but Ashcroft brilliantly kept out a shot by Kirwan, and Bond struck the bar at the other end. Owing to fine play by Gosnell, Brown scored six minutes later. England showed some excellent combined movements, Veitch, Day, and Bond working well together, but the defence was good, Wright and Darling playing well. Ireland made bold attacks, but could not beat Ashcroft.
   Immediately after the restart the Irishmen made an onslaught on the English goal, but Ashcroft had no difficulty in clearing a long and somewhat haphazard shot from Milne. The English forwards then returned to the attack in promising style, but Kirwan's final effort went wide of the net. Two corners to the visitors were unproductive, and then Brown finished up a nice dribble by sending the ball over the goal-line and shooting against the side of the net. About a quarter of an hour from the restart, Day came away, and Darling missing, Stanley Harris got on the ball right in front of goal, and secured a third point for England. Two free kicks were given against England, Milne heading in to Ashcroft from one, and the English goalkeeper saving the next from Kirwan. McIlroy next tried a long shot, and following a scrimmage, Ashcroft saved at close quarters from O'Hagan. Still after England's third goal, play for some time went largely in favour of Ireland. Half-way through the second portion of the game, Harris, receiving the ball from Brown, drew the defense closely, and passed to day, who, with only the goalkeeper to beat, secured a fourth point for England, Sherr[y] getting his hands to the ball and letting it slip through. Later on Harris missed badly with a good chance. Ashcroft was afterwards frequently tested, but he saved every shot that came his way in a cool, confident, and masterly style, which evidently disconcerted the Irishmen. Nearing the finish the crowd got somewhat out of hand, and greatly hampered the players by encroaching on the field of play. England continued to have much the better of the argument right up to the end, and just before the whistle announced the close of hostilities, Bond scored England's fifth and last goal, the Irishmen having failed to open their account.
   

At Belfast on Saturday the first international match under Association rules of the present season resulted in a victory for England by five goals to none. The winners deserved their victory, showing more method in attack than was possessed by the Irishmen, and much better powers of defence. At the same time there was no such disparity between the two elevens as the score would suggest. Indeed, taking the game all through the home side had almost as much of the play as their opponents ; but the Englishmen, after an indifferent start, steadily improved. They were leading by two goals to none at the interval, and they attained to real excellence in the second half of the match. The limitations of the Irish half-backs and backs became strongly emphasized during the last hour. Still, from start to finish, the home forwards, if possessing only moderate combination, worked with untiring energy...
...both Harris and Day dribbled very finely, and each had the satisfaction of scoring from the other's pass...
Apart from the state of the ground, the conditions in which the game took place were of the most pleasant description, the afternoon being fine and mild with scarcely any wind.

   Serious allegations are made in reference to some of the tickets made use of in connection with the international football match between England and Ireland, which took place at Cliftonville on the 17th inst. It is stated that a considerable proportion of the tickets for admission to the match were clever forgeries, and though rumour has as usual greatly exaggerated the number, the officials of the Irish Football Association are in a position to confirm the truth of the matter that they have been defrauded, and for the last two days searching inquiries have been made with a view of discovering the perpetrators. The lettering on the ticket, the ink in which it is printed, and the card itself, were exactly imitated, and the only slight difference and one which might—and did, as a matter of fact—easily escape notice at the gates, was that the Celtic cross in the corner, the stamp for which is in the exclusive possession of the Football Association, was not embossed in relief, but merely printed on the flat surface in the ordinary way. It is believed that the tickets were retailed to the public in the thoroughfares leading to the Cliftonville ground, and an investigation has revealed that neither the Association officials nor the shopkeepers who had the sale of tickets gave any authorisation for this. At the same time, it is difficult to believe that the fraud has resulted in such a wholesale swindle as has been rumoured, for it is hardly the custom for the majority of spectators at these matches to purchase their tickets from vendors in the streets. Of course, the officials of the association take special precautions to prevent such occurrences both in their own interests and in the interests of the general public, and they are now making every endeavor to trace the source of issue of the tickets and those who sold them. It is said that information has been obtained which may lead to the offenders being ultimately brought to justice.