Scotland

       Match Report Sheffield Daily Telegraph, Monday, 19 March 1888

The Association International match for this year was played on Hampden Park, Glasgow, on Saturday, before 14,000 spectators. Both sides were well represented, the eleven from England being looked upon as the best and strongest combination ever sent over the border to oppose the Scotchmen at what was, not so many years ago, considered their own game. The players that represented Scotland on Saturday were about the best that could have been chosen, but it was conceded that the English eleven were superior men all round, and during the progress of the play the liveliest interest and excitement were evinced by the spectators as their favourites made some good points of play. During the week a large quantity of snow fell, and up till Friday evening, the country was wholly covered. However, the ground was made all right by this morning, and excepting that the going was a little heavy, everything favoured a rattling game. The play for the first quarter of an hour was cautious, but after that the Englishmen put on pressure, and had several shires at the Scotch goal, Lindsay doing immense work of a saving kind. The Englishmen, however, after forty minutes' play, got a corner kick, and Howarth (Accrington) placing the ball neatly, the first goal fell to England. When, two minutes afterwards, from another corner kick, England scored a second goal, consternation was expressed by all, as it seemed all up with Scotland. Yet another point fell to the visitors in about five minutes, the ball being cleverly headed through by Dewhurst (North End). Three goals to none fairly surprised everyone, and it was felt impossible, under the most favouring of circumstances, for Scotland to make up the loss. The fourth point for England was taken from a foul just in front of the Scotch posts, and was easily secured indeed. What a surprise to Scotchmen this was—four goals to none, and half-time near at hand! but so it was, and no mistake. The Englishmen kept at it, and fairly smothered their opponents, who seemed to be perfectly bewildered. Half-time brought no change. The second portion was not very old when Dewhurst put on a fifth goal for England. This was piling on the agony in earnest; but, do all they could, the Scotch were unable to score, although they played up wonderfully well. The second half of the game was only conspicuous in this respect, that the Scotchmen offered a stubborn resistance to the encroachments of their opponents, but they could not make any headway against the Englishmen, who, man for man, were clearly better players than themselves. The spectators seemed also of this opinion, as they derisively called upon the best known of the Scotch team to play up, and at least score a goal. This the Scotchmen could not do, although for the last five minutes of the game they hemmed in their opponents very much. The visitors won the match on their merits, as they were far and away a superior lot to the Scotch eleven.
  

       Match Report The Times, Monday, 19 March 1888

       North British Daily Mail, Monday, 19 March 1888

       Daily Mail, Monday, 19 March 1888