Denaby Unlucky

Denaby United… 1 Thorne Colliery… 1

It was a weakened Denaby side that set out at Tickhill square on Saturday to avenge their 3-1 Yorkshire league defeat at Thorne. Hyde replaced Collingwood, Whant replaced Wingfield, and Phillips replaced Toyne.

Denaby kicked off on a hard pitch made treacherous by a light covering of snow – there had been doubts to the last minute whether the match would be played – but, despite the slipping and sliding, both sides played fast, accurate football from the start.

There were early chances for both sides, a frantic dive by Howells only just preventing Foster putting Denaby ahead in the first 10 minutes, and shots from Cope and Picken going just wide.

Offside Blow

Phillips almost put Denaby ahead five minutes before half-time when he took a long centre from Colin; he cracked in a shot from close range, but Howells just cleared, and before he could take the second shot that would surely have scored, referee Walmsley blew for offside.

It was not until the 65^th minute that Thorne went ahead. A Thorne corner was cleared by the Denaby defence, but Picken ran in and slammed in a long, hard shot that gave Hyde no chance.

From then on, Denaby began to pile on the pressure, and showed both their strength and their weakness.

Missed Chances

For the last 15 minutes the ball was rarely out of the Thorne half, accurate passing and, clever play completely file the form defence, but chance after chance was missed through lack of shooting power.

The equaliser came five minutes before the final whistle: Collins sent in a perfect centre that dropped right in the goal the area, Smith leapt up to it and sent in a header that completely beat Howells.

Denaby kept up the pressure, but could not score again, and it was a side that came very close to victory that left the field with the score at one all.

Team: Hyde; Dodd, Cox; Whant, Williams, Collins; Smith, Foster, Caunt, Kingston, Toyne