Mexborough & Swinton Times – Saturday 03 May 1924
Slipshod Football
Denaby Lose Last Home Match
Denaby United 2, Sutton Town 3
Denaby concluded their home programme on Monday evening in sad fashion, losing their fifth successive home game. Their visitors were Sutton Town, whom they defeated at Sutton somewhat unexpectedly on Easter Tuesday. Only Picknett of the regular forwards turned out, and Rhodes was missing from the half-back line. Sutton were without Armstrong, Davis and Hamilton.
A small crowd watched a game that belonged very clearly to the end of the season. What little good football was played did not come from Denaby, who played in lackadaisical, slipshod fashion. They made but poor attempts at combination, and their shooting was terribly weak. The defence was very slack, and after only about seven minutes Taylor allowed Mosley to run through, place the ball across accurately for Brooks to turn it easily past Bromage.
Picknett, who alone of the forwards gave the Sutton defence much trouble, dribbled through alone and turned the ball out of the reach of Rose a few minutes later. Many chances were missed by the Denaby forwards, who attacked for a lengthy period. Spencer lifted the ball over an open goal. The best shot was one from the centre-forward, “Smith,” who was having a trial, and Rose did well to tip it over the bar. Damms also missed a good chance.
The middle portion of the half was practically robbed of all interest because of the offside tactics adopted, the forwards during one period being restricted to a narrow belt of territory near the halfway line. The game revived as the interval approached.
Greatorex, after racing right through all opposition, missed the goal. A minute later, however, he took a pass from the left and made a long drive which Bromage got his hands to but failed to stop. A very little later Greatorex again got through and shot well. This time Bromage saved by going full length, but he only pushed the ball on to Brooks, who promptly put it in the net.
For half an hour of the second half, Denaby kept up a continuous pressure on the Sutton goal. In the first minute, they were presented with a gift goal by Clifford, the Sutton right back, who turned a centre by Cooper into his own goal. Denaby had plenty of chances of equalising the scores, and for that matter of gaining a very comfortable lead, but they had no skill or steadiness in front of goal, and Rose rarely had anything to make him exert himself.
Near the end Sutton again made some dangerous raids. Brooks once got clean away. Bromage ran out as a last resort to meet him, and succeeded in smothering his shot and clearing smartly. But no further goals came from either side.
Denaby were at their worst. The much-reshuffled side had no understanding, but played disjointed, spiritless football. The forward line was weak. “Smith,” the centre-forward, like the “Brown” of a fortnight ago, will not be heard of again. Damms lounged easily about the field, and occasionally trapped the ball. Cooper expended a lot of energy in trying to retrieve bad passes, and in screwing the ball now and then into the Sutton goalkeeper’s hands. Cooper not infrequently made noteworthy efforts on the other wing, but was often too slow in centring.
Picknett ran about fiercely, fetching and carrying, and essaying the impossible task of infusing some spirit and cohesion into the attack. Chambers tried to adopt the role of “last hope” on numerous occasions, trying to dribble through the whole of the opposing defence on his own. Behind, Taylor and Bisby kicked rather carelessly, and when they did get plenty of boot behind the ball, generally sent it right on to the Sutton backs.
Bromage appeared to be a little slow in getting to the shot with which Greatorex scored, but could otherwise hardly be blamed for the visitors’ success. Sutton deserved their victory if only for their more methodical play, their better spirit, and their prompt seizing of some of the fewer chances that came their way.
The outstanding man of the game was Greatorex, who was a clever and tireless forward, who did a lot of forging and helping of the halves, showed sparkling footwork, and opened out the game well. Brooks was a good leader of the line, and the halves and Hart were sound in defence. Clifford was the one really weak spot of the visitors’ team.
Teams
Denaby United: Bromage; Taylor and Bisby; Chambers, Illingworth and Hill; Spencer, Picknett, “Smith,” Damms and Cooper.
Sutton Town: Rose; Clifford and Hart; Slack, Thorpe and Severn; Cutts, Greatorex, Brooks, Bowell and Mosley.