15 October 1960
South Yorkshire Times – Saturday 15 October 1960
Every Works and Denaby Man Deserved a Medal
Denaby United’s Sheffield County Senior League match against Stocksbridge Works on Saturday wasn’t a cup-tie, but every one of the 22 players deserved a medal for the performance they turned in in the atrocious conditions, the 2-2 draw being the fairest result possible.
Starting just before the kick-off, rain and hail lashed across the field in never-ending sheets for the whole of the match. The teams had to contend with keeping their feet before they could start to think about football.
They slithered and slipped in game attempts to control the skidding ball, and the most harmless-looking shots became lethal on the water-laden field.
Stocksbridge took the initiative, left-winger Bethel and his inside man Savoury moving well together, and one shot from the winger skidded on the mud and almost deceived Metcalfe, who just managed to palm it away.
After 20 minutes Bethel finished off a grand run with a weak shot straight at Metcalfe, but the wet ball slipped through the goalkeeper’s hands and over his shoulder into the net.
Ten minutes later a surprise 30-yards shot from Gough brought Denaby level.
After half-time Denaby seemed to have the better of the conditions, but the pools of water made any serious attempt to play football out of the question.
Stocksbridge went ahead again, solid left-half Bailey scoring with a replica of Gough’s first-half goal, but it was another long shot which brought Denaby level again, this time from Goulding, 15 minutes from the end.