Mexborough and Swinton Times, February 4.
Thrills at Denaby.
Accounts settled with Mansfield
Hamilton’s brilliance.
Denaby United 3 Mansfield Town 0
The attendance at Denaby’s home match with Mansfield Town was thin at the beginning, though the kick-off was delayed until nearly 3 o’clock, but the tumult and the shouting seem to fetch reinforcements from the village, and before half-time. There would be a couple of thousand spectators.
It was one of the grandest Midland Leaguer games played in the Don Valley this season. Denaby well deserved their handsome victory, for they had to be right on top of their form to get it. Mansfield relied on the side that drew with Nottingham For this Reserve last week. They turned out in snowy white, and the stand tittered and said what a shame it was. For the ground and only partly recovered from a desperate week of wet, and in places was ankle-deep in clay and water.
Denaby put out their best available team come with hot in appearing in his natural position at right back, whilst the usual tenant, Dick Coope cooled his heels in the stand and wish the moon would move around quicker. George Hill, was displayed surprising aptitude at left half, is likely to be a fixture in that position.
The game was full of thrills, and there was scarcely a dull moment tilt toward the end the pace began to tell. Mansfield won the toss and Denaby started towards the cricket field. Leslie Hofton was in action half a dozen times the first minute or two, but thereafter he was not conspicuous.
Both Hamilton and Wilson fired a perfect centre, but, Brayshaw and Burkinshaw were at fault. Mansfield were quickly attacking, and after Clark and been often cleverly he spoiled things with a tame centre that Dawson punted clear.
After that. Foster, the Mansfield Centre, up to bowl of the bar and then make the Denaby crowd gas with a dazzling drive that broad Ekins to the ground, and left him desperately struggling with a greasy ball for seconds that seemed like minutes. That was the nearest that Mansfield went to scoring.
The Mansfield goalkeeper Groves had all sorts of shots to deal with, and was absolutely cool, clean and safe, until the very last minute of the art when he got a real stinger from Wilson which brought him full-length. He failed to hold the ball, and Hamilton, dashing up, kicked it into the net.
Denaby were well worth goal lead at the turn, but it had begun to look as if they would not get it. They made further progress almost straight from the restart. Hamilton – are unscented, but Burkinshaw could not get all of the ball and Smith came to the rescue. Back again came Hamilton, and this I was playing the resolve to do the job themselves. It was pretty to see his run, with half the Mansfield team hanging onto him. He shook them off, rounded Smith and coolly and deliberately planted the ball a yard wide of Groves. From start to finish. It was one of the most sparkling individual efforts. I have ever seen in Midland The. He carried the ball half the length of the field and went through the Mansfield defence as if it had been paper.
The game close, appropriately enough, with a thrill. Denaby attacked on the left and Bayliss, the Mansfield right half, in a scuffle, lost his head or his bearings. He foolishly dived at a shot that was going well, and brought it down with his hand in the best Sam Hardy style. It was always clear as daylight, but somehow the referee hadn’t seen it, and it was the linesman that got Denaby the penalty. Burkinshaw took the shot, and put a ton of dynamite behind it. Groves stopped it with his left arm, diverted from a corner, and then fainted from the shock and sprain. It took a minute or so to bring in round and then yet to be led off. “Ginger” Jones succeeded to his jersey. There was only after me to play, but he served for another goal. Hamilton plan to the corner perfectly, and after a brief scrimmage Burkinshaw saw an opening and nearly walked the ball into the net.
Team: Ekins; Hofton and Dawson; Ashton, Kennedy and Hill; Hamilton, Burkinshaw, Balance, Brayshaw and Wilson