Mansfield Beaten at Denaby
Denaby United 2 Mansfield Town 1
Denaby United: Mitchell; Coope and Taylor; Peters, Kennedy and Hill; Bentley, Powell, Burkinshaw, Pearson and Godfrey
Mansfield Town: Groves; Dallison and Stringfellow; Villiers, Bryan and Bayliss; Reed, Greatorex, Donovan, Clarke and Sydney
Denaby United brought their Midland league season to a close on Tuesday afternoon in a comfortable victory over Mansfield town in a rearranged fixture. The meeting of the two teams at Denaby have been fixed for several months ago, but the match at to be postponed. There was a good crowd on Tuesday afternoon, and an interesting game was played in brilliant weather. The United make three changes from the team which beat Lincoln on Saturday.
In place of Ekins they tried a new goalkeeper named Mitchell was played for the Conisbrough Imperial club. Neither Hamilton nor Bretnall appeared in the forward line, their places been taken by Bentley and E Pearson.
Winning the toss, Denaby at one set the game going at a very strong pace, and quickly carry the play into the neighbourhood of Groves. Within the first couple of minutes, Mansfield´s goal had a very narrow escape. The first incident was a splendid run by Joby Godfrey, who got well down, but who shot was just wide of the mark. The next minute, saw a remarkable struggle almost on the Mansfield goal-line. The whole of the Denaby forward line was on top of Groves and Burkinshaw, and Powell made repeated attempts to rush the ball through. It seems certain that the score would result but luck was on the side of the Mansfield men, and grows through the ball out from among the crowd. Another thrill came when Tim Peters, from near the halfway line, sent in a huge shot which bounced off the goalkeeper´s hands to the underside of the crossbar and dropped on the goal-line, bouncing out into play. Thrills were more plentiful in the first half, and the next incident was a great shot from Godfrey, which grossed just turned out round the corner of the post. The Denaby team were having all the play, but it was not until a few minutes off the interval that they scored their first goal. Powell took the ball through, Headingley smartly forward, and drawing groves out in an attempt to clear. The goalkeeper, however, missed the ball, and POWELL, following up the opening, headed a neat goal. Although in the second half Mansfield had a little better share of the game, Denaby were always dangerous side though they only secured one more goal.
The first 10 min of the second half saw a remarkable series of assaults on the monetary goal, and a wonderful display of goalkeeping by Groves. It was the fine work of the goalkeeper, together with an element of luck, which swayed more in favour of Mansfield than Denaby, that kept the score down.
Denaby, an opening is enough for half a dozen goals, and it was sheer luck which kept them from scoring on at least two occasions. Their second goal was scored by Matt Taylor from a penalty awarded for handling by Bayliss. TAYLOR
took the kick and made no mistake with the shot.
About 10 min from the end, Denaby who were taking things very easily, and not making as much as they might have done their chances, let Mansfield through, for GREATOREX to score with a fine shot which just beat Mitchell. Denaby were easily the better side, and were full value for the points. Eviction by a larger margin, however, would have been a truer reflex of the nature of the game.