Denaby´s Triumphal Progress
More Mud Larking
Rotherham County outplayed
Denaby United 4 Rotherham County Reserve 1
Denaby United: Ekins; Coope and Taylor; Reed, Cowan and Hill; Hamilton, Bretnall, Godfrey, Burkinshaw and Powell
Rotherham County Reserve: Robinson; Turner and Chapel; Hirst, Sunter, and Crate; Barnes Crichton, Proctor, Chambers and Bell
Denaby United on Saturday last, enjoyed another mud- arking experience. Enjoyed is the word. They revelled in the heavy conditions, while their visitors, Rotherham County reserve were unable to find their feet for a long time, and then unable to keep them, cut the sorriest figure any side of court on the Denaby ground this season.
Throughout the first half it was a case of Denaby first and the County nowhere. That statement needs qualifiing exceptfor the first few minutes. Twice in less than 2 min. The Rotherham men all but opened the scoring through mis-kicking on the part of the home defenders. But the Denaby attack then took up the running for the afternoon, and except when they drop their guard while they appealed for offside to an unheeding referee, thus allowing Chambers, near the end, to ram one home for the County, the Denaby defence was never seriously at fault again.
When the teams took the field. It was seen that Ekins, not Mitchell , was to play between the sticks, that Stanley Pearson, who was injured early in the game at Nottingham on the Thursday, was an absentee. .Josh Burkinshaw, in consequence, made a reappearance in the forward line, as Powell´s partner with Bretnall partnering Hamilton, and Josh Godfrey leading the attack.
And Godfrey, let it be said, led the line well. He swung the ball out to the wings with pretty judgement, and his enterprise in this direction, on one occasion, owned a movement which completely surprise a visiting defence and culminated in Denaby´s third goal.
But Godfrey had been in the picture. Before then. He had come into it quickly with the first goal of the match, scored within 5 min of the kick-off.
The home team had won the toss, and set the County to play against the wind. A mistake by Cowan at once letting Chambers, and Percy Ekins had to handle in the first minute. Then Dick Coopemiskicked near the goalmouth and the ball travelled out, over the sticky ground, close to the post.
The resulting flag kick brought the County nothing, and away Hamilton sped along his wing, to the accompaniment of much cheering. He finishes his run with a deserving effort which hit the side of the net.
Now came GODFREY´s
goal. Gaining possession just beyond the halfway line,he ranthrough the opposing half, and while still on the run, from 20 yards out, booted in a shot which kept to the ground and went all the way.
This was early encouragement which served to dispel the misgivings created by those opening mis-kicks and Denaby returned to the attack with irresistible vigour. The opposing backs, Turner and Chapel, were given a gruelling 5 min, and then Josh
BURKINSHAW showed the crowd what he could do when wearing his shooting boots. He put his side further ahead with a great rising shot, which travelled in just under the bar.
On swept the Denaby forward again, and we saw some merry melees in front of Robinson, who plunged headlong into the rock and twice punched the ball away.
Then Joby Godfrey thought it was time to send along another ground, but this time Robinsonhad put himself wise and cleared.
A raid by the County took the form of a dash along their right wing by Bell The winger took aim, but the aim was wide.
Bretnall now came in for applause for some tricky work that nonplussed the Rotherham left half. Pretty combination between Hamilton and his partner followed, and Hamilton, unable to get past Chappell, swung over to Burkinshaw who just failed to add the finishing touch with his head.
A chance to reduce the lead against them came the way to the men from Rotherham when Dick Coope handled in the area with Bell trying to slip through. The winger took the kick and missed.
Two fruitlesscorners forDenaby followed, and then came the third goal, attributable to Godfrey´s enterprise.Driven back, halfs and full-backs packed the County goal, and Jobyhad the ball to his feet. Powell was unmarked, and the centre forward saw the chance of an enveloping movement. Over to the Cardiff lad went the ball in a flash, and in behind that defending wall. It was repelled that shot, but George HILL
sent it back, Robinson´s way, and it passed into the Rotherham net of Turner´s boot. This third goal came after 20 min.
The home team continue to have all the play. Turner, Chapel and Robinson, were allowed no peace, and with the opposing side completely demoralised, BRETNALL bang on the interval, scored, Denaby´s fourth goal.
The interval served to give the visitors an opportunity of pulling themselves together, and they´re displayed in the second half was a better one in which they gave during the first.
But the own team still held the whip hand. Twice within the first two or 3 min. they came near to adding to their score.
There once forced a corner, and Callan with that wonderful head of its, put only inches over.
On top of this little sensation came another when Bretnall rattled the woodwork with Robinson quite beaten. The ball came down from the bar to be bustled off the goal-line for an unproductive corner. Rotherham after this got busy on their right for a short spell. Then Bell rang along the other wing, to be effectively checked by Coope.
Crichtonhad hard look when he hit Denaby´s bar, and Chambers, making a determined effort, shot wide.
At the other end. Robinson was exposed to a regular fusillade, the last of a series of five hard shots travelling outside the post.
After 75 min CHAMBERSgot possession, and with all the defenders appealing for offside, he put the ball past Ekins, who was, however, applauded for the big effort he made to keep it out.
So, Denaby subsequently spent most of their time near Robinsons charge. It was another successful day in the mud