Denaby at Grimsby
A Dog Fight
Brilliant goal earns useful point
Grimsby Town Reserve 1 Denaby United 1
Stimulated by their notable mid week success at Worksop, Denaby United set out for Grimsby on Saturday with high hopes of improving their chances of Midland league medals, and were quite confident of a lease holding their own, though few Midland league teams have come away from Blundell Park with any satisfaction this season. Denaby were also keen to square accounts with Grimsby town reserve, warm one of the two clubs well taken the full points from the Denaby ground. In the result. Denaby had to be content with share in the points, but that in itself was not a bad performance, especially in the circumstances. This trip was to been joined by the supporters outing club, on reflectionthey decided to keep their money for the cupfinal, and it was only a very small shouting contingent that filled its lungs with ozone on the Sands at Cleethorpes before the match. Denaby made one change in the team that gave Worksop their first home defeat for over two years.Hamilton, reappeared and Powell went back to his old position on the left wing, to the displacement of Harries. Sam Cowan and Jack Haslam made the journey, but Sam is still suffering from the effects of an injury at the colliery, and Kennedy again appeared at centre half.
The weather was glorious, the ground in better condition than I have ever seen. Blundell Park and there was a crowd of 4000 to watch the match. It was a very fierce, intolerant and unfair crowd, and what could be done in the way of vocal intimidation was done.The game was soured by a stupid undercurrent of personal feeling, and on that
account was completely spoiled. Unfortunately, the referee neglected to check the roughness at its first manifestation, and his control was lamentably weak. The trouble early showed its appearance. Graver, the Grimsby inside right, who was sent off at Denaby and subsequently suspended, and Kennedy, the Denaby centre half, were the storm centres and most of the trouble was connected with these two. The crowd got in the way of howling at Kennedy if he wiped the sweat off his brow.
Grimsby attacked very strongly in the first 20 minutes, and the Denaby defence was very hard-pressed, indeed, so much so, that neither Taylor nor Coope and leisure or space to find a length, and had to bail out with short and hasty clearances. A header from Peters from under the bar very early on saved an almost certain goal. The first time Denaby got down they should have been awarded a penalty, for Powell beat Wilson and got across a sweet low centre, which Guist, knocked down and put over the line. The offence was very palpable, but the referee missed it, and awarded a corner. Then to lend aggravation to the disappointment, Sam Kennedy quite unnecessarily handled in the Denaby penalty area. Graver took the kick, and to the great joy of the Denabyites, after choosing a spot with great deliberation, he cleared the bar by a foot. Grimsby attacked more hotly than ever after this, and Denaby´s replies were spasmodic, though they were more than once dangerous, and Harrison had to clear up an ugly situation or two after the backs had been beaten.
Corners frequently fell to the home team, and it was from one that was retaken that they got their goal. WILSON heading in with a goal packed, and Ekins, just out of reach. The Denaby players appealed for “hands” and the referee consulted the linesman, who was against the visitors, and probably right, but it was difficult to be sure from the stand. This occurred about 10 min from the interval, and almost immediately Grimsby set off on the track of another goal, graves leading a raid which brought him smack up against. Ekins, who managed to clear the ball, but was violently jolted in the face.
Coope took over the jersey but the Denabythe story came on in a few minutes, the news of a Denaby equaliser temporarily reviving him. He was never fit, though, having been very badly jarred, and it was fortunate that for the rest of the game. He was not seriously troubled. The equaliser came 5 min after the interval. Powell lobbed into goal from the touchline, and Harrison run out of field and clear, but GODFREY leapt in from nowhere and headed the ball practically out of Harrison´s arms into the net – a brilliant and unexpected effort.
Denaby were much encouraged by this, and for the rest of the game they undoubtedly had the superiority, though the quality of play suffered from because as I have mentioned, and from frequent interruptions for casualties due to roughness. The referee administered cautions here and there, fairly impartially. I must say, but the players were not far short of being out of hand. Denaby attack persistently, and set up a strong appeal when Middleton headed out a shot from Hamilton, apparently from inside the net, but the referee was against them, and they had to be content. Coope and Taylor had an easy second half, and the Denaby goal was rarely in the slightest danger.