Mexborough & Swinton Times April 17, 1936

Midland League
All But
Denaby Earn Meagre Reward
“Shot Shy”

Denaby United 1 Frickley 3

Good Friday – but not so good football at least, not from Denaby’s point of view. In the game with Frickley, the Tickhill Square XI did everything but score. They swarmed round the Frickley goal for long periods, and banged the ball against every part of the woodwork. But, through bad luck, and faulty marksmanship, they were only once able to get in.

It was obvious from this game that Denaby’s overwhelming need is for a sure marksman in any of the three inside positions. Denaby forward line was far cleverer than their meagre reward of one goal suggests. They had a fine combination of speed, brains and resource. Time and again they got through the visiting defence only to fall at the last lap. At first they were shot shy, passing to a colleague instead of taking a chance ourselves and then when they finally took to shooting they blazed the ball over the bar or round the post, or straight at Turner, the Frickley goalkeeper.

Late Goal.

It was late in the first half when Pedwell scored a good goal for Frickley. He swung out on the extreme left, and raced through the defence to send in an oblique shot which I thought Earnshaw might have saved. Up to this point there had not been a great deal of difference between the teams. Frickley’s defence, of which England that left back was an outstanding member, bore an every share of work in an unruffled manner. Faulkner played a wily game at centre half, and though there was much flashiness about his play he sent up some good passes, of which Purcell and Shaw took the most advantage among the forwards. But Denaby’s defence was also sound, with Happs playing a particular good game. Uren patchy, and made several errors that might have proved dangerous.

t was unfortunate that in the second half that Happs, jumping for a high ball, headed into his own goal. This was one of the few errors he had made, and it proved very costly. It was an illustration of the bad luck that attended Denaby. Here was one slight slip, and the result was a goal given away. Yet when Denaby were awarded a penalty early in the game, Sykes, renowned spot kicker, sent in a shot which Turner saved easily.

It was commendable the way in which Denaby faced a two goals deficit. They went at it hammer and tongs. Then Machin who had been playing particularly well, raced in from the wing and drove in a ball that made Turner fall to his knees, and then trickled through his hands into the net. Denaby redoubled their efforts. There was one hectic period when the ball was bouncing off Frickley’s defenders heads as though they were meeting the attack with a solid wall of resistance. Through this exciting time, Ingram was playing a superb, calm game. Once, with Turner out of goal, he fell back on the goal-line and headed away an apparent certain goal.

Close Range

Fleetwood, Machin, Taylor, and Hewitt each had the mortification of seeing shots from close range canon against a defender or sail just wide of the mark. Sykes had a pot shot or two, and even his shots, forcible and direct as they usually are went harmlessly over the line. Then, as so happens, Frickley broke away. The Denaby defence, which had come father field during this intensive reading, was spreadeagled, and Shaw raced on to score a pretty goal.

Denaby put all they knew into a last desperate attack, but Frickley and good fortune kept them out. It was an illustration that the football team cannot win games without a first-class shot somewhere in the forward line.

The Frickley team played well, but not well enough to merit their 3-1 win. However, they feel that it compensates for the bad luck they had in their previous game. Purcell was the best of the forwards, but little was seen of their forward line for the reason that the house were filling the roles of stoppers during most of the game. Both backs were good, with England superior. Barks played a useful game for Denaby, but Sykes was occasionally too far upfield to deal with the visiting forwards. Happs got through a tremendous amount of work, and it was particularly unfortunate that an error of judgement on the part should have given a goal away.