South Yorkshire Times and Express – Saturday 3 January 1953
Christmas ‘Gate’ Was as Big as for Previous Four Games Put Together
CHRISTMAS Day’s fifty-six pounds ten and ninepenny “gate” at Tickhill Square was as much as for the previous four home fixtures put together—and the game was well worth going to see. Fulfilling their promise against Gainsborough, Denaby beat Frickley 2-1 in a match remarkable for the number of goals that were not scored; and the ill luck in that direction was almost exclusively Denaby’s.
Pointer one: Taylor, Denaby goalkeeper, touched the ball only twice in the first twenty minutes—only ten times altogether in the first forty-five minutes. During that time shots hit first MacDonald then Skidmore, to be deflected out of the goalmouth; Holmes had a shot tipped out by Wilkinson, Davies hit the post from the rebound, and when the ball came in again Stokes kicked off the Frickley goal-line. Clarke beat Skidmore, worked the ball in close—and hit the post; again Davies hit the bar—then headed wide. Then Holmes wide. In the 23rd minute—with a charm over the Frickley goal—MacDonald sent in a dangerous lob. Taylor didn’t gather it completely—Blount scored! and Frickley were a goal up!
But still it went on. Cooling and Saxton together couldn’t manage that equaliser, this time MacDonald touching the ball away from the line with Wilkinson unsighted, but in the 44th minute Clarke sent in a shot which MacDonald blocked. Cooling collected and shot and Wilkinson pushed the ball away, but this time Saxton followed up with a fierce shot which registered in no uncertain style.
Davies and Saxton shared in the winner, scored by Holmes after 66 minutes.
Frickley could consider themselves unlucky in the closing minutes when they appealed in vain for a penalty for “hands.” It appeared to be entirely accidental, but it facilitated the clearance of United’s lines. The Frickley forward line moved smoothly and purposefully. Barber hadn’t an entirely carefree game against Lee, who took most of the morning well in his stride and had, in fact, one of his quietest games for some weeks.