South Yorkshire Times, October 19
More Denaby Spirit.
Denaby United 1 Long Eaton 3
For a fighting display at the end of the first half and most of the second, Denaby United, deserved a point from their home Midland League game with Long Eaton. As it was a couple of defensive mistakes let in the danger man in the Long Eaton attack, who didn’t need asking twice.
Long Eaton look the more constructive side for the majority of the first half, but for the first 20 minutes the Denaby defence was well able to deal with them. Moving Wharham back to inside left was a reasonably successful move, and Cutts play was a great improvement on his display at Ilkeston, the week before. But Saul, moved over from wing half into the centre, did not have the happiest game of his life.
In the 21st minute he blocked a shot from Jordan
only to see it rebound back to him for the inside left to shoot Long Eaton ahead.
6 min later Watson got the second. Saul missed a centre from the right and by then Hough, on the goal-line, had left it too late to come out and cut it off. From 3 yards away, Watson swung the ball in.
It wasn’t until the 5 min before the interval that Denaby turned on the action. Martin, Denaby’s liveliest forward, hit a hard, low centre across the Long Eaton goal. Roebuck, coming through a crowd of players, got a boot to it and it rebounded off at an angle into the back of the net before Rhodes could move.
Then Long Eaton rocked as Denaby turned on 5 minutes of powerplay which has been lacking for a long time. Rhodes had to hold a tremendous shot from Mullen, and another one from Martin as Denaby when all out for the equaliser.
Denaby’s pressure didn’t start again until about 15 min after half-time – but by that time Long Eaton had got their third.
The visitors insight forward trio had been the constant danger to Denaby and after the other two are scored the third Hanson broke through in the 54th minute. Hough came out made to dive at his feet, then hung back when Saul came across to help him. But then Saul hesitated and Hough was left on the ground has Hanson made an easy job of making it 3-1.
But to their credit Denaby did not give, not this time, and to the end had Long Eaton pinned in their own half. Ainscough sent in one of his long-distance specials which shook Rhodes, and Gray was halfway round the goalkeeper on one occasion, before Rhodes struck out an arm and knocked the ball away.
Wharam came near a couple of times as the Long Eaton defence became unsettled, and Nielsen in particular got a booting the ball anywhere to get rid of it.
For once, Denaby did not get discouraged when they were behind. They were unlucky not to gain a point – but there was the spirit there, that’s needed.
Team:
Hough 6; Cutts 7, Foster 7; Ainscough 7, Saul 6, Wharam 7; Martin 8, Gray 7, Mullen 7, Wood 7, Roebuck 7