Denaby Utd 0, Wombwell S.A.1 – Opportunist Wombwell

28 February 1970

South Yorkshire Times, February 28, 1970

Opportunist Wombwell Snatch One and Blanket Out Weakened Denaby

Denaby United 0, Wombwell S.A.1

Denaby United’s slender hopes of winning the Yorkshire League title took  a further knock at Tickhill Square on Sunday when Wombwell clinched this local derby with a first-half goal.

With the Tickhill Square ground needed for a Montagu Cup tie, this match was switched to the traditional day of rest, but there was no rest for these two teams.

After matches on Saturday, both found the clinging mud an extra burden for this hard-fought tussle.

Wombwell, with Ken Launders finding the net after ten minutes, hung on for a victory which takes them into the top half of the table with matches in hand on the teams above.

Denaby have been fighting hard to restore their shattered morale in recent weeks after at one time looking likely champions. They received a blow before the game even began, when Ken Bowden pulled out with an injury received the day before,

Still Injured

With Toyne and Bennett still injured, and a fighting-fit Jimmy Wiggles under suspension for three weeks, Denaby were really up against it.

Wombwell realised this, and coming out to look for an early goal, they got just the start they needed when Launders raced in from the left wing to head past Whitehead into goal.

The match was only ten minutes old, and with Denaby hitting back in no uncertain manner, Wombwell back-pedalled to throw a defensive curtain across goal in an attempt to cling on to their slender lead.

Thanks to some tremendous goal-keeping by Keith Wilson, they did just that.

Wilson pulled off a great save when Sapey hit a fierce drive for goal, the ‘keeper tipping it over the top. And in the second half, he turned on a fine performance to keep the home forwards at bay.

Denaby went close on several occasions, Howard Morley hitting the post, but territorial advantage came to nought many times as the home forwards fought desperately to find a way through the Wombwell defence.

The clear-cut chances were few, as Wombwell’s catenaccio style repeatedly stopped the attackers where it mattered — in the penalty box.

Pettit headed just over the top from a corner for Denaby’s closest effort, but by the end the football had become desperate and ragged, and Wombwell’s two points looked safe with a long way to go.