Mexborough & Swinton Times – Saturday 27 October 1923
English Cup
Second Qualifying Round
Mexborough’s Fall
Godfrey Finds the Chink in Their Armour
Denaby’s Victory in a Pleasant Game
Denaby United 1, Mexborough 0
Denaby United easily won their way to the second round on Thursday, in a game that was always approaching a farce. A depressing mist kept the crowd down to a hundred or two. Denaby turned out practically a reserve side, with just the necessary sprinkling of seniors to give it balance.
In the first half the first notable incidents were a quick cut through and shot by Kilner, and a series of “in-and-out-the-window” efforts by Brayshaw. With a half like a bound lump of sodden paper, and a sticky ground, the players found it pretty hard work. The Denaby halves and backs kept the play almost entirely in the Kiveton half, and after many narrow escapes, the Kiveton goal fell to BRAYSHAW, who scored after Shay had hit the post with the goalkeeper beaten. But before the interval RAMSDEN touched the ball past Bromage from a centre by Widson. Within about three minutes of the restart, however, BRAYSHAW had scored twice more, the first goal from a centre by Kilner, and the second from a pass by Shay, which left him with a clear run through. Later, SHAY added the fourth, breaking through on his own and scoring after Stone and the others saved his first shot. Once the Denaby goalpost was hit with Bromage well beaten, but Denaby took matters easily, and in the later stages players and watchers relieved the dullness of day and game by laughing heartily at their own and others’ curious adventures on the treacherous turf. The watchers were highly entertained when MATT. TAYLOR changed places with Brayshaw, scored from Kilner’s centre, and then went back to his own job. This completed the scoring. Apart from the regular men the Denaby youngsters who played with credit were Kilner, Brown and Relfern. Kiveton’s strong points were the right wing, inside-left and centre-half.
The match attracted a big crowd, though it fell a little short of the vision of bursting fences that had sweetened the sleep of the two treasurers for a week past. The gross receipts were £218, and that sum represents an attendance of 6,262, every lad and lass of them on their best behaviour. Mexborough contributed the bigger moiety.
We were favoured with a perfect day, bright, clear, and cool, with no wind to speak of. What wind there was came whispering out of the sun, and Matt. Taylor, winning the toss, promptly put his back to both. Mexborough turned out with the heroes who snatched victory out of defeat in the previous round. Denaby played their usual eleven except that Charlie Taylor was too shaken by the knock he got at the siege of Grimsby, and Tim Peters carried his bike. By the wicket gate, a pathetic figure, was Harry Walker, looking on mournfully at the feast to which he was not bidden. Poor Harry! I dare say he longed to be flying to the whirlwind and directing the storm, teaching the doubtful battle where to rage.
Right from the first Denaby played with a masterful air. Hamilton rushed straight down and wheeled over a perfect centre which beat his insides. For the first half-hour there was only one team in it. Denaby had the speed, the method and the understanding. They had only to break the indomitable spirit of Roberts and Glover to have Williams at their mercy. But Roberts and Glover stood fast and did not budge an inch. All the Denaby attacks broke harmlessly against this doughty pair. They played with faultless judgment, and though sore pressed they never cleared at random or in haste. The Mexborough defence stood firm under innumerable assaults and was not to be stampeded. Thus it happened that though Denaby were almost constantly attacking and driving in the wing halves, Williams was scarcely more troubled than Bromage, who never touched the ball until the game was thirty-five minutes sped. Hamilton and Scriven seemed to be raiding almost ceaselessly, but it was in the middle that the peril was acute. Jack Armitage for once had met his master, and could not hold Johy Godfrey, who was continually thrusting himself head and shoulders (but no further) between the backs. The pace was very hot, and it was not until Mexborough had tuned themselves up to it that they began to have a look in. Of the first forty-five the last ten minutes was theirs.
Just about then, Matt. Taylor, who had been playing well down the field and intercepting every parcel that was sent to Bramley, with love from Armitage, found himself in a mess. The Mexborough attack gathered strength on that wing, little Bramley got very troublesome indeed, and Matt, nippy as he was, could not always hold him. Moreover, the old Mexborough captain allowed himself to be rattled by his quondam friends in the stand, who selected him as “spot-ball”—there must always be a spot-ball in games of this character—and for a spell he wobbled, though he was not long in recovering. As for Dick Coupe, all blades shouting into a magnified broadcaster would not have touched the tiniest nerve of him, and he played with deadly coolness and concentration. What exactly was Taylor’s offence was not clear. It could not have been a mere matter of changing shirts, for two other old Mexburians, Shaw and Chambers, should have stood in the dock with him in that case, and Dick and Billy never played to a sweeter audience. It must have seemed queer to Matt. to get the good old-fashioned Mexborough “bird.” He must have felt one of the astonishment that Harry Walker reeled under when first he got a cheer from a Mexborough crowd, after years of execration.
For ten minutes before the close of the half we got a shadowy suggestion of the Mexborough team that opened the year so brilliantly on this ground. The right wing several times all but burst through, and there were really good shots from both these lines by Buttrill and Waterfield. Bromage, being seasoned anxiety with each, Denaby, in spite of the multiplicity of their opportunities, had scarcely shot at all. Except for a shot of Chambers’s that was charged down, the only player to “draw a bead” was Kennedy, with a free-kick which hit the bar.
Play was more even during the second half, and on the whole more interesting. Confidence began to revive in the Mexborough supporters, and their cheers seemed to communicate it to the players. For the Mexborough colours were advanced boldly on either wing, and particularly on the right, where Buttrill certainly fed Bramley well, though he was able to do nothing on his own account. The fleet little winger made some very gallant raids, and he “towed” Hill and Taylor rarely, the Denaby captain having resource to touch so frequently that the Mexborough “fans” took comfort in derisive cheers. Bramley was fast and dangerous, and Taylor had to do the best he could against him. Waterfield, too, did excellent work on the other wing, and was a source of hope. He put in one of the best shots of the match, and his partner Laurie Burkinshaw, though thoroughly out of tune, put in another. Seven was hopelessly at sea. Sam Kennedy had him in his pocket almost from first to last. But Mexborough’s affairs looked distinctly promising when the end of the game was in sight, and they seemed certain of a draw, if nothing better, for a lot of the fire had gone out of the Denaby attack while it stood cooling on the half-way line.
However, when matters were most promising for Mexborough, they received a mortal shock. They forced a corner on the left and the ball had no sooner been headed clear than Dick Shaw booted it out to Hamilton, who was unmarked and had a clear course. Len Glover ran like Zév, but Hamilton was on the goal-line before he could be caught, and he lifted the ball right over to the other wing where Scriven, caught on the wrong foot, shuffled the ball to GODFREY, and the Denaby centre blinded Williams with a left-foot drive from ten yards out. It was a spectacular goal, and with the aid of the drummer the Denaby supporters did it real justice, what time the hysterical players were “chairing” Joby back to the middle.
Now was the time, if ever, for Mexborough to repeat the trick that overthrew York. But the ace of miracles was past. The Mexborough crowd did not look for it. They felt that Godfrey had dealt the death-blow and conviction soon hardened into certainty, for the Denaby defence, though watchful and apprehensive, remembering Doncaster, were not seriously troubled in the remaining fourteen minutes. Mexborough’s hope drooped, dwindled and died. They went out gently, like the flicker of a candle. Except that Hamilton nearly scored again, there was very little pulse in the remaining play. The virtue had gone out of Jack Armitage. He could not rescue the side twice in a week.
Denaby came off worthy winners of a clean and hard-fought game. Mexborough had to some extent saved their face by their display in the second half, and almost deserved the draw for which they strove so desperately. Almost, but not quite. Denaby had it in attack. Mexborough had no spearhead. Sexton was dead out of form, and Buttrill, Shaw and Buttrill were little happier. With the middle sagging, the best efforts of Bramley and Waterfield went agley. Armitage was unable to put any stiffening into his forwards, being himself harried and bustled by the Denaby insides, and particularly by Godfrey. If Bowen had been half as nippy and thrustful as Godfrey, there might have been a different tale to tell.
The honours of defence on the whole rested with the beaten side. Kennedy and Coupe played a grand game, and so did Taylor in the earlier stages, but Roberts and Glover were sound all through. The official Denaby chrome-leader who taunted the silent and dispirited occupants of the stand with the remark, “If it hadn’t been for Roberts we should have beaten you seventeen-none,” gave a rough—a very rough—summary of the position. Roberts was the rock upon which Denaby all but split, and Glover escaped him very ably. The wing halves on both sides were not notably brilliant, Kay being the best of them. The goalkeepers spent a surprisingly quiet afternoon. Teams:—
Denaby United: Bromage; Coupe and Taylor; Peters, Kennedy, and Hill; Hamilton, Chambers, Godfrey, Shaw and Scriven.
Mexborough: Williams; Roberts and Glover; Sexton, Armitage, and Kay; Bramley, Buttrill, Bowen, Burkinshaw and Waterfield.