South Yorkshire Times, September 29th, 1951
Denaby Utd. 2, Notts Forest Res. 4
No one expected United to win this match with notable Midland League Champions and present leaders Nottingham Forest Reserves, but in the first brilliant half they shaped well enough to do it
It was a really spanking first half, United fairly matched manoeuvre for manoeuvre and in minute five so heavy was Denaby pressure that Rowson had to concede a corner and be glad to do it. Forest were in Denaby territory all right and the lesson that loose balls could not be left “lying about” was learned pronto. McCall was on the target with a ground shot, Mayhall punched the corner kick to Lee and the centre half got the ball away. But it was a close shave.
In the fifteenth minute there was a moment of panic in the Forest goalmouth and this time Hutchinson turned the ball over the line for a corner, but Rowson’s safe head was there when the corner kick came in. A minute later we had a Rowney sizzler—a chance made by Law—and the crowd howled for a corner. But referee Pickering waved play on. In the 18th minute came a shot from Leverton —another highlight that had the crowd on its toes—then In the 28th minute a Forest goal.
It followed a goal kick from Farmer— jet propelled by the wind. Southerden just failed to get his head to it, LEVERTON streaked through and ran to within a couple of yards to Mayhall before pushing the ball past him. The Denaby goalkeeper made a desperate bid to save the shop. He got to it scrambled over his hands into the net.
In the’s 30th minute Leverton had another crack; crack; this time Mayhall had him well covered, and in the developing United attack Cooling swept through, hit goalkeeper Farmer with his shot followed up, hit the ball again—and put it a foot wide of the Forest post. How the crowd simmered over that one! But in the 35th minute Law found himself clear and shot in hard. Farmer, flying full length, pushed the ball out—to COOLING, and the Denaby inside-left made no mistake this time. It was like the relief of Mafeking!
To the end of this half United matched Forest in football craft, but within a minute and a half of the second half the writing was on the wall, for the versatile LEVERTON had made it 2-1–just like that.
Mayhall made little attempt to stop a shot which he apparently thought was harmless and before United knew it they were fighting a losing battle. Gone was their first half skill. The defence cracked astonishingly, though even so it was not until the 68th minute that BURTON put on Forest’s third and not until two minutes from time that LEVERTON completed a hat-trick.
In the meantime we had had brief bursts from United’s forward line in which untiring Cooling was the schemer, and with only a minute to go ROWNEY scored an admirable goal to make it 4-2.
This was a game of distinct phases–a grand first half, a most disappointing second. Forest left no doubt about their power.