Mexborough & Swinton Times – Saturday 28 December 1912
Denaby’s Achievement.
Gainsborough Trintiy 4 Denaby United 3
Denaby United had once more to suffer defeat on Saturday, and again to a Lincolnshire club, but while they were beaten 3–1 on the Northolme, they had the melancholy satisfaction of smashing a record which Gainsbro’ had for a long time been very anxious to keep—that of not having had a goal scored against them on the home ground throughout the season so far as it has gone.
Clarke punctured that record with a well-got goal, the first of the match, and Denaby got a rattling good start. Unfortunately, as generally happened with them this season, they could not keep up the pace, and Clarke’s goal was shortly followed by the equaliser which Gainsbro’ got before half-time, and in the second half Gainsbro’ slipped in two more, and so won substantially.
Three Stars.
The game produced three stars of the first magnitude, and Heath, the Denaby goalie, was one of them. He played a wonderful game between the Denaby sticks, and gave Gainsbro’ quite a fright for a long time.
The other “class” men were Green, the old Doncaster centre forward, who scored all three of Gainsbro’s goals; and Parker, the outside left, who played a wonderful game, and gave Green two of his three goals.
Taking the game as a whole, Gainsbro’ deserved their victory all right, though it was evident that they were going on paper form, and it was a long time before they realised that they had underestimated the strength of Denaby.
They attacked a good deal in the first half, but they did not put any real keenness into the game until Clarke lowered their colours as aforesaid.
Very early in the game Parker looked like scoring, when the ball kicked as he was about to shoot, and the shot went away. Then again Cox, the half-back, dropped the ball on the Denaby bar, and hardly had Denaby recovered from this fright when Verrill snapped up a corner kick and missed by inches with a lightning shot.
As it was, Gainsbro’ threw away good chances, and valiantly as the Denaby defence held out, they were not quite equal to the task set them.
Once again let me say that until that defence is materially strengthened, Denaby cannot expect to do much better than they are doing. It is of little avail having a brilliant goalkeeper in the team, if he is too much exposed.
Jack Westwood Works Hard.
Jack Westwood worked like a Trojan during this hot pressure, and he saved his side time and again.
Then came Clarke’s goal and Green’s equaliser, and in the second half the Trinity settled down to their work in real earnest.
Denaby never had much of a chance in this moiety, but they never gave up, and once Pattison had really hard lines in failing to get through.
Green settled the issue summarily with a couple of quickly got goals, and after that interest died down considerably.
But, on the whole, Denaby may be said to have given a creditable display.
At any rate, they have done what no other Midland League team has done so far this season—they have got a goal on the Northolme.
On form that is almost equivalent to the value of a point.