South Yorkshire Times April 8, 1950
Denaby Collect Another Three League Points
Denaby United 1 Bradford Park Avenue Res 1
OF all Denaby’s feats in this peak season, Saturdays remarkable performance against Bradford Park Avenue Reserves will surely rank as one of the best.
In the last few minutes Bradford seemed obviously well satisfied to get away with a point,
With the exception of Lee’s opportune saving of a Sirrel shot, there were no near calls in the Denaby goalmouth to match Law’s near miss in the first five minutes, Rowney’s unlucky header a few minutes later, and Saxton’s chagrin four minutes from the end. If ever a centre-forward was unlucky, Saxton was that man on Saturday. He had eluded the attention of McGrath and was streaking away for the Bradford goal when Farr came out to meet him. Farr got the worst of the tackle, and Saxton leaped over him just a foot behind the rapidly receding ball as it bounded over the goal-line, inches wide of the post. That goal would undoubtedly have won the match and Denaby would have been worth it.
Bradford had the difficult disadvantage of a strong downfield wind in the first half and in spite of honest endeavour there was no score at half-time.
Mordue touched the switch to the second half by beating Mayhall with a long ball, after the United goalkeeper had first cleared his lines and had then been unable to get back in time to compete with with MORDUE and the gale-sized breeze That was after five minutes. But the electrification-complete was to come, for one minutes later ROWNEY had equalized. Fifty minutes without a goal, then two inside sixty seconds!
After that the expected wind-borne Bradford assault was never allowed to materialise and United were confident masters. McGuinness has never played a better game. Bouquets, too. to Lee Osborne, Lockwood and Vardy. Osborne once got over a lovely centre to Bernard Saxton, waiting for it in the Bradford goal. He flung himself at the ball in mood reminiscent of those Boardman – Saxton plotted goals—but it just wasn’t his lucky day!
Monday’s Match
Denaby United 3 Bradford City Res 1
For 74 minutes of Monday’s fixture with Bradford City Reserves it looked for all the world as though Denaby were moving along to their first goalless draw this season.
Then they sruck, and it was almost a repetition of Saturday’s experience. This time, however, the two goals inside a minute went to Denaby.
SAXTON deserved that 74th minute winner that Rowney and Law helped to engineer, and BOARDMAN has scored few better goals than the one he crashed in from a touch across goal by Stocks, one minute later. Almost immediately the roar went up for a second Saxton goal, but to United’s chagrin the referee disallowed it for a foul in the execution thereof. However, ROWNEY, who had been near enough before, crowned another sortie with a winner five minutes from time and CARR got Bradford’s goal just before the whistle.
Those two 74th minute goals only served to emphasise the lesson of the goalless first half. There had been plenty of action, but few spells oft football. Denaby did not ignore the warning.
Leading positions in the Midland League are:
