Mexborough & Swinton Times, December, 2, 1932.
A Slip in the Mud
Single Goal Decides
Black and Gale in Great Form
As when they met Southport five years ago Denaby United again failed to make progress in the F.A. Cup competition proper when, on Saturday, after putting up a grim fight at Carlisle they lost to the Third Division club by a single goal scored a few minutes before the interval. The Midland League side, however, emerged from the contest with honour, giving Carlisle one of the hardest games they have had this season.
The winning of the toss was a very vital factor in Carlisle’s success, for they set Denaby to face a wind which at times almost reached gale force. This, coupled with the appallingly heavy condition of the ground gave the Denaby defence a gruelling time and eventually resulted in the all-important goal being conceded when it looked as though the visitors were going to hold out with the object of making their big effort in the second half. There was hardly a square foot of firm turf on the field and players bad the utmost difficulty in keeping their feet even when not challenged by an opponent. Driving rainstorms swept the ground periodically throughout the game and the bigger Carlisle players found their size and length of leg big assets when it came to interception. Often when they had lost their footing in the treacherous mud, a leg shot out at random checked the skidding ball and spoiled a promising Denaby movement. In the air they had a similar advantage, the tall centre-half, Gomm, dominating the middle of the field in this respect.
Denaby’s Tactics.
Seth King realised what he was up against when Carlisle won the toss and concentrated his forces largely in defence. Adams and the wingers lay as far up the field as they could while Black and Walker fell back and assisted the halves. Seth, himself, while not exactly taking up the position of a third back never went very far up. The necessity for these tactics became apparent when a number of Gale’s goal kicks were smothered by the wind to such an extent that they landed only just outside the penalty area. Even Mountney’s powerful kicking rarely got the ball further than the halfway line, and the result was that the halves had to take the ball up themselves as far as possible. This would have been difficult enough in the face of a trio like Cawley, Gomm and Clayton under ordinary conditions but, with the pitch like a glue pot, King and his partners had an unenviable task indeed. Carlisle were undoubtedly on top during this period of the game but in spite of the almost continuous pressure they applied they sought vainly for a loophole in Denaby’s defence for the first half-hour. Taylor and Mountney went for their men first time and before this relentless tackling the home forwards failed time after time. Gale was very alert and was quick to pounce on the greasy ball which he got away several times in spite of the close attention of the Carlisle inside forwards, his torn stockings bearing testimony to their eagerness. Considering the way in which the home forwards were backed up by their halves it was impossible for them to do anything else but exert pressure, but their attacks were seldom launched through their own individual ability. Realising what a valuable ally they had in the wind the Carlisle halves pressed home their advantage to the full and playing right on top of their forwards left the backs to look after Adams, Siddall and Beggar.
After hammering at the Denaby defence for the first fifteen minutes without getting dangerously close Carlisle tried a different line of attack and White fired in a hard drive from 20 yards but his shot went just wide of the post. Cawley made a couple of praiseworthy efforts from free kicks quite 30 yards out but on each occasion the ball went over. Black and Walker meantime were tireless in their efforts to get the ball out to the Denaby wings and Haggar made one or two promising runs only to find Bradley too big and fast for him. Siddall did not see so much of the ball and was not his usual elusive self when he did.
Once, however, he neatly rounded Legge and ran on to put across a characteristically good centre. Kelly ran out and grabbed the ball just in time to evade Adams as the centre-forward tried to charge him into the net. The crowd gave a gasp of relief and it was certainly a narrow escape. Adams had few real chances. One or other of the backs was at his shoulder whenever he got the ball and he never had a clear shot at goal. Gomm went close at the other end when he headed a well placed free kick by Clayton just over.
The Vital Goal.
With most of the first half gone and Denaby still on even terms it looked as though the chances of a replay were bright, for it was felt that if Denaby could hold their own in the face of such a wind they should at least be able to do the same after the interval. However, eight minutes from half-time the Denaby goal fell in rather luckless fashion.
Cawley secured the ball in midfield and veering into the middle put it through to Slinger. Taylor, however, had the centre-forward well covered and when he let the ball run away from him the Denaby back made a first time clearance, slipping in the mud as he did so. Slinger went down at the same time and the ball striking Felton, who was following up, on the body, rebounded right to the Carlisle centre’s feet as he was rising. Taylor moved to block the shot but again lost his footing and SLINGER drove the ball into the roof of the net.
It was a fine piece of opportunism on the Carlisle centre-forward’s part but that Taylor’s slip should coincide with the rebound which placed Slinger in possession was a decided misfortune for a team which had held its own, as pluckily as Denaby had. Taylor could hardly be blamed for the goal, for the turf in the penalty area had been churned up to such an extent that it was impossible to attempt to move quickly without inviting a fall.
In spite of this reverse the Denaby players were not unduly perturbed and during the interval expressed confidence in their ability to draw at least. The opening stages of the second half, however, hardly justified this optimism for within a minute from the restart Carlisle had the ball in the net again, though Felton was palpably offside and the point was disallowed. Carlisle monopolised the first ten minutes of the half and once the ball rolled right across the Denaby goal with the defence in a tangle, but Slinger, White and Smith were all just too far out to get at it. A series of brilliant saves by Gale prevented other likely looking shots from finding the mark and then Denaby settled down to their task of getting the equaliser.
The forward line, however, could not get going smoothly, Bradley and Legge proving the stumbling block on innumerable occasions. It was indeed, to their backs that Carlisle owed their success. In the midfield exchanges Denaby more than held their own as the second half progressed. King assumed a more aggressive role and Smith and Barrow exerted all their ability in an endeavour to get the attack moving. But no sooner had the ball been sent out to the wings than Bradley or Legge swooped with devastating effect on the diminutive wingers who rarely withstood successfully this swift tackling. Twice, however, Beggar cut inside and tried a shot, and the second of these efforts nearly brought a goal. Legge ran to intercept the ball and collided with Kelly as Adams rushed in to make sure. The three players fell in a heap, the ball rolling along the goal line until it stopped a foot or so from the post. Addams made a frantic effort to get at the ball but the goalkeeper was the first to disentangle himself and got it away.
A Shocking Miss.
But for a shocking miss by Slinger when Taylor let in Smith fifteen minutes from the end Carlisle should have had a second goal. Smith’s centre landed right at the centre-forward’s feet but from point-blank range hooked it over the bar. Denaby seemed to take heart from this escape and Carlisle were hard pressed to keep their lead in the closing stages. The visiting players shook off all signs of lassitude, tackled like terriers, and hustled their bigger adversaries about until they were glad to take their time with goal kicks and make the best of one or two other minor stoppages. Siddall and Beggar changed places. Walker went inside-right, with King inside-left and Black centre-halt. King did everything he could to force a way through the Carlisle defence and even during the last ten minutes, when Black had gone off with a damaged knee Denaby continued to harry the unyielding but very weary Carlisle, defenders.
That the Denaby forward line was never at its best was to some extent due to the fact that Siddall was badly handicapped by an ulcer on his right ankle which prevented him from centring or beating his man in his usual style. Walker, too, was suffering from a slight cold and was not at his best. Black was quite the best forward and has never played better since joining the club. He was much more energetic and determined than usual and his tackling of the hefty opposing halves was absolutely fearless. Smith kept a tight hold on his namesake, the better of the Carlisle wingers, and also fed Haggar well. Hagger showed commendable persistence but never really got the better of Bradley. King and Barrow found themselves busier in defence than usual, and Barrow made several timely interventions, though neither neglected attacking opportunities and King gave Adams a fair proportion of through passes. That the centre-forward did not turn these to account was due largely to the speed and anticipation of the Carlisle backs, Mountney’s strength was a great asset to the defence and both he and Taylor got through some fine work notably in the first half when their covering left nothing to be desired. Behind them Gale gave a flawless display. He performed prodigies of agility in the mud and smothered more than one forward rush by timely advances, while his handling of the greasy ball was admirable.
Carlisle’s great strength lay in defence, for in addition to a couple of shrewd and speedy backs in Bradley and Legge, they had in Gomm a centre-half whose height and length of leg made him very difficult to pass. Cawley and Clayton were wing halves who knew how to place the ball, as well as how to break up forward movements. The forward, were on the whole only a moderate lot, though Slinger deserves commendation if only for his opportunism in the first half.
The attendance was 6,559, including 260 excursionists from this district, and the receipts £312 12s. 3d., this being the biggest “gate” the northern dub have had this season
Teams:
Carlisle: Kelly; Bradley, Legge; Cawley, Gomm, Clayton; Smith, White, Slinger, Felton, Cook.
Denaby: Gale; Taylor, Mountney: Barrow, King, Smith; Siddall, Black, Adams. Walker, Haggar