Mexborough & Swinton Times – Friday 15 December 1933
School Boys Do Their Bit
Denaby 0 Scarboro’ 0
Denaby did well enough in this game to share the points, although it was the first time since they joined the Midland League half a dozen seasons ago that Scarboro’ had taken a point from Tickhill Square. They certainly deserved their share of the spoils on this occasion and Denaby had a good deal for which to thank their young goalkeeper, Kirby, who played an outstanding game.
Scarboro’ never brought a better balanced side to Denaby than they did on Saturday, and though no goals were scored the match was full of entertaining incident and good football. The 120 schoolboys given free admittance for the first time made their presence felt, especially after the interval, and the result was that the crowd as a whole were a good deal more enthusiastic than usual. There is no getting away from the fact that encouragement of this sort has a definite value and the Denaby spectators have a right to consider that they materially assisted their team in holding their own.
Scarboro’ set and maintained such a fast pace that there is small doubt if the Denaby players had not been kept up to concert pitch by such contagious enthusiasm they might have suffered from the effects of premature, and quite excusable, reaction. However, they did hold out, and what is more had chances which should have enabled them to keep both points, but had these been successfully taken Scarboro’ would have received less than the reward they merited.
The backs never faltered and Dixon, the former Barnsley player, was magnificent. In Siddall he had a player at the height of his form to deal with, but at the end of the day there even between the two, the winger being only once allowed to get in his deadly cross drive. Bromage was near at hand but might or might not have saved the shot had it not struck the post. Swaby, too, toiled to splendid purpose, and the co-operation between halves and forwards was really good to watch.
The hefty Brooks was prominent among a speedy set of forwards who swung the ball from one to another with exceptional accuracy. Against such a dangerous and persistent attack Taylor and Skelton emerged with distinct credit and Seth King coolly marshalled his forces among whom none did better than Fred Smith (picture). Opposed to a fast winger backed by a thrustful half-back, Smith was kept on the run all through but never relaxed his watchfulness and stood the pace as well as any.
Though well covered from point-blank shooting, Kirby was subjected to a bombardment of well-directed shots from the penalty area edge, especially at the beginning of the second half, which enabled him to show his worth. His catching of the high balls, and his agility and anticipation, marked him as a definitely promising recruit.