Mexborough & Swinton Times February 14th, 1925.
Mansfield Hard Pressed
Denaby Struggle that Deserved Reward
Great Game in a Morass
Denaby United 1, Mansfield Town 2
Within three days Mansfield Town, the champions of the Midland League last season and this one, took four points out of two South Yorkshire clubs, Mexborough and Denaby United. On each occasion the score was 2-1, and on each occasion, Mansfield could be said to have been favoured by fortune to get both points. That is not to be little them. Their recent visits to South Yorkshire have not increased our respect for them as players, and as gentlemanly players. The point is that both Mexborough and Denaby rose to the occasion and gave them a tussle that deserved better reward.
No game has been played on the Denaby ground this season under worse conditions than was that with Mansfield on Monday. Rain started to fall about half an hour before the match began, and it continued heavily throughout. The ground, in bad condition to start with, with pools of water standing here and there, became little else than a morass long before the end. Yet the game was as good to watch as any we have seen on the ground this season.;”>
Both sets of players rose above the conditions. They made many mistakes often raised roars of laughter by their involuntary antics and slips, but they played as good football as any sets of players could under such conditions and held the interest of the small crowd throughout.
Mansfield had a different left wing to that which played at Mexborough. Hempstock and Jones replacing Flint and Kennie. Denaby had to put Brayshaw at right-half, Illingworth having been injured in the game against Wath, and bring into the forward line Bloxham, while Kilner played for Pearson at outside-right.
The game had two distinct phases. The first half was certainly Mansfield’s particularly during one spell near the middle, when the forwards were doing everything but score. During a period of less than fifteen minutes, the post of the goal Bromage was defending was hit three times, and the crossbar once by strong shots – and Bromage did a good deal of smart work too, with other shots. The shooting of Mansfield was a triumph over the conditions, at this stage. Towards the interval Denaby did some hard attacking for a few minutes, but on the play of the whole half. Mansfield well deserved the one goal lead they held at the interval. But in the second half, after a short spell of even play, Denaby played so well and with determination.