Mexborough and Swinton Times November 11, 1938
Quick-Fire Goals
Almost Win Tickhill Square Battle
Denaby Well Worth Their Point
Denaby United 2 Gainsborough Trinity 2
Denaby’s feat at Tickhill Square on Saturday must have lent considerable encouragement to Frickley, Colliery for their Cup task at Gainsborough to-morrow: It was a grand game with give and take from both sides and with easing from neither. The balance of play was as clearly cut as crystal. For the first quarter Denaby hammered and stormed. Pattern weaving with purpose and precision found wide open spaces in the Gainsborough defence, and long before BETTS crashed home a rebound in the tenth minute Watson had hit the side of the Gainsborough net, Whitham had headed down a certain goal with Cook well out of the picture, and Betts had sent in a half and half volley—an attempt to control a path moving ball—that the Gainsborough goalkeeper just managed to reach.
Sweeping Attack
As though a machine had sprung suddenly to life, Gainsborough swept into attack. Out to Wilson, unmarked on the right, Hall swung the ball, and as quick as lightning wingman returned it, only for Williams to clear cleverly. A second later from the left, the ball shot over the bar like a meteor, and from the return, back it crashed into the side of the net.
This was a glimpse of great form, and, has might have been expected the equaliser resulted. But in its scoring even Gainsborough must have thought themselves fortunate. The ball was worked down the right wing, WILSON centred from, near the corner flag, and Dwyer plucked the ball out of the air. As he was about to clear he dropped it, totally unexpectedly, over the goal-line. Unhappily, it had knocked back his,middle finger.
The score was now 1-1. In the phase that followed, almost up to the Interval it seemed that yet again Denaby were to be foiled. But there was no further scoring, in spite of a defence’s apparent inability to clear the ball any long distance from their lines. There were narrow escapes in both goals. Once. Watson hit the bar with a gem again, Williams cleverly averted an almost certain goal at the Denaby end from Kirk. Then Wilson went through and fired. Dwyer covered with his knees.
Swift Tackling.
Gainsborough’s ascendancy was not to fade until later in the second half. Swift tackling by their wing halves successfully held this pattern weaving of the first half. Then the Denaby halves came further up-field into attack—and the run changed. In the 75th minute NEWMAN scored with the best shot of the afternoon,—a fast run’ drown the wing, a hard oblique shot, and the ball was crashing in under the right -hand corner of the bar. If was no more than deserved. But six minutes later the second equaliser was to be. DOWNES lobbed the ball, gently over Dwyer’s head — another totally unexpected goal. To the end was give and take, but Denaby supporters happy in the gaining of a point, will long remember that last-minute drive by Green that crashed on to the right upright with-Dwyer unsighted. Another six-inches and …………..
Fast Wingman.
Gainsborough possessed two brilliant Wing men— fast and sharpshooting. Their wing halves played well and their inside forwards had spells of good work. Williams had a good game for Denaby (in addition to saving a certain couple of goals) and the inside forwards were clever workers. Newman did well on the right wing. Altogether a pleasing wholehearted, display. Well worth a point.