Mexborough & Swinton Times – Friday 07 April 1933
Leaders Lucky To Snatch a Point
Denaby United 2, Grimsby Town Res 2
The boisterous wind which had robbed Saturday’s game at Tickhill Square of most of its value as entertainment threatened to mar the attractive match with Grimsby on Monday, but after an exceptionally dull first half, as stirring a struggle as anyone could wish for developed and in the end the league leaders were rather fortunate to get away with a point.
With a gale blowing right down the field though they had it at their backs during the first half, were as much baffled by the conditions as their opponents. The was continually kicked out of play; often right out of the ground on the top side, neither team having much success in keeping it long in play in spite of endeavours to do so.
Apart from one or two long shots from Adams, Tweedy had very little to do, so well was be covered by Wright and Annables and with no score at the interval, it was expected that Grimsby would get goals at will with the wind hind them in the second half.
As a matter of tact they did score first in an unsatisfactory way shortly after the interval. WHATTAM securing the ball near the halfway line, took it forward a few yards and sent in a low hard shot which travelled along the ground through a bunch of players towards the bottom corner of the goal. Gale ran across and seemed to have it covered, but whether he was unsighted, or his judgment was at fault, he overran the ball and it struck his shins and rebounded off the post into the net.
This was enough to dishearten any team, especially against opponents of Grimsby’s calibre, but Denaby, who did much better against the gradually diminishing wind, enjoyed quite as much of the play as the league leaders. George Adams, who had taken over the centre-forward position from Walker after the interval, and played a grand game under conditions which are generally supposed by some people to reduce him to impotency, scored the equaliser five minutes after Grimsby’s goal. He owed the chance to Fitzgerald, who fitted in admirably after moving across to partner Siddall. The inside-right took the ball forward end, after tricking Annables, drew Wright and passed just as the back was about to tackle him. ADAMS smashed the ball past Tweedy with one of his left-foot “specials” which knocked the goalkeeper’s hand back.
The game had become extraordinarily interesting in view of the tame first half, and in spite of the increased pace Denaby more than held their own. A clever piece of manoeuvring between Walker and Hagger resulted in the winger giving ADAMS another splendid chance from which he gave Denaby the lead with a hard and deliberately placed cross-shot. When Siddall, who made up for an ineffective first half display by making numerous spirited runs after the interval, ran through and staved off an unceremonious tackle by Wright, his shot was only partially smothered by Tweedy and the ball swung into the empty goalmouth.
Adams, Walker and a Grimsby defender rushed in and Grimsby were indeed fortunate to see the centre-forward robbed of his hat-trick, his shot rebounding into play from the inside of an upright.
Finely backed up by Barrow, King and Smith the Denaby forwards made some purposeful attacks and the Grimsby defenders had a warm time though they were never really hemmed in, and five minutes from the end Dodds seized on a clearance, slipped the ball to Charlie Wilson and PONTING was given the chance to score his fiftieth Midland League goal this season, and one of the most useful he has obtained for his club. He had an easy task to beat Gale after getting clear of the backs who did not go after him. It was learned afterwards that he had quite impudently knocked the ball forward with his hand, but the infringement was not apparent from the Press box, and was probably similarly outside the referee’s line of vision.
Denaby certainly deserved their point but Grimsby must have felt much more than satisfied with theirs.