Denaby United 2 Rotherham County 0

Denaby United have no difficulty in annexing a further brace of point from Rotherham County, this time by two goals to none, so that the two meetings between the clubs have resulted in a couple wins for Denaby and a helpful goal average of 5 to 1.

The crowd at Denaby was not so large as was expected, but this was accounted for by the nasty climatic conditions, a shivering sort of fog hovering over the ground. The going too was heavy and the game though fairly passable in the first half, did not rise above mediocrity after the change of ends when Denaby, with a clear lead of two goals, were inclined to take matters easily.

The start was sensational enough, for the county brace up straight from the kick-off, and Rhodes got the ball into the net. Unfortunately for the visitors, Hill, who previously centred, was offside, and saw the point did not count. Denaby replied promptly and in their first rush also netted, but this time the goal was a perfectly legitimate one, Lavery crowning good work by his co-forwards with a shot which gave Fisher no chance.

From now right to the interval Denaby were a long way the better side, and it had it not been for the superb defence of Horton and Eaton, who tackled so thoroughly, and kicked such a fine length, the visitors would have been left ingloriously behind.

The Denaby forwards, well fed by the halfbacks, time and again swooped down on Fisher’s charge, which, in one sensational period, escaped narrowly a dozen times in as many minutes. The County forwards could not get going, and though Hill and Hall, the extreme wingers, occasionally served up good crosses, and Rhodes showed a dashing partiality for thrusting tactics, the line as a whole lacked unison and method, and in this respect contrasted poorly with a good combination exhibited by the home team, whose only fault seem to be a tendency to try and walk the ball through, instead of letting fly with capital opportunities presented themselves.

Denaby’s second goal came about 10 minutes of the interval, Lawley successfully negotiating a penalty kick.

The concluding moiety open with Rotherham County attacking hotly, and for some time Denaby had to play “second fiddle.” The visitors improved as the home team fell off, but failed to substantially utilise their ascendancy, the Denaby defence proving equal to all calls. Twice brought off

Hancock twice brought off

brilliant saves. Still no goals came, and then Denaby again asserted themselves strongly having the best of the exchanges to the end.

Lindley, Heppenstall, Doherty and Avery were all only just wide of the mark with good tries, and near the end Fisher had several warm handfuls to deal with.

Thanks however, to a clinking pair of backs, the County staved off further disaster, and with darkness coming on apace, no one was particularly sorry when the whistle went.