Sheffield Daily Telegraph – Monday 25 October 1909
Denaby Defeat Rotherham Town
Denaby United 2 Rotherham Town 0
In a wind-swept game at Denaby, Rotherham Town had to admit defeat by two goals to none. This decisive margin did not by any means represent the run of the play, but it was the natural outcome of taken and missed opportunities, for, whilst Denaby got two beautiful goals through Glennon and Blackburn respectively, the latter’s in the teeth of the wind, Rotherham failed to break through a defence that was dogged to the “last ounce.”
The wind was factor too strong to allow of really good play, and in each half the side facing it was kept at full stretch the defence, relief coming only through occasional breakaways. Blackburn’s goal was another tribute to the deadly dash of Denaby’s crack goal scorer, and his normally high standard of play makes it increasingly evident that his proper sphere is English League football. Glennon, too, gave another fine display, while Thompson, like Micklethwaite, at the opposite end, gave an exhibition of goalkeeping that could hardly have been improved upon.
Yet, when all is said, the fact remains that it was Denaby’s “everlasting go” that pulled the villagers through. Rotherham certainly ought to have scored, save for the ill-fortune that attended two especially fine efforts.
But the Rotherham Town of this season is a long way below the class prominent at Clifton Lane for two years past. On Saturday they lacked good captaincy, when they had the exchanges in their hands, and their habit of keeping the ball in the air showed a want of adaptability that was fatal. There was plenty of excitement, but very little good football from either side throughout the match. Answerable for this was the trouble that gave the aviators so many days’ idleness last week