Mexborough & Swinton Times – Saturday 15 October 1910
Denaby United 2 Rotherham Town 1
Quite the biggest crowd of the Denaby season assembled on Saturday on the Denaby ground to watch the struggle with Rotherham Town for Midland League honours. Rotherham Town brought a fairly formidable following. That is what I like about the Rotherham spectators. They do stick to their respective clubs through thick and thin, “in sickness and in health,” so to speak. And are as ready cheer them on to victory away as on the home ground.
And in the first half of Saturday’s game the Rotherham rights had quite a lot to enthuse over. Elated and confident to the point of excess they gave Rotherham Town a rousing send off, and I am pleased to say a rattling good game resulted. The points went to Denaby, quite rather luckily said the Rotherham fought. The first half was Rotherham’s, the second, without doubt Denaby’s.
The only difference was that Denaby snatched two goals to Rotherham’s one.
Rotherham Start Well
Both teams were slightly reconstructed after Cup tie pressure, and turned out as follows, under the control of Mr Brindley, of Sheffield
Denaby United: Sheppard; Jackson, Gregory; Jack Westwood, Dyer, Joe Westwood,; Lang, Dyal, Jones, Fitton and Thackrah.
Rotherham Town – Micklethwaite; Noble, Smith; Burkinshaw, Shelton and Sherman; Pace, Wright, Waldon, Thompson and Hilton
I do not propose to deal with the game in detail. Life is too short. Rotherham Town and all the better of the opening exchanges, and Jackson and Gregory add early opportunities of displaying their sterling worth. Waldon, who won the county cup tie, served out the work with admirable judgement, and was soon evidenced to Denaby that a lot of the danger will come from the right-wing, where Pace, the ex-“Tiger,” several times at the heels and Gregory and Joe Westwood. He was finally saved to buy right, and his centres wanted a lot of clearing.
Denaby seem to be rather sluggish in getting going, and the leg stretcher they enjoyed against Allerton Bywater the previous Thursday did not appear to have done them the requisite amount of good. Smith and Noble set out at once to discourage Jones, the goalscorer of the Midland league and he was bustled a lot of the opening stages, so we had few opportunities of setting the line going. And Sherman, knowing “Teddy” Dyal of old, allowed the little inside right practically no elbow room.
A Lucky Let-off and a Goal
Once however, the Rotherham defence made a bad mistake, and ought to have paid for it. Between them Smith and Noble allowed Jones to dodge through, and just when everybody was getting ready to claim the opening score, the ball seemed to spin away from the Denaby centre, and he shot outside.
It was a lucky let off and Rotherham show their appreciation by running down and scoring. Again it was bad play on the part of the defence which led to the point being registered. Waldon had charge of the ball, and Jackson and Gregory in a moment of uncertainty, allowed him to pass to Thompson, who dashed in and scored without difficulty. After that Rotherham looked like getting more goals, and in one exciting passage Sheppard defended his goal brilliantly.
Pearce sent the ball across the goalmouth and both Thompson and Waldon had shots at goal from a couple of yards range. Shepard saving both and finally been relieved by offside against Wright. But it was exciting while it lasted, and a goal for Rotherham Town seemed almost inevitable.
Was it Off Side?
Naturally, great was a rejoice of the Clifton Laners when the Town came back with a goal lead, and the old Derbyshire – Irishman, was cheered Denaby onto victory in both fields of sport, was heavily chaffed. Denaby, however, as the upper and almost straight from the resumption, and played a capital combined game.
Jones was a working with more freedom, and banged the ball out to Laing repeatedly. The ex-Bramall Lane was in fair fettle and calls “Chicken” Sherman a lot of trouble. Denaby’s equalising goal brought a howl of protest from the Rotherhamites, and indeed it is not to say whether or not it was strictly legitimate.
The fact is that Dyal, challenge by Smith, pushed the ball forward and Jones, who was standing between the backs ran on, took the ball with his left foot, and put it well out of Micklethwaite’s reach. The accuracy of the decision could not well be judged from the stand. If the goal was offside, it was a very near thing; but Denaby were lucky to count the point. Denaby and the benefit of the doubt. The Rotherham players could not stomach the decision very well and the referee consulted a linesman before ordering the centre kick.
The Winner
Then came the goal which won Denaby the match, a screw shot into the far corner of the net. It was one of Jones specialities and he smashed Lang centre in ere the Rotherham defence realised the danger. There was no doubt about this goal; it was hall marked.
Jones so far as being a great man for Denaby. Only in one Midland League game has he failed to open Denaby score. Naturally, the referee began to get a little unpopular with the Rotherham section of the crowd, and he had to suspend the game for a minute or two in order to talk like a father to a few of them.
Without doubt feelings ran high and Jones on the one hand and Sherman on the other were pulled up four fowls, the former’s offence consisting of kicking at the ball, while Shelton lay on it and consequently kicking Shelton.
Towards the end of the game Hilton went away on his own, and was going nicely for goal when he was brought down, both legs, just outside the penalty area. At the other end Thackrah, who had been busy helping the halves since Denaby went ahead, broke away and setting a good centre, which Lang drove just in the wrong side of the post and play finished in Rotherham’s quarters.
Denaby had pulled the chestnuts out of the fire very prettily.