Mexborough & Swinton Times, April 18, 1908

Diligent Denaby
United Reserves Routed
The Championship In Sight.
A Famous Victory

Denaby United 2 Sheffield United Reserve 0

With so much depending upon the result, the match at Denaby on Saturday excited great interest and a crowd of somewhere over 3000 attended. A new recruit was Tufnell, who has been transferred from Glossop, he taking the centre position

Denaby United
Hancock; Marshall, Ramsden; Nimrod,  Kelly,  Hofton; Blackburn. T. Dyal, Tufnell, Speight, Ball

Sheffield United Reserve
Mellors; Smith, H. Johnson, Johnson, Booth, Parker; Robbins, Evans, p it, Moore, Brown

Sheffield Utd. Res.

Amidst loud cheering, the game commenced, Sheffield having won the toss, and chosen to kick from the Colliery end.

Denaby were the first to advance, and Hofton fed Speight nicely, and Smith came up to clear. Peart, with pretty footwork, found the home quarters, and Marshall earned applause for a neat robbery. Ramsden ‘was ‘also responsible for several neat clearance’s, and after the visitors had held the sway Dyal ’caused Mellors to fist away.

A duel between Nimrod and Brown ended in the former’s favour. He set Blackburn going nicely, but “Dido” ran the ball out. Tufnell was doing any .amount of good work, continually opening out the game with wing passes. From one of ‘these Blackburn centred dead in front for Mellors to field and punt ‘away.

Hofton gained possession, and he initiated a grand triangular movement which ended in, success. Dribbling the ball to find an opening, he fed a Speight to a nicety, and the latter, with one of his characteristic hooks, placed the ball to Ball, and from his centre Dyal scored with a neat header, after 20 minutes play.

Hereabouts Denaby were, very aggressive, the halves keeping the ball well in the Sheffielders’ quarters, but offside spoilt several Denaby advances. Moore was ‘going nicely when heavily charged .by Kelly, and the referee was, hooted for allowing a free kick, which Ramsden. cleared. ‘Blackburn then treated the crowd to a sprint up the line, leaving Johnson well in the rear, and his centre saw Tufnell just too late, but Speight, coming at full speed met the ball which went with terrific force against the cross-bar, possibly on the underneath side, but the referee turned a deaf ear to the appeal for a goal.

The Sheffield attack could not get going, Peart especially failing to keep his wings together, and himself doing little towards goal-getting, probably owing to Kelly’s persistent attentions. After Kelly had skimmed the bar from a free-kick, a pretty forward movement by the visitors was stopped by Nimrod, and when Peart was working for a position Kelly robbed him. Ball changed the venue, and Tuffnell tested Mellors with a long grounder. Denaby were having a little the best of matters, and several dangerous efforts found the visitors’ defence very sound, Smith especially receiving well-merited applause for his smartness. Although each end was visited, neither goalie was called into action. Once Ball shot wide after Speight had worked hard for the opening, and good work at the other ‘end on the part of Brown saw Robins force a corner, which proved fruitless. Blackburn came along nicely, and Johnson met his centre with the head, Mellors completing the clearance.

A similar effort found Smith in the way, and then the Sheffielders became exceedingly dangerous. but Peart was given offside. Mellors caught another centre from Blackburn, with Tufnell in attendance, and Parker gave away a. corner. The referee gave a goal-kick, and the crowd showed their disgust at his somewhat erratic decision.

Just after this, the interval arrived with the score: Denaby Utd. 1, United Res. 0.

Sheffield attacked hotly on, the re-start and a foul against the home men put their goal in jeopardy. Hancock cleared the danger, saving well from Evans, being again tested just, after by Moore.

Denaby defended strongly. Ramsden kicking like a horse, while Marshall was rather off colour, and a miskick by him nearly let Moore through, Hofton rushing across and relieving. Speight then changed the venue, and giving to Ball the latter ran into touch. Kelly checked a quick return, Evans failing to keep possession, after having cunningly worked his way into shooting range. The crowd at this point did not appreciate an offside decision by the referee against Denaby, and Tufnell no doubt would have scored had he not been pulled up.

An injury to Nimrod stopped title play, but he resumed without leaving the field. Blackburn, who had been practically starving received the ball and showed his willingness to be doing something by eluding Parker and Johnson, and centring for Ball to shoot badly. With both the Sheffield defenders kissing mother earth, Ball, in his eagerness, centred behind and a good chance was lost, for all the other forwards were waiting practically unattended, Parker alone waiting to defend. Kelley was shooting from long range hut failed to hit the mark, and a grounder was easily fielded. by Mellors.

The ball was then rushed from end to end, Dyal cawing Johnson trouble, with Smith laid out a cessation taking place. Mellors kicked away a slow shot from Speight, and Hancock at the other end gave away a corner from a cross shot by Evans.

The flag-kick was easily cleared, and midfield play between the halves was the order for a time.

The Sheffield forwards made spasmodic efforts to get through, but Peart spoiled many advances by his slowness.

On the other hand, when Denaby pressed danger was always prevalent, and Tufnell created a good impression with the crowd up by the manner in which he fed the wingmen. Once he was too slow to take advantage of a mis-kick by Johnson, and Mellors punted away. A series of throws-in followed, which ended in Blackburn coming out with a beautiful centre, which Tufnell collected neatly, and taking the ball to close quarters he easily beat Mellor’s, which put the home supporters on good terms with themselves, and a deafening roar rent the air.

This second success came after 25 minutes had gone, Blackburn shooting through. Sheffield were playing a forcing game, but the home defence were on their mettle, although once a, mix-up gave Parker an opening, but he shot wide. Speight finished a Denaby advance by shooting slowly, and a better effort by Dyal skimmed the bar. The visitors’ right made headway, and the nippy little Evans was going nicely, when fouled on the penalty line, Hancock clearing the free-kick. Just previous to this Robins had been put out of action by a severe kick from Hofton, which was no doubt accidental. Dyal was again conspicuous with a timely dash, and forced a futile corner. Sheffield then attacked with spirit, and forced a couple of corners. Hancock fisted away from the filet, and Booth shot wide from the second one. Ball was responsible for a couple of high shots, which Mellors caught and kicked away, while just on time Blackburn rushed the ball wide.

The end came with play in the visitor quarters.