Mexborough & Swinton Times, February 9, 1907

Denaby United Monopolise play.
Sheffield Wednesday Reserve Monopolise points.

Denaby United 1  Sheffield Wednesday Reserve 2

The air was beautifully crisp and clear, and though the ground was still frost bound and whitened by the rigours of winter, the moderate attendance of spectators which gathered on the Denaby ground on Saturday watched the game with Sheffield Wednesday Reserve in perfect comfort.

A feature of the encounter was the thorough reshuffling which the constitution of the colliery 11 had undergone. And as a result of which the spectators were enabled to witness the veteran Welch in a new role – that of forward – a spectacle which had all the charm of novelty.

The teams were –

Denaby United. – Hancock, goal; Wilcock and Westwood, backs: Tomkins, Lees and Harrop, halfbacks; Dyal, Hayley, Hopkinson, Welch, and Heppinstall forwards.

Sheffield Wednesday. Crimson, goal; Slavin and Holbein, backs; Chapman, Lloyds, and Proud, halfbacks; Reynolds; Malloch, Tellum Rawlinson, and Tasker, forwards.

The Wednesday men early assumed the aggressive, and the renowned Chapman provided a world of trouble for the recruit, Wilcock, who, however, with a series of very neat touches, eventually got rid of the ubiquitous little halfback, and transferred play to their other end, where, as the result of fine play on the home left, Crimson’s charge narrowly escaping downfall.

The Owlertonians returned however, and during the course of one attack Malloch, with a surprise shot, from a distance of 35 yards, completely beat Hancock, who fell to the ground in the attempt to save.

The ground was in cast-iron condition, and it was evident that the players were severely handicapped by the circumstance. Still, the Denaby forwards kept their feel well, and were fairly deadly in front of goal.

Tomkins was very near on several occasions, and Welch’s work on the left was surprisingly good, the old stager causing Crimson endless trouble.

Play ruled for the most part in the Sheffield half, and both Hepinstall and Welsh distinguished themselves with clever bouts of passing. Slavin, however, was very safe, and their manoeuvring rarely troubled Crimson.

Chapman was the great man of the Wednesday side, and had not Harrop been in superlative form he would undoubtedly have been dangerous. The ex-Wednesday man was also responsible for the complete inactivity of Reynolds. Indeed, the blackhaired genius was a thorough success, and scored of his former colleagues time after time. Dyal at this point was inside to Hayley, but it was evident he was scarcely happy in his new position.

The Sheffielders began to assort themselves, and Reynolds was very near with a powerful shot which hit the side of the net.

The Denaby men returned, and a roar of disappointment went up as Welch missed an apparently easy chance of opening his side’s account.