Mexborough & Swinton Times – Friday 23 January 1903
Denaby v. Leicester Fosse Reserves
The weather of Saturday was a marked contrast to that of the previous Saturday, when many of the grounds in this district were sodden with water. On Saturday the majority of them resembled skating rinks instead of football fields. The surface of the field at Denaby was like glass, and many of the players at times received rather severe bumps, owing to the ground being in such a hard and frozen condition. Owing to the skating attractions in the district, it was not surprising to see such a small attendance of spectators.
The home team had undergone several changes, several of the Reserves being included, and right well did they perform. The visitors had a fairly strong team and an interesting game was expected, but again were the spectators disappointed. Denaby played a fairly good game whilst the play of the Leicester strikers was wretched. Many chances of scoring were missed by both teams, Westwood, especially, for Denaby, missing some lovely chances.
Denaby United: Tayles, goal; Shaw and Shelvoke, backs; Goodlad, Chadfield, and Dowson, half-backs; Lindley, Ryans, Roper, Walton, and Westwood, forwards.
Leicester: Wilson, goal; Whitehead and Mills, backs; Smith, E. Benskin, and Betts, half-backs; S. Benskin, Spriggs, Sharpe, Peers, and Staples, forwards.
The home team won the toss, and defended the colliery goal. In the first minute Ryans broke away and scored with a neat shot. Play ruled in midfield for a time, the backs of both teams having nothing to do. Accurate play was out of the question, owing to the frozen condition of the ground.
Subsequent play ruled in favour of the home team, although both sets of forwards missed easy chances of scoring. Half-time: Denaby 1, Leicester 0.
On resuming, Roper gave Westwood a capital chance of scoring, but that player shot miserably wide. A minute later Walton missed the goal when he had a splendid chance. The Denaby forwards swarmed round the visitors’ goal, but their efforts to score proved futile, Goodlad missing the post by inches. The visitors’ defence was severely taxed, and when the home team were awarded a free kick close in, it looked certain to fall, but it escaped in the luckiest possible fashion.
A few minutes afterwards Chadfield added another for Denaby, and after this the home team had the bulk of the play, Ryans again scoring.
Time arrived with the score:—Denaby, 3 goals; Leicester, 0 goal.