Denaby Utd – Denaby 3 Notts Co Res 1 – Take it in their Stride

September 1947

South Yorkshire Times September 27, 1947

Denaby Take It In Their Stride

Denaby United 3 Notts County Reserve 1

in winning this rousing game at Tickhill Square on Monday night, Denaby United regain something of the form which won three of their first four Midland league matches.

Their points were even more worthily one of  weighed against the strength of the County side (including Houghton, on the left-wing, former Villa and international star) and the terrific disadvantage of the first half rain and gale. Was it fancy that the wind subsided after the interval? I don’t think so; and certainly the driving rain had ceased.

County scored in the first five minutes, Beresford hooking in a shot over his shoulder – a shot from a crowd which the young Cowley no margin. This Sheffielder was playing his first match in goal for Denaby, and he gave a grand exhibition of vigilant anticipation. It seemed inevitable that County’s fast-moving line, backed by a surefooted halfback line, would pile up an overwhelming lead with the gale behind them, but as the half progressed the Denaby defence settled the fête with amazing confidence, and by half-time, with Wright off injured, Denaby were all over the County goalmouth. It was an amazing reversal of the expected.

In the first minute of the second half Stratton missed a wonderful opportunity of scoring and the equaliser, scored by Wright, was delayed until the 20th minute of this half, when he followed up a long clearance by Jack Williams – yet 10 other Williams made goal, the opportunistic variety we have seen much of the season. Five minutes later the game was virtually won by a Killourhy penalty – one of the most curious there has been at Denaby. Play was over near the corner, and we were following it there when the whistle went and we saw the referee pointed to the penalty spot. Killourghy scored another of his delightfully “simple” goals, and in the 30th minute got the best of the match, a sizzling volley from a ball pushed through by Osborne.

Wright’s injured leg obviously troubled him in the second half . Strachan was injured and Williams leg also gave him trouble, difficulties the surmounting of which laid even more emphasis on a fine performance. Denaby won by sheer determination in which the defence played a first rate game and Killourghy was always the general in attack. Windle was lively and consistently painstaking as ever. And Mosley showed many flashes of his best.