Denaby- Works Game was Very Mediocre.

Denaby United 3 Stocksbridge Works, 2

Three goals in a 14 minute first-half goal rush carried Denaby into the third qualifying round of the FA Cup. That sentence aptly sums up United’s cup tie meeting with Stocksbridge works at Tickhill square on Saturday, for although the Works tried hard for an equaliser, it was a very mediocre game,

Good movements were rare as snowdrops in June and apart from the record books and the statisticians, it will be a game which will easily be forgotten by the 950 spectators.

Most Denaby supporters will agree with me, I am sure that the Denaby selectors should drop the idea of experimenting with Ron Duggan on the right wing and Derek Holmes in the centre. Although Duggan scored two of their goals, these were when he had moved into the centre and taking opportunist chances which is centre forward instinct had led him to take.

Holmes never really looked at home in the middle but looked more settled in the closing stages when he and Duggan were backing their usual positions – right wing and centre forward. Although Duggan had several good runs on the wing, he lost his effectiveness there as a go getting goal scorer. The Stocksbridge defence was very shaky in the first half and it was hardly surprising when a Denaby goldrush resulted. Wild aimless kicking was the order of the day, but Denaby did not take advantage of the corner kicks they were “given” on serval occasions.

High-and wide

Probably the only player who will remember this game with regret it Stocksbridge inside left, Stan. Machent. In the closing stages right wing Turley took a peach of a corner. The ball went to Stan Machent in front of goal, but the Works inside left banged the ball high over the bar.

Collins, on the Works left wing was probably their most effective forward. Centre forward Atkin and right winger Turley had plenty of chances but were ineffective in front of goal.

Both sides time to settle and it was anybody’s game until the 30^th minute when Ron Duggan ran into the centre to head home a centre from Flynn. Five minutes later we saw the best goal of the game when Duggan ran onto a loose ball 12 yards out and put a cannonball Stocksbridge’s helpless keeper, Hoyle. A minute from the interval, with Denaby making the running. Holmes netted a centre, again from Flint.

It seemed that nothing short of a miracle could save the Stocksbridge side. But they fought back with tenancy and after Slynn (65 minutes) and Machent (80 minutes) had reduced their arrears, excitement rose among the spectators.

But there was no corresponding rise in the standards of football and the final whistle came with both sides engaged in mid field combat.