Lincolnshire Standard and Boston Guardian – Saturday 06 November 1948
Three Down in Fifteen Minutes
Wands off For 63 Minutes
Denaby United 5 Boston United 0
The wall of Denaby’s stand which has been condemned is sloping outwards for six Inches. The club has received permission to build a new one. The Miners have also bought their own ’bus, and a volunteer driver takes the first team and Reserves away matches on alternate weeks.
Wands was taken off the field at Denaby on Saturday after 27 minutes had elapsed. But that was not the reason for Boston’s 5-0 defeat, for the damage had already been done.. The Miners, who were without Williams, their star back (18-years, old Larven deputised for him), had scored three goals within the first 15 minutes.
Alec was taken to hospital, and took no further part in the match. But after he came off until the end Denaby scored only twice more. Wands’ injury was sustained soon after the start, when headed the ball, which was hard and heavy. He gradually became worse, and Long finally called the referee’s attention to him.
The official stopped the game and Alec, who was staggering about like a drunken man, had to be assisted to the touch-line.
Here he had a complete blackout and, as previously stated, was at once taken to hospital He was allowed to return home with the team but was very groggy.
Denaby were and hungry for goals, their stock being low with their supporters, quite a number whom before the match offered me 5 to 4 £’s that Boston would win, and I could also have the draw.
How wrong they were, and what wealth I let slip through my fingers!
Denaby were no better footballers than the United. But their victory was due to the fact that they played as a team, white our men relied on individualism.
Had there more cohesion Boston, I am convinced they would, even with ten men, have at least reduced that opening deficit three goals.
Play had been in progress only two minutes when the first blow fell. Darwin delayed clearing and was finally forced try pass back to Bayne to get ball up-field. But sliced the ball, and it went to the feet of the unmarked Oxborough, who crashed home a low drive.
Shortly after Wands headed clear, and it that is when his injury incurred, and it will probably have been better had he left the field then for attention it is possible he might have been able to resume later.
However he carried on and in the sixth minute Oxborough beat him as he appeared to be swaying, and headed the ball into the net.
In the 15th minute, Bayne was coming out for the ball when Alec shouted “Right, Jim.” But, for what was then an unknown reason our pivot suddenly stopped
Schofield flashed past him, lobbed the Baines head, nipped round the keeper and netted the ball.
Long, who had realised the danger, made a gallant attempt to save the situation but the distance he had to cover was too great, and he charged Schofield a fraction of a second too late to prevent him from scoring.
It was then that Jack noticed something was wrong with Wands but, in response the Jack’s Query, Alec said he was all right.
However, It soon became evident to everyone that the centre-half was groggy and he was taken off and Houghton went half-back, Darwin became pivot, and Copley back.
Denaby were now on top of the world, and the visitors were seldom over the halfway line.
Boston had a lucky escape when Bayne came out, was beaten and Copley came from nowhere to kick the ball off the goal-line as it was passing between the uprights.
The fourth goal came when 46 minutes had elapsed, the referee apparently adding time. It was Hinchliffe who scored from close range. It was another minute and ½ before the half-time whistle went.
On resumption Boston concentrated on defence and seldom looked like reducing the arrears.
In fact I am not exaggerating when I state that come with one exception, the Denaby keeper had not a real shot to save. It was a terrific crack on the target. Cowley leaping sideways to punch It clear with both hands.
At the other end Bayne tipped over the bar a fast drive from Oxborough, and a few minute, the same player booted high over from about four yards range.
On another occasion, a Denaby forward smacked the ball wide of the target when three of his colleagues stood waiting to tap a pass into the net.
The last goal came from Dickens, who slammed home a low pass across the goal three minutes from time.
The ball was netted again immediately afterward but the referee gave offside palpably wrong decision, in opinion, because the “goal” was scored from a back pass.