Mexborough & Swinton Times, April 8, 1932
Black’s Part in Denaby’s Fine Win
Denaby United 5 Hull City Reserves 2
Denaby have Played some of the best games on heavy grounds this season and the trying conditions which prevailed on Saturday did not greatly hamper them in beating Hull 5-2 at Tickhill Square.
The match was a personal triumph for Black, the young player Denaby secured from Jump Rovers early this year. He scored four goals, all of which were fine examples of opportunism and seemed quite at home in the mud in spite of his lack of inches.
Denaby’s experiment of playing Barrow, a half-back, at centre-forward, was not a great success for though Barrow distributed the ball fairly well he hardly had a shot at goal and the one really good chance which came his way was lost when he missed his kick. He did however, compel a certain amount of attention which gave Wraith and Black more scope and in this respect he played a definite part in Denaby’s victory.
Though Denaby had the advantage of the wind in the first half each side had scored once at the interval. Denaby’s goal came after 14 minutes when they were awarded a free kick just outside the penalty area. The Hull players lined up in front of their goal but only succeeded in obstructing their goalkeeper so that when MOUNTNEY lobbed the ball over their heads it struck under the crossbar and spun into the net. Denaby ought to have scored before this, and Black might have given them a bigger lead a little later but shot against the crossbar. Just before the interval Hull drew level when a corner by Barley was badly covered by the Denaby defence and HAVELOCK kicked the ball past Brannan from a few yards out.
Play had been slightly in Denaby’s favour up to this point but the second half opened evenly. A quick move by Smith, however, gave Denaby the lead. The half-back swung the ball across the Hull goal and Barrow challenged Rogers strongly, allowing the ball to go to BLACK who scored with a first-time shot. Within two minutes BLACK had scored again, this time following a corner by Siddall, and BLACK completed his hat-trick before HAVELOCK got another goal for Hull. In the closing stages BLACK put the issue beyond a doubt.
At one period after Denaby had scored their third goal Hull threatened to take command of the game and Brannan did some fine work in keeping them out. On one occasion he was rather lucky to see a shot which lie allowed to slip through his legs hit the post and go outside. Mountney and Smith were the best Denaby halves but Green was a useful stopper in the middle. Thompson was the livelier of the backs, but Taylor covered him very well. Wraith was tireless in bringing the ball up for the other forwards and Siddall and Black made a dangerous wing. Guest was over inclined to beat his man and sometimes delayed his centres but did not let the side down. Hull were well served on the right by Barley and Havelock, but the backs found the home forwards just too quick for them.