YorkMexborough and Swinton Times April 25, 1925
Denaby’s Great Win
York Outplayed
The Championship in Sight
Denaby United 6 York City 1
With a win necessary to keep them well in the fight for the North section championship, and York their most dangerous rivals, Denaby United gave of their best in the match with York city, at Denaby, on Saturday, and by a fine margin brought the honours almost within their grasp.
If they win their remaining two games – with Rotherham Town at home, and Frickley away – nobody can touch them. Even if they only get three points out of these two-day games, York must win each of the remaining four games and then score so many goals as to beat Denaby’s fine goal average. Should Denaby drop two points, yacht maybe, or Castleford, but the latter only on goal average, which is a very unlikely contingency from the present figure. For on Saturday Denaby not only to 2 points from your, but made their goals record interest-rate average of 2 to one, and any other club in the competition would have to perform remarkable feats even to equal this.
Saturday’s game was and eye opener to Denaby’s best friends. They have not played more effective football this season. The whole side played with delightful dash and with perfect understanding, from the kick-off there was never any doubt about the result yacht deserve sympathy for the unfortunate accident early in the game that broke Cleasby’s collarbone. This naturally, had some influence on the game, but it does not detract one lot from the credit of Denaby’s fine feat. They won a fine play, not on luck.
The Denaby attack was led by the returning Godfrey, transferred during the week from Mexborough back to his old club. His presence made all the difference to the forward line. Drew was also include again, and Vollans was given the outside left position. The team did not reveal a weak spot, and every man added to his reputation.
Having won the toss and Denaby set off from the kick-off, with the wind behind them, and your work pen in their own quarters practically continuously for 24 minutes, during which the defence did gallant thing. But such pressure could not be sustained for long, and the first breach occurred in the 24th minute, when a clever run and centre by Drew gave Godfrey the opportunity of “welcoming himself back” with a fine goal.
York pulled themselves together, and for 10 minutes or so they struggle gamely to shake off the dominance of the Denaby halves and get their own attack moving. But they seven minutes near the interval, three more goals were scored. Bussey put in the first of the trio after 37 minutes. Two minutes later Smith was well beaten by a succession of shops and Middlemass came to his aid fisting out a header from Godfrey. Windle took the penalty kick and easily scored. Four minutes later, and Pearson nipped through, tricking four opponents, and shooting well wide of Smith. As they retired at the interval four goals ahead, Denaby received an ovation – and deserved it!
They restarted with the same dash, but York fought desperately and sheer cleverness by Miller seconded by Brown, and splendidly backed up by Walker and Maskill, give the Denaby defence a little to do, and Bromage did some good work. Then Matt Taylor made his first mistake, and followed it with another. He deliberately handled the ball just outside the penalty area. Miller took the freekick, and Matt stood by Bromage in the goal. The ball was well aimed, and evidently Matt thought it was going just outside. But it went just inside and a few seconds passed before even the players realise that a goal being scored. Matt was looking for the ball behind the goal information it was a touch of humour in the game, and nobody really mind in this world deserve “console” for your, for the 10 men never relax their efforts, and played a lot of clever football.
But Denaby made no more blunders. Four minutes after York got their goal, Illingworth returned the balance with an extremely well directed header from a corner kick. 10 minutes after that Pearson again got clear and shot the sixth and last goal in this remarkable game.