Mr and Swindon Times December 4, 1936
Penalty Kick Started a Landslide
But Bradford Were Not Impressive
Denby United 3 Bradford Reserves 5
Denaby made a plucky flight on Saturday but they were beaten more by superior stamina than anything. It was an unusual game and shortly after the interval Denaby led 3-0. Then came a surprise in the form of a penalty, from which Bradford scored, and they then went on to rapidly outstrip the home team.
Both teams laboured under the disadvantage of a treacherous surface. The going was heavy going and not only did the players and the ball become covered with mud, but the footballing was unsteady, passes went astray, and players flitted around like ballet dancers.
Early rush
Denaby took the attack right away to the Bradford goal. Cotton, on the right thing, showed the better pace, and in a few minutes he had sent a fine shot crashing against the bar. In the opening stages, Denaby’s new attack, which included JT Smith and Grange, two ex-Sheffield Wednesday players, move smoothly at first. The effectiveness however was deceptive. Betts at centre forward, played a rugged dashing game, but a player of his type cannot get goals without adequate support from his inside men. His colleagues were too often guilty of laying too far back on the field. Clarke on the left-wing, showed enthusiasm, and a certain amount of promise, but, perhaps due to nervousness, he missed several good chances.
The strongman of the team was Ranskill, at centre half. He played the role of stopper to perfection and was seen all over the field. It was unfortunate late on in the first half that he received an injury to his head. He played on plucky, but he was obviously affected by it. Had it not been for this injury, it is probable that he would have prevented Doyle, the Bradford centre forward, from scoring the two vital goals.
Not Impressive
Bradford, the Midland League leaders, were not at all impressive throughout almost the whole of the game. Their defence was strong, sharp and Flowers outstanding, but their forwards, until they woke up late in the game, did not look as though they were league leaders. Happs and Newman repulsed their raids without great difficulty, and with Ranskill playing at his best, apart from a few isolated raids, the Bradford forwards were bottled up and corked in too!
Denaby’s error in the first half was leaving Cotton alone so much. He was obviously the master of his wing and if Smith had kept him better supplied with the ball, Denaby might have been able to take advantage of the Bradford defensive lapses, and get a convincing lead. As it was, Cotton converted one of the few chances he had into a goal about 35 minutes and there was no further score before the interval.
Good Start
Denby sat in grand fashion in the second half. JT Smith, the roving forward, proved that a rolling stone sometime does gather goals (the football equivalent of moss) when he appeared out of nowhere to connect a powerful drive to a loose ball and score.
Clarke, dashing in from the wing, scored the other Denaby goal of this half.
Then came the reversal for Denaby in the shape of a penalty awarded against them. Stabb took the kick and send a powerful low drive out of Winn’s reach. Within a minute Doyle, centre forward, snapped up two chances and Bradford were now level.
Bradford then forged ahead, chiefly because they stuck the pace. Scott, right winger, danced around the home defenders and shot the Denaby bolt with two good goals. Denaby tried pluckily but the game had gone too far for it to be pulled round.