South Yorkshire Times February 20th 1965
Denaby Just Miss Point
Gainsborough Trinity 3, Denaby United 2
Against a Gainsborough side that never looked more than competent, Denaby United lost the magic formula that gave them their win against Skegness two weeks ago, and went down 3-2 in a closely fought, but disappointing match.
Disappointing because treacherous wind and bad, slanting light across the pitch made good football rare; disappointing because three minutes from the end Gainsborough scored their third goal, and a minute later Kelly pooped in what 61 seconds earlier would have been the equaliser.
It’s good to be able to say that Denaby are looking more like a normal football team nowadays, with little sign of the fantastic second half slumps which have so often brought defeat. Their performance at Gainsborough was much more consistent, and during the second half Denaby did all they could to increase their pressure, to sort out some kind of winning formula. They all but succeeded.
HARVEY INJURED
It was a 10th minute penalty goal by home side inside-left NICHOLSON which tipped the scales Gainsborough’s way. It was difficult to pick out the alleged handling offence the award was given for, and in the same confusion Harvey went down injured, was taken off, and later returned to limp through the match on the wing.
The Denaby forward line had its chances, with Kelly fighting harder at centre-forward than he has for many a match, but there was little cohesion, and with right-half Smart carried off and staying off until the second half after a 31st minute injury, the situation did not look very rosy.
Two minutes after half-time, KING blustered his way 15 yards with Denaby’s Smith at his heels to score Gainsborough’s second. Woodger almost replied for Denaby five minutes later with a fine shot, well saved by Burden, and it was Woodger who after 67 minutes centred high to the far post to put the cat among Gainsborough’s pigeons. Burden punched away . . . to KELLY, who scored point blank.
LIVELY FINISH
But as fate would have it, three minutes from the end NICHOLSON stuck out a hopeful foot to a corner from the left. He looked just about as surprised as Cooke, in Denaby’s goal, who, expecting a full blooded shot, was thrown off balance so that the ball somehow slipped through his arms. It was doubly unfortunate, for Cooke had made some superb saves and increases in confidence with every match.
A minute later KELLY foxed Burden to send home a Hayden pass, but it was too late.
Teams:-
Gainsborough: Burden 7, Green 6, Friel 7, Middleton 6, Parker 6, Hughes 6, Smith 7, Waite 6, King 7, Nicholson 8, Jones 7.
Denaby: Cooke 8, Harvey 6, Cox 6, Smart 7, Hinton 6, Woodger 7, Smith M. 6, Hayden 6, Kelly 7, Whittaker T. 7, Whittaker D. 6.
Referee: Mr. J.E. Harrison 6.