Mexborough & Swinton Times – Saturday 05 January 1924
New Year At Hampden Road
Denaby Break Loose
Third Triumph Over Mexborough
Mexborough 1, Denaby United 4.
Denaby United conquered Mexborough on New Year’s Day for the third time this season, and for the second time they were entirely the better and stronger side. There was very little in it when they dismissed Mexborough in the cup, and in the League meeting on Christmas Day they got the points, but had to yield the honours. Little form was left to dispute or argue on Tuesday, however. Mexborough were but a shadow of the side which gave Denaby a gruelling game on Christmas Day, while Denaby played with a snap and sparkle that was at times thrilling to behold. The game was interesting and exciting, with a dull patch here and there, but it was not a good one in any way as the Christmas Day encounter. The season of goodwill being past, and the referee being weak, roughness and spite crept in and tended to lower the tone, as well as the quality, of the play.
The goals were the best part of the game. They were all very well got. Joe Godfrey was the outstanding performer of the match with a brilliant hat-trick, the last goal being surely one of the best ever scored on the Mexborough ground.
Mexborough, unfortunately, were without Roberts, absent with an injured knee, and as at Hull they missed their mainstay sorely. They were further weakened by an early injury to Rob Hill, who hobbled through the game, but was of little service, and the effect was to disorganise the Mexborough front line. Denaby again introduced Picknett to inside-right, but Hamilton changed places with him midway in the first half, and the change was effective.
The day was bright and pleasant, and though the ground was soft it was in excellent condition. The Denaby team found it very much to their liking, and both sides got up a hot pace on it. The game attracted over 5,000 spectators, most of them in the hope and expectation that Mexborough would be consoled for their bad luck of the previous week, but there was also a very strong Denaby contingent on the low side. The stand was well filled, and indeed the match represented a very good business for the Mexborough club, however disappointing the result.
Mexborough opened against both wind and slope, and were the first to be dangerous, Denaby surviving a sharp appeal for a penalty. The first goal came after twenty minutes’ play from a corner clumsily conceded by Kennedy. Bramley planted the kick beautifully, and Kay guided it through the ruck and well wide of Bromage.
Denaby were smartened and gingered by this reverse, and it was not long before they were on level terms. Dick Shaw beat Rob Hill in a scuffle on the touch line, and dashed forward to the goal line where the managed to screw the ball low into the middle, and GODFREY met it with a first-time drive which had Boulding blinded. Thereafter, Denaby’s rule began, and Mexborough’s opportunities were fleeting and shadowy. Rob Hill and Kay both gave away free-kicks from just outside the penalty area. It was from one of these that Denaby took the lead. KENNEDY planted the ball neatly into the net from twenty yards out.
Boulding, being apparently taken by surprise, could do nothing. Harry Walker, with a better lining on Kennedy’s intention, flung himself into the line of flight as Kennedy shot, but was an instant too late and in any case should have been penalised, as the manoeuvre had been successful.
Following this reverse, Hamilton rearranged the Denaby right wing, exchanging with Picknett, who was a good deal more comfortable in the centre berth. It was at this stage that Rob Hill developed knee trouble, and had to go off. He returned as quickly as possible to the hard-pressed Mexborough defence, but was too badly crocked to render effective aid. Exchanges thereafter were about even into the second half, ever rather rough, and there was some heavy charging all round, though for the most part it was the little men, Chambers, Rob Hill, Kay, and Hamilton, who threw their weight about. The Mexborough left wing was completely held up this half, Chambers and Kennedy throttling them very effectively.
Allen struggled hard, often solo, and was beaten by numbers in one big effort. Jack Armitage could make no headway at all, and his best-laid schemes went awry. He rarely reached Bramley with a practicable pass.
Mexborough hoped to do better with the wind, but it died away a lot before the interval. They started the second half with a re-arranged forward line. Armitage crossed over to inside-left, Rob Hill coming outside right, with Bramley inside, and Walker kept watch and ward over the Denaby left wing.
But this arrangement would not do at all. Alf Smelt weakened under the extra strain, and the vitality of Walker was missed from the front line. The re-arrangement was persisted in for a time, but Walker had to be sent up to the front line again, his time as inside partner to Bramley, and the immediate result was a dangerous attack on the Denaby goal, with the visiting defence kicking wildly for a moment or two. Walker almost burst through on his own, and though he was robbed at the foot of the post the ball was hastily cleared across the goalmouth where Watts picked it up.
Armitage had fallen in the scramble for it. Watts should have scored in the confusion, but he drove too low, and the shot was obstructed by prostrate Armitage, and was then got away. This was the crisis of the game, which might have taken another course but for this bit of rank bad luck. As it was, Mexborough never had another real chance of scoring, and Denaby went on to make themselves safe. Their third goal was quite a casual affair. Hamilton suddenly dashed forward, and before Glover had realised the danger the ball was pushed slowly forward into the middle where GODFREY, with a sudden spurt, caught it and beat Boulding with a shot neatly turned away from him into the corner.
The last goal was the pièce de résistance, and everybody on the ground was thrilled by it. Godfrey picked up a short pass in his own half from Cooper, dodged his way well up at the time and tackled the Denaby man instantly, but GODFREY was round him in a flash, and showing wonderful speed and ball control dribbled right into the penalty area with all the tack at his heels, his final shot giving Boulding no chance. It was a splendid goal, and put the corner-stone on a fine individual display.
The game was never of a very high standard, but it was exciting from start to finish, and the crowd had good value for their money. Mexborough, to some extent, were victims of circumstance. The absence of Roberts, and the crippling of Rob Hill, told heavily against them, but the brilliance of Godfrey counted still more. He and George Hill were the outstanding players, while Cecil Bramley was fairly watchful and checkmated, and Jack Armitage was finally held on both wings. Kennedy, Cooper, and Winfield all played very soundly.
Denaby’s left wing was good by Chambers. Bromage had a “walk-in” part compared with the role allotted to him on Christmas Day. On the Mexborough side, Walker and Allen were rare workers, and Watts was occasionally quite good. Kay was perhaps the most prominent of the three halves, even though his particular charge, Godfrey, did most of the damage. Alf Smelt was very quiet, but he was quite unable to hold his wing, especially after his covering half-back was crippled. Glover did not play his usual sound game, and Hamilton and Picknett had an interesting and agreeable afternoon. Boulding had a trying day, but was not quite as bad as last match results have indicated. Kennedy’s free-kicks, particularly, were dangerous.
Mexborough: Boulding; Smelt and Glover; Rob Hill, Kay and Sayers; Bramley, Armitage, W. Allen, Walker and Watts.
Denaby United: Bromage; Coope and Winfield; Chambers, Kennedy and C. Hill; Hamilton, Picknett, Godfrey, Shaw and Watts.