Denaby Win the Montagu Cup – Final Tie at Mexborough – Denaby 3 Newhill 0

21 March 1902

Mexborough & Swinton Times – Friday 21 March 1902

Denaby Win the Montagu Cup.

Final Tie at Mexborough.

The Montagu Charity Cap, as most people expected has gone to Denaby United, and for at least twelve months the colliery club may be regarded as the champions of this competition.

The cup is valued at eighty-five, guineas, and is admittedly one of the most handsome football trophies in the United Kingdom. The holders last season were Doncaster Rovers, but they did not compete again this season.

The final tie was played on Saturday on the Mexborough ground, the competing teams being Denaby United and Newhill. The latter qualitied by beating Goldthorpe and Denaby got through at the expense of their neighbours at Conisboro’.

The weather was bright, but cold, and a boisterous wind interfered greatly with accurate play. The attendance was most gratifying, the “gate,” including tickets sold prior to the match, representing nearly £20. Of this sum over£11 was taken at the entrances, which fact is in itself a fair indication that for one day, at any rate, local public interest in football was on the increase.

The teams lined under Mr. J Fox, of Darnall, the referee, in the following order

Denaby: Hancock, goal; Lawley (capt.) and Dudhill, backs; Shaw. Chadfield, and Sheldrake, half backs; A. Whitehouse. J. Chapman, McNeil, Tim Roper and T. Hardy, forward..

Newhill: Rounds, goal ; Nightingale and OateS, bAcks; Shaw, Barker, and Carr (capt.), half backs; Houldsworth, B. Cooke, Lawton, E. Race. and A. Smith, forwards.

In the half Newhall kicked down the incline, with the wind and sun behind them. Hancock was at once called upon to save from Smith. The Denaby custodian was as cool as an iced lemon, and he soon had his charge out of danger. An attack by the whole of the Newhill forwards was next seen, but they failed to guage the carrying power of the strong wind behind them, with the result that the ball frequently went wide.

The Denaby halves on several occasions set their forwards going, and notwithstanding the odds against them the colliery men managed to make the play fairly even. A. Whitehouse got going on the right, but he was at fault at the finish, with an open goal before him and plenty of time, he kicked over the bar. At the other end Hancock twice saved beautifully from Cooke and Houldsworth, but after twenty minutes’ play the Denaby forwards had the Newhall goal in danger. A downfall was prevented more by good luck than good management. The wind was very troublesome to both sides, but the Newhill forwards seemed quite unable to keep the ball low.

As the play proceeded the superiority of Denaby became more pronounced and Bounds, the Newhill goalkeeper, was given some hot work to do, which, to his credit be it said, he accomplished in capital style. On the whole the play was even, Newhill failing to make the best of their advantage.

After the change of ends the issue of the game was not long left in doubt. Four minutes and a halfl front the interval T. Hardy opened the scoring for Denaby with a short, quick shot. Bounds being on the ground at the time. Assisted by the wind and their own superior strength, Denaby pressed, until, at the end of twenty-two minutes, Chadfield scored a second goal. A considerable number of corners were gained, but nothing was made from them. All the play was in front of the Newhill goal. Hancock, at the other end, being absolutely out of employment. The Newhall defence played gamely odds, but at the end of 32 minutes McNeil beat Bounds for the third time on behalf of Denaby. From now to the finish Denaby continued to press and once Tim Roper hit the bar with a lovely shot, but no further goals were recorded, and the game ended with the score:

Denaby United 3 goals Newhill  0 goal.