South Yorkshire Times, November 7.
Heartening for Denaby.
Heanor Town 1 Denaby United 1
without a doubt. Denaby’s best display of the season, and certainly one of the best games the Heanor supporters will see this season.
Apart from the point. There were several gratifying things about Denaby’s performance – Smith at last find in the form is capable of, the welcome return of Whitaker on the left-wing, the more than promising debut of wing half Wright, the solidness of the defence under pressure, Gant’s determined display his new position at centre forward, and the old team’s ability to play flat-out for the full 90 minutes.
This started stronger than for some time, Smith and Whitaker looking dangerous in the first couple of minutes, but with Heanor’s first attack there were still signs of the Denaby defence is bad habits of dropping back instead of going into the tackle.
“Stats” in form.
Stasiukiewicz did well to stop some of healers early shots and was so what should you leave when Turner cracked the ball high over the bar from the edge of the 6 yard area – and when Swann, with an open goal gaping in front of him, after round the goalkeeper, smacked his shot against the bar.
Swann must’ve thought the fates were against him when another of his drives rebound off the post in the 29th minute, but a minute later, Heanor had some consolation with a goal from Gray, an angled shot which found the roof of the net.
But it hadn’t been all one-way traffic, with Smith working non-stop to find a way through the scene defence for the rest of the Denaby forwards and Whitaker making use of the wide open spaces on the left wing, which Heanor had left for him.
It was Whitaker, from the second of two corners which Denaby forced in quick succession, who scored the equaliser in the 34th minute. Full-back Norris left the wingers flag kick for out, a surprised Ashmore, making a desperate grab at hit when his saw it was still in, and slipped helplessly as the ball cannoned off his chest into the net
One Handed Save.
Twice before half-time Denaby look likely to go ahead, both chances, from Gant – a shot which Ashmore stopped one-handed on the line and a header which he managed to push around the post.
Denaby came in for some heavy pressure at the start of the second half but the offside trap which they had used so effectively in the first of continue to work well.
Then, the Denaby attack took the initiative and was their turn to be unlucky in front of goal, Gant seeing yet another effort turned around the post by Ashmore, and space, after lobbing the ball of the goalkeeper, having to watch as he managed to turn round and stop it as it was bouncing towards a line.
It was a pity that Smith couldn’t round off this performance with a winning goal near the end, but with a chance there he shot over the top.
Despite that Smith’s performance and that of the rest of the team promised more than they have for some considerable time.
Team: Stasiukiewicz 7; Wroe 9, Foster 7; Wright 8, Taylor 7, Harvey 7; Stretton 7, Smith 8, Gant 7, Cox 7, Whittaker 7