Mexborough and Swinton Times October 23, 1896
Hoyland Rock 5 Conisborough 3
The match between Hoyland Rock and Conisborough at the former place will certainly not the best that has been seen on that ground this year, in fact, I don’t remember seeing a worse.
The visitors were an hour late, which server did not assist to put the waiting spectators in the best of humour, and playing in low shoes, as some of the visitors did, is a little bit off, and savours more of cycling and lawn tennis than football.
The visitors won the toss, and to make up for lost time went away determined to pull up trees, and shortly after the start scored.
The homesters then pulled up their socks a bit, evidently with the intention of showing they didn’t relish the rate of progress, and before half-time put on three goals, their opponents being about played out.
After the restart I imagine the Rock were poking fun at their opponents, believing they had gauged their merits but, however, they could not score, the Conisborough backs playing better now than at any part of the game.
Another change came over the scene, and the visitors pressed and added two goals making things equal, but from this point it was all one-sided, I was in the last 10 minutes the homesters added two more goals, one from a corner beautiful centre by Gibbs and rushed through by Hague’s, and the other from a splendid effort by Giggs.
The final score 5 to 3 does not fairly represent the comparative merits of the opposing team; as the visitors were outplayed at every point of the game. Singletons there left off alone playing a clinking game, is kicking and tackling been executed with sound judgement. Of the others the least said the better.