Mexborough & Swinton Times – January 12
Drama At Denaby
A Wonderful Recovery
Hull on a Sleeping Volcano
Denaby United 4, Hull City Res 3
Denaby United, on Saturday, were in the position of the corpse that got up and biffed the undertaker. The game was three-quarters through before they showed any sign of life. At that stage they were two goals behind and were down and out, as flabby as tripe. Then they got a goal, but Hull promptly knocked them back with one as good, and everybody then expected them to give up the ghost decently and in order.
But they rose in all their might and hammered at the Hull citadel until it shook, tottered, swayed, and fell. A team that looked like giving Denaby the biggest hiding it has known since it was Denaby, retired beaten by the odd goal in seven. Twenty minutes from time Denaby were three goals short of victory, and they got them with half a minute to spare
It was a most dramatic feat and for those who were more interested in psychology than in football it was worth the entrance money to see delight and surprise chase gloom and disgust from the faces of the spectators. There were only a thousand of them. They were a privileged few. Not often will a “fan” get as much excitement as there was at Denaby on Saturday for ninepence.
It all happened too suddenly for shouting. At 3.48 Hull City were leading 2-0, and were feeling slightly bored. At 3.53 the score was 3-2 in Hull´s favour, and before the clock struck Denaby were level and Hull, so far from being bored were being boarded. Hull got a goal from their last look at Bromage, that was twenty minutes from the end. That never came near him again, and in the meantime Bell was beaten three times and was `breezed´ a dozen.
In this match we saw Denaby at their worst and their best. Nothing could have been more painful and depressing than their first-half show. They played like a slack drum. Facing a light breeze and a glaring sun they stumbled and blundered in the most curious way and they made Hull look like a class side. The visitors provided all the entertainment, including a clever goal which went to the account of Havelock though it was 90 per cent. The work of Robson, the left winger, who hooked in a ball that seemed certain to beat him into touch. He lofted it and while Winfield was thinking what to do Havelock killed it and had it past Bromage with a left-foot drive.
This was after five minutes play and though Hull had much the best of the remainder of the half Denaby had opportunities enough, many of them provided by Jackson, the new outside left from Reresby Arms, a lad of very great promise indeed. I do not recall any local youngster who has made so convincing a debut in Midland League football. His work on the wing was in brilliant contrast with that of his more experienced colleagues in the middle. While Picknett, on the right wing, was dead “off,”
he and Hamilton were obviously miscast, and it was not until they were transposed, midway in the second half that the Denaby attack took any shape or form at all.
Hamilton´s pace and Picknett´s quickness (two different things) were quite wasted in the original formation. Shaw looked after the youngster well, but neither he nor Godfrey could do anything on their own account. Joby missed an open goal and once just before the interval Shaw had hard luck with a shot that beat Bell and hit the post. Bromage covered himself with glory in dealing with two great raids-one came from Walker and the other from Smith. He came out and foiled them both single-handed, showing admirable judgment and anticipation. On another occasion Walker burst through and this time only luck saved Denaby. In avoiding the eager little goalkeeper, Walker got a little too high and crashed against the cross-bar for Dick Coope to clear with a standing punt.
All the spice was in the second half, but the game was 70 minutes sped before we came to it. Hull were through again five minutes after the interval and HAVELOCK was again the scorer, this time from a corner, the ball coming slick to him. He was unmarked and had nothing to do but punch it home. Jackson, who was playing consistently well all through these dismal proceedings was at last rewarded by seeing one of his numerous centres turned to account. It was a grand bit of work that led to Denaby´s first goal. Winfield sent Jackson on ahead, and the lad ran like a stag, leaving Garrett standing and rounding Lodge sweetly, to put across a lovely low centre which PICKNETT could hardly have missed of malice prepense. At any rate he didn´t and Denaby began to get a grip of the game at last. Godfrey roused himself and come dribbling through at express speed but Adey nicked the ball delicately off his toe and slung it back HAVELOCK fastened on it, and was away like the wind with Coope, Kennedy, and Chambers at his heels. Bromage rushed out and lunged at the ball only to cannon it hard against Havelock who re-gathered it and shot into an empty net
But Denaby were really roused now. Havelock´s hat-trick was the last thing that Hull had to smile about. Within a minute DICK SHAW had reduced the deficit with a well planted drive through a crowd of players and five minutes later in precisely similar circumstances he had pulled Denaby level. Now came the tug-of-war and the Hull defence, which had been so firm and solid in the earlier stages, crumbled ignominiously under five minutes of the real Denaby storm troopers. Adey struggled gallantly to rally the garrison, but it was no good. They were over run again and again. Bell did some startling things amid all this shot and shell, and kept the flag up almost to the end. But at last, with no more than a minute to go, one of the numerous corners forced by Denaby gave HILL his opportunity. He drew a bead on the goal from fifteen yards out and put enough power into the shot to beat Bell, who dived madly across the goalmouth for it.
It was a wonderful victory-nobly won. The Denaby attack quite redeemed itself in the last twenty minutes. Jackson played a grand game and it looks as if the Denaby club have struck another bit of luck here, Hamilton and Picknett were a most formidable wing in their natural formation, and most feeble before that. Shaw and Godfrey made up for a lot of clumsy and slipshod work earlier on. The halves were good throughout-particularly Kennedy and Hill. Coope and Winfield were not up to par, but little Bromage was a wonder, even though he showed poor judgment in dealing with Havelock’s breakaway. Although Havelock distinguished himself with a hat-trick, his near colleagues, Smith and Walker, were the better forwards, and the whole line, until the team came unstuck, gave a striking display. The halves also were good, with Adey the sturdiest and staunchest. The backs were impressive until the storm broke over their heads and then they foundered. Bell in goal made a brave show and weathered a howling tempest before he was finally beaten a few seconds short of safety.