Mexboro’ & Swinton Times – Friday 10 October 1930
Mexboro’ Through
An Effective Second Half Policy.
Mexborough Town 2 Denaby United 1
Mexboro’ deservedly won their replay with Denaby at Hampden Road yesterday, though only by a single goal margin. Denaby ware handicapped by an extensive re-shuttle due to injuries, which kept out, among others, Fisher, the outside-right. The combination that turned out was almost entirely an experimental one, except in the last lines of defence; and a further re-arrangement at the interval left the team still further struggling against the odds.
Mexboro’ aIso bad to make changes, the chief absentee being Bungay, who broke a bone in his shoulder last Saturday and will not be available for some weeks. The experiment was tried of playing Smith at centre-forward Rogerson was restored to the right wing, and Clifford Parker, the former Mexboro’ Schools player, was given a chance at outside-left.
The game was a fast one, with both sets of players a little too keen and eager to play anything like classy football. Denaby held their own in the first half, and indeed were the first to score—though it was a surprise goal that the finishing of their forwards had rot prepared anyone for. But after the interval Mexboro’ completely dominated the play and Denaby might have been beaten by more than a goal margin. Credit goes to their defence, but the Mexboro’ forwards were mainly responsible for the small score. Smith failed as a centre-forward, and never approached the form that made his debut with the club a notable one, when he first turned out at inside-right. He bustled and worked with a will, but for one thing he kept his feet badly, and for another he was never dangerous near goal, except on the one occasion when his shot led to the winner being scored.
His colleagues, too, failed to do anything exciting near goal and Wilson was again the best of the line with Denman a good second. But it was the halves that won Mexboro’ the match. They played splendidly, especially in the second half, and it was their constant pressure that kept Mexboro’ on the attack, rather than any brilliance in the front line. Lanceley and Davis played their best games for Mexboro’, and Dennis was at his most persistent and effective. The backs, too, did their work well, with Portman the stronger and surer kick, but Evans the more deadly in the tackle. Tye was not so sure as but be gave nothing away as it happened—though there were folk inclined to blame him for being out of position when Denaby’s one and only goal was scored. Gilchrist, the backs. Taylor and Ashen, and Brannan, were Denaby’s outstanding men. The forward line was unconvincing, though it started well, and moved briskly and threateningly at times. But Gilchrist alone showed real football skill, apart from Hargreaves’s occasional bursts and passes from a position in which he could not be expected to be at his best. Hughes was good in the first half, but like the other two halves could not hold Mexboro’ after the interval. Denaby were weak in the middle, and neither Vollans nor Taylor was happy after stopping hard-hit balls with their bodies at close range.
The game ran evenly and at a spanking pace in the first half, and for a time Denaby looked rather the more effective team. Mexboro took some time to settle down, and till they did Denaby made the ball do the work in the approved style, and covered a lot of ground with the minimum of exertion. Wit they never made themselves enough of a nuisance at close quarters and it was quite unexpected when HARGREAVES nodded in a free kick by Vollans after 18 minutes. Mexboro’ piled on sail then, and Denaby survived a bombardment before PARKER made good his debut by snatching an opening brought about by a right wing manoeuvre in 27 minutes. The play was again evenly distributed over the two halves of the field after that, but it was significant that Brannan did a good deal more handling of the hall than did Tye. Still, nothing very deadly in the shooting line turned up.
When the teams resumed Mexboro’ set to work in the manner of an organised body that has decided on a plan of campaign. That plan was first-time tackling and passing —learned from the Denaby backs, and initiated by Taylor, in the first half. It worked the better as Denaby lacked the combination which regular playing together in accustomed positions gives to a side. There were long spells of Mae entirely in the Denaby half, with the backs kicking desperately and during one of these, early in the half, came the deciding goal.
Smith received a forward pane and made his best burst and shot and the ball rebounded to ROGERSON, who also made a celebration, of his return to the side, by sweeping it into the net. After that Mexboro’ might have scored with comfort, had there been cool heads in the attack on two or three occasions. One or two Denaby breaks near the end looked ominous, but the final thrust was lacking, and the result, ultimately, represented pretty well the all-round powers of the teams on that day’s display.
The teams were:—
Mexboro’: Tye; Portman, Evans; Davis, Dennis, Lanceley; Wilson, Rogerson, Smith. Denman, Parker.
Denaby: Brannan; Taylor, Ashall; Hughes, Smith, Vollans; Hargreaves, Gilchrist, Mountney, Haywood, Skeels.
The “gate” was £64