Mexborough South Yorkshire Times April 16, 1955
Denaby Reserves accomplish their ambition
That near 4000 “Gate” at Hamden Road on Monday morning must have been a very gratifying site for Mexborough F.A.officials. All roads, it seemed, led to Mexborough, and latecomers were still streaming in as Denaby United reserves and Bowbroom W.M.C. kicked off in this year’s Montagu cup final.
Denaby accomplished the first half of their double ambition this season by winning 2-0 with second-half goals by Austin and Davies, but it will by no means go down in the records as a “classic” final.
Judging by our experience in past Easters it was a glorious morning – entirely conducive to a £190 “gate” – but the game was spoiled somewhat by two factors, a difficult breeze which work diagonally downfield the direction of College Road, and the bumpiness of the ground.
Neither Bowbroom in the first half, nor Denaby reserves in the second, made anything like full use of the jet propulsion available to them in this breeze.
The First Half
In the eighth minute a Bowbroom shot went a foot wide of the post. After 12 minutes of prodigious kick by Cooper which goalkeeper Sharp had to hold, then four minutes later of the most dangerous spells of Bowbroom attack in this half, the admirable Grey clearing a very ticklish situation when Hallam seemed likely to score.
After 26 minutes Roberts had a long shot, then (for Bowbroom) Linacre. Prior tried a long shot, then in the 34th minute Bowbroom were awarded a freekick just outside the penalty area when Goldthorpe, apparently, handled the ball. Hoyland took it and shot wide of the Denaby post. Whitehead put a ball over Denaby crossbar, Hoyland missed with a header, and three minutes before half-time Womack forced a corner and the Bowbroom goalkeeper had to concede a second corner in the ensuing struggle. This was cleared and the last shot before half-time was a long attempt by Gray.
Bowbroom had two corners in this half, Denaby two, and it had been a reasonably even struggle, Denaby shown perhaps a slight edge in designed attacks.
… And the second
Bowbroom came back revitalised and it was apparent very early that if centre forward Ardron were not watch very carefully, the Club had a matchwinner. He put in a beautiful shot in the first few minutes and just when it seemed that Denaby were going to have plenty on their plate the United swung the ball down the left flank and across the Bowbroom goal it zigzagged, out from Davies to the waiting Austin. In the 50th minute right-winger smacked it hard against the crossbar and it swept down into the net for Denaby’s first goal.
In the 54th minute Rimmington saved a shot from Senior at the expense of a corner (Bowbroom forced four this half to Denaby’s one.) In the 65th minute Ardron was nearly there following a second corner, two minutes later the Bowbroom goal went near to falling again. Following a freekick Austin swept the ball across the goalmouth – and away it went to safety with no one there to touch it in. In the 69th minute the Denaby defence failed to clear a Bowbroom raid and Hallam went wide. A minute later Howard had a shot held and Pryor put the ball over the Bowbroom bar.
In the 77th minute Womack tried a long shot, and in the 78th minute reward came when Austin again” collector” and logged in a most beautifully judged ball for Davies to head it home. And Denaby were two up.
Bowbroom battled hard, but from then to the end they never seem likely to score the three goals they needed to win.
Austin, Pryor and Womack took the eye the Denaby forward line. Cooper and Gray played very soundly and Roberts and Goldthorpe worked extremely hard, but Denaby’s man of the match was centre half Gray. He had an excellent game.
The cup was presented by Mr E.J.Griffith, M.B.E.
Some of the near 4,000 crowd
Ardron, Bowbroom Centre Forward, smack a ball past the post as Rimminton, Denaby goalkeeper leaps to his left
Roberts, Denaby skipper takes the Montagu Cup from Mr Griffith, with his team mates in close attendance