Mexborough and Swinton Times, October 1
Denaby Triumph
Bitter Pill for Mexborough
Tragedy of Wasted Chances
Mexborough 1 Denaby United 2
Mexborough and Denaby United have had an early opportunity of sampling each other. Mexborough were humiliated on their own ground before a splendid crowd – over 5000 strong, and after having had every chance to win had to retire beaten 2-1 (a score which keeps cropping up in their career was sinister persistent), while Denaby went on their English Cup way rejoicing.
There are plenty of regret, but no excuses, for Mexborough´s failure and consequent early dismissal from this lucrative competition.
Denaby were recognised the danger from the first, lattice, before the match was played, and the Mexborough partisans quite foresaw the strong possibility of defeat. But they did not expect to see Mexborough got on top and then lose through sheer paralytic inability to hold out their hand and grasp the victory.
They opened in fine confidence, and all the vigour, and bustle that such a match call for. Even that steady, stalwart pair of backs, Coope and Dawson, were not proof against some of the earlier rushes, and things shape for a quick Mexborough goal almost all the kick-off. It came after 15 min play, Boffey being outnumbered. Waterfield carried the trouble plonk in front of the Denaby goal, and Boffey gallantly stopped Armitage´s point-blank shot, but he brought him down, and before he could get a grip of the ball COX pushed a foot over the line. To prevent all disputes, Walker, sailed up and booted it hard into the rigging. From that point, Mexborough seemed to be on velvet. The side were working well together, and for quite half an hour. The Denaby forwards could do little more than reinforce their harassed halfback line.
Then came Denaby’s equaliser, the best individual efforts of the match. WILSON, the Denaby left-winger, beat Matt Taylor in a sharp, fierce scuffle near the touchline, and before the surprised defenders could recover, he had coolly dribbled in and beaten Barker with a powerful drive at 10 yards range. It was a glorious bit of work, though if the Mexborough defence had been more alert, it should have been stopped.
The deciding goal came 8 min from time, from the only corner Denaby obtained in the whole match. Wilson placed it and MCGUIRE took it on the back of his head, transferring its sweetly into the net over half a dozen bobbing heads.
10 min before this goal, and to make afterwards, Mexborough, miraculously avoided scoring. A penalty was given against Coope in the corner of the penalty area, for tripping Waterfield. Harry Walker took it and shot on the ground straight at Boffey, who cleared with the help of Dawson. They went on for a second or two, and then the players again gathered round the fateful “spot” the Denaby men gesticulating and protesting. It was seen that the referee had ordered the key to be retaken, and the Denaby supporters, with a sort of despairing sends that fate was against them, watched with gloomy stillness as Walker once more got ready to deal with Boffey. The next moment there was a wild yellow and black yell of exultation, as the Mexborough, “crack” screwed the ball a yard wide of the post.
Mexborough, never looked up after that and McGuire goals seem to come as a logical consequence. The game was fought out at a fluctuating pace, and with great bustle, but there were few mishaps. Early in the second half “Rob” Hill and Joe McGuire collided with an impact that would have put anybody else in hospital. I was writing a jiffy, but Rob had to go off for a minute until he could tell one end of the field from the other.
The crowd was the largest I ever recollect seeing at a Mexborough match. It was well all the 5000 strong, and everybody had a comfortable view. The “gate ” receipts, £252 constituted a record for the Mexborough ground.
Teams:
Mexborough: Barker; Taylor and Glover; Hill, Parry and Saxton; Cox, Reed, Armitage, Walker and Waterfield.
Denaby United: Boffey; Coope and Dawson; Ashton, Froggatt, McGuire; Hill, Burkinshaw, Ballance, Brayshaw and Wilson.
Referee: Mr Roberts, Barnsley