Mexborough & Swinton Times – Friday 14 April 1933

Midland League

Defensive Lapses  Lose Mexborough Home Points

Consistent Denaby

Denaby have proved themselves the most consistent of the local Midland League clubs this season and their performance at Gainsboro’ where they shared four goals on Saturday was an improvement on the results achieved by their neighbours, Mexboro’ and Wombwell, both of whom were defeated.

Defensive lapses marred an otherwise pleasing display by the Mexboro’ team, whose 3 – 1 defeat at the hands of Boston was quite a remarkable result in view of the run of play.

Doncaster took toll to the extent of 5-1 for the point they forfeited to Wombwell earlier In the season

Better Team Loses

Mexborough Town 1, Boston United 3

Mexboro’ lost an extraordinary game at Hampden Road on Saturday by playing too good football. Any misgivings before the match about the end-of-season, the heat, and the lowly positions of the teams, were dispelled very early.

Mexboro’ set a keen pace to which Boston tried to respond, but without success in the first half, which ran entirely Mexboro’s way. Working the lively ball cleverly on a “baked” surface they were a continual threat to the Boston defence. But threats were as for as they got. Boston soon fell back en masse on defence and thereby reduced the target, of course, to tiny proportions. The sort of thing happened that so often happens when play is one sided: the defending side had all the luck and the persistent attackers were sent empty away .

It was not till seven minutes after the interval that Mexboro’ got the goal tey had earned half a dozen times over in the first half. It was certainly one with a touch of “class” about it when it did come. Emith—a persistent and tricky little schemer made the original opening and Bolan slipped the ball up the middle for McMAHON, who cleverly got it under control and blazed the ball past Cook on the run.

Later Boston took bigger share of the play and weaknesses became apparent in the Mexboro’ defence. A cross-field pass gave veteran EARLE a chance and he slipped past Shepherd to shoot well into the far corner of the net from an angle. It was a well-got goal but dead against the balance of play up to that point.

But in the last 15 minutes Mexboro’ fell away completely and inside two minutes HALLIDAY and ELDINO shot two more for Boston.

Wilkinson, the Mexboro’ goalkeeper, was not blameless on either occasion, though. Halilday’s was a hot and well-placed shot. But the defence generally was not up to the standard of the attack and far below the standard of Boston, which stood the racket coolly and with judgment in the first half.

The positioning and cool kicking of Plummer and Blakey were Boston’s salvation. After the interval the dominating man was Tordoff, whose towering figure commanded the middle of the field and who transformed the game so effectively in its last stages. Another clever Boston player was Speight. the inside right. Mexboro’ were lively in attack in spite of the tact that the wingers were below par. and dominant at half-hack in the first half. Shepherd was the outstanding player before the interval, but afterwards proved himself surer in attack than defence. Still, he is a promising half. And Mexboro’ should have won anyway. For once it may, without prejudice be written: “The better team lost.”

Denaby Again Draw

Gainsborough Trinity 2 Denaby United 2

Denaby played their third consecutive draw at Gainsboro on Saturday, a somewhat curious sequence in view of the fact that prior to their home game with Notts. County a fortnight ago they had only drawn two matches this season. Fell, who checkmated nearly all Denaby’s attacks when the teams met at Tickhill Square, was replaced at centre-halt by Archer, a youth from Scunthorpe, who gave a grand display and scored a valuable equaliser for his side, but other changes in the Gainsboro’ team were not sufficiently effective to enable them to win.

GREEN, the former Denaby player, put his old club in arrears following clever manoeuvring by Halliday and Unwin in the first half and there was no further score before the interval, though Denaby made several praiseworthy efforts, Haggar and Siddall calling upon Mobbs with good shots.

In the second half Denaby attacked with great enthusiasm. A shot from Hagger just cleared the bar and King was prominent for his prompting of the forwards. Kell and Radford put up a stout defence which, however, was eventually broken down when FITZGERALD put Denaby on terms.

ADAMS put the visitors ahead and they looked set for a win but a grand yards shot by ARCHER saved a point.

The Old Failing

Doncaster Rovers Reserves 5  Wombwell 1

Though they took a point from Doncaster at Hough Lane, Wombwell hardly expected to do as well at Belle Vue and the 5 – 1 defeat inflicted upon them by Doncaster Rovers Reserves on Saturday was hardly a surprise result.

Wombwell showed their old weakness. For the greater part of the game they gave quite good account of themselves but midway through the second half they cracked badly and Doncaster added four goals to the point they had secured before the interval.

Kaye, the Wombwell goalkeeper, played a grand game even taking into account the often indifferent shooting of the Doncaster forwards and the little luck he enjoyed. Among many fine clearances he saved a penalty taken by Potter. The only goal scored in a rather scrappy first half was obtained by HARGREAVES who gave Doncaster the lead following a smart solo effort.

MARTIN (2), RENSHAW and YEARDLEY scored farther goals for the winners in the second half and NORTH replied for Wombwell, whose best forward was again Thackeray. Critchley, the former Goldthorpe player, played a consistant game for Doncaster, for whom Renhaw and Martin also did well.