Mexborough and Swinton Times March 4, 1927

Bad Finishing at Bramall Lane
Wilkinson (picture) holds Sam Powell

Wednesday 3  Mexborough 2

After being three goals down at Bramall Lane on Monday, Mexborough fought back so hard that they were finally beaten by a single goal only, and with better shooting would have easily drawn at least.

In fact judging merely on the chances offered, Mexborough might well have been the victorious side.

The conditions were almost as bad as on the previous occasion when Mexborough visited Sheffield to play a Wednesday side. Bramall Lane as a treacherous coating of greasy mud to begin with; the steady downfall during the game turn it almost into a bog. It made the test about as severe as could be set a partially trained team in opposition to a fully trained one. But Mexborough stood the test so well that the Wednesday were fortunate to keep them down to 2 goals in the closing 20 minutes.

Mexborough do not let themselves down on football. Consider the conditions the game was a remarkably good one except for one rather dull period towards the middle of the second half.

Wednesday had out a side stronger for Central League service and the teamwork was generally good. They should just the extra touch of finish in “killing” and distributed the ball that marks the player in first class training; but that was the only technical differences between the two sides.

The Mexborough forward played a lot of delightfully clever football much in advance of the form of recent Middle League games will stop but they failed badly when they approach the Wednesday penalty area. Their shooting was his rank is anything we have seen from them in the last two seasons.

There was 1 Glaringly Weak Pl in the side; at outside left. Hetherington failed utterly and rarely put a foot right during the afternoon.

This young player steady loss of form since the early days of the season indicates his urgent need of a rest and the club will be wise to find a deputy for him, at least for a few matches.

Storer’s inaccurate habit of holding back from a clash with a defendant nullified a lot of it really excellent football and speedy running.

These two points after B made injustice to the inside forward, to indicate that they had by no means an ideal service of centres from the winger; but they had a vast number of first rate openings for all that.

Mexborough’s luck was right out once in the first half when Bramley got past the goalkeeper, Mellors, only to see the ball – apparently of its own accord! – develop a “break” and curl itself round the wrong side of the post.