Sheffield Daily Telegraph – Monday 10 April 1922
Midland League.
Scunthorpe Beat Their Lincolnshire Rivals.
Denaby Hold the Leaders
The Wednesday Res., who won 1-0, were rather fortunate to get away from Mansfield with both points. The Notts men had most of the game, but wasted many opportunities. Birch kept a fine goal for the winners, and Ramsbottom punched a heavy ball powerfully, The only goal of the match came a quarter of an hour from the end, when Hall beat Mellors. Mansfield were without Sheldon and Groves, who were injured on Thursday at Boston.
Barnsley Reserves and Wombwell played a drawn game of one all at Oakwell, where the weather and ground conditions made the contest a heavy tax on the stamina of the players. Wombwell were the better side in the first half and deserved their interval lead by virtue of a goal scored by Smelt. But the second half saw Barnsley much the superior, and. Kay equalised from a penalty. In the struggle for a decisive point Barnsley often went close, but the Wombwell defence held out. The players of both clubs did well considering the adverse circumstances.
Considering the wretched weather and around conditions at Doncaster, the football served up by Doncaster Rovers and Notts County Reserves was of splendid quality Doncaster Rovers were at full strength, Smithurst taking his place at outside-right for the first time for many weeks. Butler deputised for Reed at right-half. The Rovers were the first to score through Copley. On resuming, Boardman, receiving from Smithurst, beat the backs, and, drawing out Fisher, scored easily. The visitors were then seen to better advantage, and Henshall and Gough scored, the former following a free-kick. Copley, however, got the deciding goal for the Rovers after fine play by Smithurst. The home team deserved their narrow victory.
Scunthorpe Half-Back’s Mishap.
The match between the two Lincs rivals, Scunthorpe United and Gainsborough Trinity, at Scunthorpe, on Saturday, before the best gate of the season, hardly came up to expectation. Neither side was at full strength, and Scunthorpe had the misfortune to lose their centre-half, Duke with a fractured rib, 25 minutes after the interval. Whitham scored for Scunthorpe after ten minutes, and obtained the winning goal for them early in the second half. Reeve scored for Trinity from short range, although Wogin made a. great effort to prevent him. He partly stopped the ball, but it was too hot to hold. Scunthorpe missed many chances.
Grimsby Town Reserves playing at home the return match with Mexborough, amply atoned for the set-back of the previous Saturday, winning 4 – 2. The visitors were weakened by the absence of Harold Cope, their usual goalkeeper, but Barker, who deputised, ought to have saved at least two of the shots that beat him. At the interval the score read 2-1 in favour of Grimsby and in the second half the home team went further ahead one goal being from a penalty. Mexborough also scored from a penalty awarded in the last minute of the game. The scorers were :–Grimsby; Collier, Casson (2), and McEachrane(penalty). Mexborough : Walker and Waterfield (penalty).
Rain and snow interfered sadly with one of Wakefield City’s most attractive fixtures, Rotherham County Reserves being the visitors. Rotherham had a strong team, including Millership, at right back and, judging by the way they started with goals by Wallis and Shaw, they looked like piling up a big score. But Wakefield made a clever recovery, and their fine defence was one of the features of the game. The lead was reduced by a fine .goal by Morton, but Shaw added another for Rotherham.
Brown’s Goalkeeping Saves Worksop.
Rain cheated Denaby United of a good “gate,” but, by way of consolation, it brought them a point at the expense of the prospective champions. The Denaby men adapted their game to the pre- Nailing conditions more effectively than Worksop, and were generally on the top of the play. Much of it was unscientific enough, for the footing was treacherous, but the pace was fairly fast, and, on the run of the play, Denaby well deserved both points. But for Brown’s brilliance in Worksop’s goal, they would have had them, too. Wilson, Burkinshaw, and Hamilton were all rather unlucky in, having capital shots diverted, and Brayshaw’s goal, which came 30 minutes after the start, was the only one the Denaby forwards had placed to their credit. Lilley equalised four minutes later.
Before 2,500 people at Boston, Boston Town quite overplayed Rotherham Town and beat them 3-1. The home club led 1-0 at the interval, Parrish having scored from a pass by Davis. The same player got a second after the interval from a pass by Brockson, whilst Davis got the third. Moorhouse got the visitors’ only goal near the close. Ten minutes from the end, Craven, Boston’ right half-back, had his head injured and retired from the game.
Though Wath Athletic, at home, only beat Hull City Reserves 1 – 0, they were well worth a more decisive victory. Early on they assumed the upper hand and, although Hull improved towards the finish, maintained it to the end. In spite of the miserable conditions, some good foot’ hall was seen. When, however, it came to a question of scoring, the treacherous surface defeated the players tune after time. Wroe scored the, only goal of the match after about half an hour in the first half, heading cleverly over the head of Briggs, who had come out to save from Holt.