Sheffield Daily Telegraph – Monday 13 February 1922
Midland League.
Three Penalties in Game at Scunthorpe.
Worksop Take Lead Again.
Uninspiring Game at Wath.
The game at Wath was not very inspiring, though the Athletic fully deserved their 2-0 victory. A sticky surface and the too frequent adoption of off-side tactics spoilt the match. Lincoln had plenty of opportunities, but their finishing was very poor. The left triangle for Wath including a new player from Penistone, in Mellor, was very effective, and it was from this wing that both goals came, through Hargreaves and Wroe. Forbes was the visitors’mainstay in both defence and attack, with Lamming; the most dangerous forward.
The first visit of Wombwell to Castleford ended in their defeat by 1-0. Considering that they had to play a defensive game for a greater portion of the time, they did well to keep the score down to such a small margin. Apart from the goal scored by Roe just before the interval, Robins struck the upright and the crossbar, and Roe headed on to the crossbar, the ball appearing to fall over the line, but Johnson rolled on the ball until a free-kick was given and relief was obtained. Bolsover might have equalised in the second half, but got too excited, and Foxall’s good work was nullified by his holding the ball too long.
On their own ground, Denaby United, who had yielded a brace of points to Grimsby Town Reserves a week earlier, gave the Grimsby men a hard run for the second brace, and were only beaten 1-0. So far from dominating the play at this second meeting, the visitors were extended most of the time, and Denaby deserved at least a point. But they failed to score from a penalty just on the interval, and, though they attacked with great dash after Talks put Grimsby ahead, they could not find the net.
After being one goal down at the interval The Wednesday Reserves beat Notts Forest Reserves 4-1 at Hillsborough. The home team gave trial to two new players—Cunningham, from a Lancashire dub, and Strange, from Derbyshire, but neither gave a very impressive display. O’Neill and Gray were also included in The Wednesday team, while the Forest gave a trial to Dexter, a 16-year-old goalkeeper, who made some splendid saves. Wednesday opened very strongly, and it came as a surprise when Foukes opened the mooring for Notts after 25 minutes’ play. In the second half The Wednesday had practically all the play, and Strange and Armitage each scored twice. Prior played an excellent game for The Wednesday at back, and Armitage proved a rare bustler in the forward line.
Rotherham County Res. disappointed their supporters at Millmoor where they drew 2-2. They showed much better form than Wakefield City, and in the first half attacked vigorously for a good share of the time. Wakefield did not adapt themselves well to the ground conditions, but they several times caused anxiety when they got in the vicinity of their opponents’ goal. Morton, for the visitors, was first to score, and then Hargreaves, with a grand shot, brought the teams level. County’s defence was rather weak, and. the second goal scored against them, again through Morton, was due to a feeble clearance by Sutcliffe. A penalty to the home side enabled Hargreaves to find the net, and the end came with the points divided. G. Mosier, an amateur, was given a trial, and he proved himself a keen and resourceful acquisition.
Worksop’s Lucky Win.
Worksop Town, who are making such a bold bid for the championship, got another step nearer their ambition when they defeated Rotherham Town 1-0 at Rotherham. They again take the leading position. However, the visitors were very fortunate, as the all-important goal was put through by Harrison, the home captain. Still, Worksop on the whole were slightly the better side, the defence being very sound. Forward, Banks and Huxford, the extreme wingers, were the pick. On the Rotherham side, Roebuck kept a good goal, whilst Roberts, at left back, gave a splendid dis play. Harrison also rendered useful service at centre-half. The forwards were disjointed. C. Lumb, the amateur centre-forward, missed at least two clear openings. The game was witnessed by about 3,300 spectators.
Scunthorpe United resumed their winning ways on Saturday at the expense of Boston—4 – 1—but it was not a good match, and Scunthorpe were far from convincing. The heavy going had much to do with it, the Scunthorpe backs failing to clear with their usual ability, the half-backs being only moderate. Although, three of the forwards found the net, the forwards were not so deadly in their shooting as they have been of late. The first goal came from Meredith, Scunthorpe’s best forward on the day, after ten minutes, and Davis equalised from a penalty given against Ackroyd for handling. That was the’ extent of the scoring in the first half, but for the last 55 minutes of the game Boston had only ten men, Storey, their left-halt, having badly wrenched his knee in a collision 1
with Crookes. Blakey certainly effected some wonderful saves, but considering they were a man short, and that Davis be an apparently good goal disallowed, Boston were not at all disgraced. Whittingham and Whitham put the home team further ahead, and then they were awarded two penalties in quick succession, Ackroyd missing with one and seining from the other. Craven’ was Brston’s best half-back and “Cracker” Manning proved he is far from being a spent force in the forward line.
Doncaster’s Triumph in the Mud.
Doncaster were superior to Mansfield Town on the general play though they only gained the verdict by 3-2. The ground was very bad following the thaw and long before the end of the game the players had the appearance of having taken a mud bath. The home forward line showed up to greater advantage than for some time, combining very well indeed. Smithurst, the latest acquisition from Chesterfield, was at outside-right for the Rovers, and, with Naylor, they made a couple of smart wingers. Boardman and Kemp were an active pair, whilst Copley played a smart game thus justifying the selection over the reserve man. Reed was hard-working amongst the halfbacks, who did well to break up the opposing attacks. Wigglesworth showed some of his old form at back, and Hendry effected several smart saves. The Rovers, however, would have gathered more goals had they accepted many of the openings offered to them. Sheldon was the most dangerous forward on the Mansfield side, and Feebury was particularly – strong at right-back.
Joe Kitchen had a “field day” on Saturday, when he scored all Hull City Reserves’ four goals against Gainsborough Trinity. Talbot was the Gainsborough scorer