16 February 1924

TWO VITAL GOAL KICKS

Featherstone Fail With One, Swinton Succeed

Two goal-kicks proved the deciding factor in a hard-fought, but never brilliant, game between Swinton and Featherstone. The first kick was taken nearly under the posts, by James Denton after he had scored an excellent try, but he failed. The second kick was Pearson of Swinton, who took a drop from about twenty-five yards out. Tho ball struck the cross-bar and dropped over. This was all the scoring in the first half, although on the play Featherstone deserved a much bigger lead. Indeed, for the first thirty minutes the Swinton forwards were repeatedly swept on one side, and certainly few expected the Rovers to lose, even when Pearson's drop-kick had reduced the lead to one point.

One of those incidents which provide fruitless discussions in these narrowly won games was provided when Hirst was obstructed near the line. The movement actually resulted in a try, but the referee had whistled, and a fruitless penalty was the only consolation. The Rovers six were disappointing for most of the second half, and the third line, Richardson especially, were too slow when they got the ball. Hirst was splendid on the defence, but was not as good as an attacker. Jim Denton, but for that vital miss at goal, was as good a back as any of the Swinton four, but taken on the whole the Featherstone four were not speedy as their opponents.

Leeds Mercury 18 February 1924