South Yorkshire Times – Saturday 23 April 1949

Montagu Cup Final: 85th Minute Thriller

Kilnhurst 1  Rawmarsh Welfare 1

Excited Kilnhurst supporters mobbed left winger Frith and chaired him triumphantly off the field after his 85th minute goal against Rawmarsh Welfare in the Montagu Cup Final at Mexborough Athletic ground on Monday. It was not a match-winning goal, but it gave Kilnhurst a second chance to win the cup for the second time in the club’s history— a chance they fully deserved. Result was one-all.

In a goalless first half both teams Produced some fine football, although Hopkinson, in the Rawmarsh goal, was kept somewhat busier than his counterpart, Dungworth.

Kilnhurst’s quicksilver wingers, Petty and Frith, were a constant menace to the Welfare defence, and the left winger was always ready to ” have a go.” He brought the best out of Hopkinson after five minutes with a right foot drive which the ‘keeper saved at the foot of the post.

In contrast to Kilnhurst’s close passing game, Rawmarsh swung the ball about in a lively manner, and their left wing pair, Gougher and Beech, switched and changed in a bewildering manner. The elusive Araron found Senior sticking closer than a brother, and had little scope to open up the game. It was the centre-forward, however, who gave Raw-marsh the lead after 75 minutes. The ball came in from the left and ARDRON made a prodigious leap to head it over Dungworth’s head into the top right hand corner of the net.

Frith was unlucky when he whipped round and cracked in a shot which skimmed the crossbar, but three minutes later he made amends. Gathering a pass from Dickson, he beat two defenders, and with the Rawmarsh defence covering up for a centre, shot home from a narrow angle.