Barton Town OB 0:0 Pontefract Collieries

Pontefract Collieries created a host of chances to return to the top of the NCEL, but were unable to break down a resolute Barton Town and leapfrog their promotion rivals in an entertaining and eventful goal-less draw on the banks of the Humber estuary.

Colls, who had surrendered the leadership to Barton following their stalemate against Emley earlier in the week, headed for Humberside to face the first of four games against major promotion rivals before Halloween, with a steely determination to make a major statement about their credentials as leaders of the division. They started with gusto, creating three chances within the first three minutes. The first of these owed everything to the team pressing their opposition high up the pitch, as Jason Bentley closed down the Barton centre-half, only to see his block ricochet over the keeper’s head and drift inches to the wrong side of the post. Seconds later, and Craig Stephens landed a left-foot chip on the roof of the Barton net, before setting up his strike partner, who shot across the face of goal and marginally wide. With Bentley and Stephens selected ahead of their rivals on the basis of good recent performances and, crucially, their positions at the head of the Colls goalscoring charts, the early omens suggested that goals would come.

With Barton only mustering a headed chance by Gareth Barlow – who had scored a brace in the corresponding fixture last season – which did not trouble Andrew Joburns, the away side dominated the early possession and were creating the majority of the openings. Aided by the pitch – a veritable carpet in comparison to the “bobbly concrete” of Beechnut Lane – Pontefract played the ball around with elan, with Josh Wright shining as the outstanding ball-player in the middle of the park. Wright (aided by his partner-in-crime Paul Haigh) combined silky touches with a hint of steel to ensure that Colls dominated the battle in the middle of the park. When Wright released Craig Stephens with a delicate dink which wrong-footed the Barton defence, Stephens turned his marker and picked out Ryan Poskitt at the far post with a precision cross. When Poskitt’s half-volley flew inches wide, it completed an opening twenty minutes in which Ponte had created nine attempts on goal – almost one every two minutes – yet failed to capitalise.

Perhaps emboldened by still being level in a game that could easily have already been beyond their reach, the home side rallied. However, their attacks rarely raised any alarm bells to the Pontefract team. When Mark Griffing sent a teasing cross into the Ponte area, Rian Sykes calmly nodded back to Joburns. Richard Metcalf spurned a half-chance by lobbing both keeper and bar when well-placed before the home side earned their first corner after 35 minutes – a statistic that aptly reflects the Pontefract dominance. Meanwhile, Ponte continued to threaten at the other end, with both Bentley and Poskitt sending chipped shots agonisingly wide of the uprights. From front to back, Pontefract seemed the hungrier side, as they hassled Barton into a series of mistakes as the half drew to a close, with Haigh providing a particular nuisance to the home team in their attempt to exert any semblance of control.

As the second half got under way, any fears among the Collieries’ fans that their dominance would fade as they were turned around to face the strong wind were allayed, as they ramped up their dominance. Within seconds of the re-start, Poskitt fired wide from 25 yards. When Stephens was clumsily tripped on the edge of the box minutes later, Poskitt’s free-kick rattled off the defensive wall, instigating a rare Barton attack which was comfortably snuffed out by Joburns. With Bentley dropping deeper and exerting an increasing influence on the game, the Pontefract team started to use the width of the pitch more effectively. When Bentley beat three men in midfield before spreading the ball wide to full-back Matt Wilkinson, the right-back sent an intelligent cross-field ball into the path of Craig Stephens who beat his marker before chipping the ball over the onrushing keeper towards the net, only to see his effort scrape the post and trickle tantalisingly wide.

As the game reached the hour mark, the referee took centre stage. Firstly, “The Two Lukes” – Forgione and Smith – were booked, the first for swearing at an opponent who had clattered him, the second for an innocuous trip. However, whatever injustice was perceived by the visitors paled against that of their hosts, as James Tomlinson saw red for two harsh yellow cards. With the home crowd baying for blood, Simon Houghton sensed the official’s propensity to even the score by dismissing one of his own players and diplomatically withdrew the main candidate Josh Wright, whose first half booking had been followed by a couple of warnings for hearty challenges, to be replaced by Lee Garside. Minutes later, he withdrew Smith after a 50/50 clash of heads again incensed the home crowd, and the excellent Bentley in favour of Carl Fothergill. The re-shuffle saw Stephens drop into the left-midfield role, Poskitt moved from left to right, and Sykes joining his chum Haigh in the engine room in place of Wright. The change served Pontefract well, as Stephens grew increasingly influential from a wide position, and Poskitt started to flourish on his more natural flank. As the flanks started to yield openings, Colls won a series of corners, and created a host of openings – Poskitt failing to find a final pass to Fothergill when the away team seemed destined to score from a three on two situation. As the game entered its final minutes, the action stretched from end to end – Barton finally carving a genuine goalscoring opportunity in the final minute of the ninety, when and unmarked Barlow header over from six yards. However, Pontefract enjoyed the bulk of the openings, with Garside and Fothergill being denied in the dying moments as time ran out on the Pontefract team.

Following their second goal-less draw in succession, manager Simon Houghton expressed his pleasure at his team’s improving solidity and, in truth, they have played four consecutive league games without ever looking like conceding a goal. This performance will have provided many positives: the assured leadership and secure handling of Joburns; the calm individual and collective performances of his defenders; the hunger of his midfield to close down and harry opponents out of their stride; the ability of his forwards to create openings. In particular, the side showed their usual steel, but underlined their ability to play an attractive, effective style of football when the surface allows. Only the final pass and the finish were missing from this performance.

However, Houghton’s pride in his team will be tempered by concern that the free-scoring days of August seem a distant memory as the goals have dried up, despite the team continuing to dominate possession and create opportunities. It will be this need for ruthlessness and clinical finishing that will provide the manager with his focus as he seeks to get his team back to winning ways and ensure that their solid start to the season provides a foundation for a genuine promotion and title challenge.

Pontefract Collieries:

Andrew Joburns, Matt Wilkinson, Luke Smith (repl. Paul Staniforth, 74 mins), Nicky Handley (captain), Luke Forgione, Paul Haigh, Rian Sykes, Josh Wright (repl. Lee Garside, 67 mins), Jason Bentley (repl. Carl Fothergill, 74 mins), Craig Stephens, Ryan Poskitt

Bookings: Josh Wright (33), Luke Smith (54), Luke Forgione (55)