Pontefract Collieries 1:0 Glasshoughton Welfare
West Riding County Cup, First Round
Tuesday 2nd November, 2010

Pontefract Collieries and Glasshoughton fought out a scrappy cup tie at Beechnut Lane, with the home edge progressing thanks to a 64th minute winner from Lee Garside. However, the much-awaited spectacle between Pontefract’s finest and Castleford’s finest did not materialise, as the teams were hampered by torrential rain and gale force winds.

The game – given an added touch of spice by the presence of five former Pontefract players in the Glasshoughton ranks – was a competitive affair, with both sets of players steeling themselves against the conditions and wholehearted opponents.

For once, Ponte started on the offensive, with Josh Wright releasing Jason Bentley for an early sighter on goal. With Wright pulling the strings in midfield, Pontefract took the game to their opponents. When Paul Haigh won the ball in the middle of the park, he rolled it to Wright, who released Sykes with a delightful pass behind the full back Cressey. However, Sykes’s cross was comfortably cleared. Within the first five minutes, Bentley crossed for Lee Garside, but the striker was unable to get over the volley and direct it goalwards with any real power.

As the game settled down following the early exchanges, Pontefract continued to dominate possession and territory, with Bentley having a trio of shots charged down within the first ten minutes. With Bentley seemingly the man most likely to break the deadlock, he almost did so after 14 minutes, striking the post with a delightful curling shot from the outside of his left boot, cleverly improvised after a lay-off by Haigh. Ryan Poskitt joined the attacking fray, typically beating two men with a searing run, before driving his shot wide from fully 30 yards. When Twibey blasted inches wide from 27 yards, the home side were starting to rue their missed chances – the longer the game went goal-less, the more comfortably Glasshoughton seemed to be in dealing with their threats. As Glasshoughton sought a foothold in the game, they struck woodwork themselves, Andrew Seed rattling the cross-bar following an intelligent pull-back by Damian Liddle.

However, the respite was temporary, as Ponte carved out another opening when Garside nodded into the path of Bentley, who dragged his shot wide across the face of Simon Kemp’s goal. Garside repaid the complement by crossing for Garside, but Jack Nodder beat the Colls striker to the ball.

As conditions worsened, both teams struggled to put together flowing moves, with the wind, rain and Ponte’s notoriously bobbly pitch combining to thwart the players’ attempts to play football. The game was further spoiled as a spectacle when two of the star performers – Ponte’s Wright and Glasshoughton’s Seed – were invited to take an early bath by the referee, following an unseemly incident following a late challenge by Seed on Wright. As bad as the challenge was – doubtless deserving of a caution – it did not excuse the reaction of the home player who – totally out of character - squared up to his assailant and thrust his head towards Seed’s, leaving the official with no alternative but to deny Ponte the services of their most creative player. Seed will consider himself unlucky to have joined him, although his challenge certainly merited a caution.

As the second half commenced, the wind ratched its level up a notch, so much so that the rain was driving almost horizontally towards Andrew Joburn’s goal. Glasshoughton took full advantage of the conditions, pinning the home side in for much of the second half, as the Pontefract team struggled to clear their lines beyond the half way line, as though the sheer willpower of their rivals was combining with the storm to force them backwards.

Pontefract were pinned in. With Joburns struggling to clear his lines due to the swirling wind, he invited Luke Smith to take over goal-kicking duties. In fairness to Pontefract’s keeper, even the excellent Smith fared only slightly better. Glasshoughton seemed to sense an equaliser, and launched a series of attempts on goal. However Joburns – seemingly determined not to let the conditions damage any part of his game other than the kicking – remained stout in his handling, aided by a resolute defence. A good Glasshoughton move was snuffed out by a last-ditch Twibey challenge, and Forsyth and Wilkinson found themselves under a constant battering.

As the game neared its hour mark, Pontefract achieved their first real respite of the second period. Rian Sykes fed Bentley, who cut inside and shot powerfully wide. It was the first time that Pontefract had cleared the ball on the floor following the interval, and the first team they had effectively cleared the half-way line. The penny seemed to drop for the home team, who sensed that the way to combat the wind was to keep the ball on the deck. Within minutes, their new policy had reaped its reward: Poskitt drove his team forward, taking on two players before sliding the ball – on the deck – to Bentley, wide left. Bentley cut inside, before releasing a beast of a shot goalwards. Although Kemp saved Bentley’s effort, he was unable to hold onto it, and seemed to lose track of where the ball was heading in the swirling wind. Garside had no such doubts – striding purposefully on to slide home the rebound, to the delight of the home supporters.

If Glasshoughton had dominated possession before the goal, now they raised their efforts still further. Liddle was denied from eight yards by a Schmeichel-esque Joburns, before Dean Lackie blasted over the bar when an equaliser seemed likely. Joburns met a series of cross with excellent punches and firm handling, before diving to his right to save a fine header. When Liddle headed over the bar with eight minutes remaining, the away side seemed to sense that their chances were running out. However, they responded admirably, building pressure on the Pontefract goal to almost unbearable levels, even Kemp joining the fray – pumping a long free-kick into his opposite number’s box. An almighty goalmouth scramble ensued, before the ball was cleared to substitute Joe Thornton, who combined with fellow sub Craig Stephens to fashion an opening that was quelled by a linesman’s flag.

Although Garside had a late effort deflected for a corner, the final ten minutes were a series of Glasshoughton attacks. However, the Pontefract defence and, particularly, their inspired ‘keeper, held firm, and were relieved to hear the referee’s whistle, signalling their progress into the Second Round.

Pontefract Collieries: Andrew Joburns, Dean Twibey, Luke Smith (capt), Matt Wilkinson, Johnny Forsyth, Paul Haigh, Rian Sykes, Josh Wright, Lee Garside, Jason Bentley (repl. Craig Stephens, 77 mins), Ryan Poskitt (repl. Joe Thornton, 78 mins)

Subs not used: Paul Staniforth, Nicky Hammond, Luke Forgione

Goal: Lee Garside (64)

Bookings: Joe Thornton (87), Andrew Joburns (25)

Dismissal: Josh Wright (37)