Pontefract Collieries U19 Academy 0:3 Harrogate Railway Athletic
Northern U19 Alliance
Monday 1st November, 2010

Following some extremely strong performances from this young U19’s team, the Pontefract Collieries Academy side crashed to high-flying Harrogate in this league tie.

From the first whistle, the team was unrecognisable from that which has played such scintillating, pacy football this season. They were listless and sluggish, and appeared to have mislaid their usual verve and vigour.

Despite the sluggishness of team-mates, Hassan Ahmed appeared full of energy at the start, working hard to set up an opportunity that Tom Foy dragged just wide. This first minute effort was to prove the home side’s closest attempt on goal during a poor first half. With Harrogate dominating possession, Jack Hill was called upon to execute a fine last-ditch tackle to prevent an early opening goal when Harrogate’s Donoghue ran clear on goal. Within minutes, Duff had headed high and wide for the visitors, when completely unmarked having broken Ponte’s offside trap. As the visitor’s started to dominate possession, a left-foot volley from Wood was well saved by Tom King, diving low to his left.
All Pontefract could manage during this period was a 30 yard looping free-kick from Leon Guest, that was comfortably saved by Harrogate ‘keeper Cowan. Although the Colls did string a succession of passes together in the 16th minute, there was no end product to their first passage of effective possession. Instead, the side seemed intent – contrary to the instructions of their manager, John Redford – on playing long balls beyond lone striker Warren Redford, despite the lack of joy the team were getting from this tactic.

Following Pontefract’s bright moment, Harrogate immediately broke clear, and were unlucky not to take the lead when Sam Kellegher rounded King, only to find that he had taken the ball too wide and that his route to goal had been cut off by the retreating Pontefract defence. Although Callum Green and skipper Foy battled hard for possession in the midfield, Pontefract lacked any real control, continually offering the back back to their grateful opponents. Consequently, the team found itself increasingly on the back foot as the first half progressed. Ryan Robinson did well to first delay and eventually tackle MacFarlane as the Harrogate player broke away on the right. Minutes later the same player forced Tom King to parry a powerful volley, before Jack Hill could clear the rebound.

However, Pontefract did not hold out until the interval, Harrogate taking the lead when Hill misjudged a header back to his keeper, selling King short in favour of MacFarlane, who beat the Pontefract ‘keeper to the ball, lifting it over him and into the net, despite the best efforts of the retreating King.

With the team lacking creativity and a cutting edge in the final third, and seemingly intent on giving the ball back to their opponents at the first opportunity, there was plenty of work to do at the interval. However, as battle re-commenced, the team failed to respond to the efforts of manager John Redford and coach Chris Kirby. In fact, several players failed to take their instructions onto the pitch and, as they were encouraged to lift their game, started to bicker with each other and – worst of all – their management team. Most worryingly, they were unrecognisable from the team of positive, talented lads who have shown such unity and positive spirit during many matches this season, as they lost their heads and discipline.

With Pontefract lacking their usual quality, the contrast with Harrogate’s second goal was stark. In a super move, Kellegher drove down his left wing, fed MacFarlane, who cut inside from the byline before sliding a front post cross into the path of his skipper, Jordan Hart. The big centre-half accepted the invitation, clipping the ball into the net.
With Warren Redford increasingly isolated up front, Pontefract did not seem able to generate any pressure. When Redford did receive the ball – from a long ball down the right channel from Guest – he found himself lacking support, and was duly crowded out by the Harrogate defence.

Harrogate embarked on a period of sustained pressure, as the home side’s discipline and determination seemed to crumble. The inevitable third goal came when MacFarlane cut in from the right flank before striking home from the edge of the box.

Despite some good work from Keiran Wright down the right flank, which resulted in a series of corners and crosses into the box there was still little end product for the home side, and the second half was comfortably seen out by the North Yorkshire team.

Following such a disappointing performance, the big test for the players will be to see how they respond to such a setback, both in training and their next performance. As several of these players will form the bulk of the club’s Reserve team this Saturday – with the fixture’s clash with the First Team’s fixture meaning that few, if any, regular first team players will make the trip – the lads will be presented with an early opportunity to restore their pride in their performance, together with their next U19 Alliance Fixture, next Monday against Garforth Town.

Redford will be keen to measure the attitude and response of his charges to this disappointment, and the team will be keen to ensure that such a poor showing becomes a mere blip in a season in which they are showing great promise at a crucial stage in their development as players.

Pontefract Collieries:
Tom King, James Jenkins, Ryan Robinson, Jack Hill, Karl Abbott (repl. Keiran Wright, 58 mins), Tom Foy (capt), Aaron Carrigan (repl. Ryan McDermott, 58 mins), Callum Green, Leon Guest, Warren Redford, Hassan Ahmed (repl. David Desalagne)