Glasshoughton Welfare 1:3 Pontefract Collieries
Northern Counties Eastern League Division One
Tuesday 9th November, 2010

Pontefract Collieries are in a three-way tie on 35 points at the head of the NCEL First Division, following a convincing win over neighbours Glasshoughton in the Pontefract & Castleford derby. The win extends the team’s unbeaten run to an impressive eleven league games.

After coming from behind to rescue a point in their previous two fixtures, a comfortable win was called for by Houghton, and his team responded with a controlled performance. With no fewer than six former Ponte players in the home team and the rivalry stoked by the Colls having dumped their neighbours out of the West Riding County Cup during a stormy night the previous Tuesday, the game promised to be a spicy affair. Despite the stakes, both sides played some good football in a spirit of fair play that was a credit to both sets of players and their managers.

Both teams started with attacking intent, with Fothergill blasting high and wide with mere seconds on the clock and the home side responding positively, with Andrew Seed driving through the midfield before driving a powerful shot wide of the post from outside the Pontefract box. As the game ebbed and flowed, with both sides showing their positive intent from the off, Glasshoughton almost took the lead when Josh Corbett curled a free kick within inches of Andrew Joburns’ post.

Despite the early chances for the home side, it was the visitors who took the lead in the 14^th minute of the match, when a Ryan Poskitt corner was nodded onwards at the front post, before being turned into his own net by Dean Lackie, himself a former Ponte player.

Following a delay during which the officials were re-shuffled due to man-in-the-middle falling ill with chest pains, the game re-started in a similar pattern, resembling a Formula One Grand Prix following a few laps behind the safety car, as the home team battled to stay in touch and the visitors put their foot to the floor in an attempt to pull away. Pontefract created the best chances following the “second start”, with Joe Thornton causing his marker all sorts of troubles. Thornton cut inside and drove goalwards before sending a right-foot shot into the oustretched hands of ‘keeper Simon Kemp, before Craig Stephens slid an inch-perfect ball across the face of the Glasshoughton box into the path of Carl Fothergill. The Colls striker timed his run perfectly to meet the cross, but saw his goal-bound effort saved by Kemp as a second goal seemed inevitable.

The visitors did not have to wait long before their lead was extended, and this time it was Fothergill who turned provider, sliding an equally measured ball across goal into the path of Thornton, who clipped it home, despite a hint of offside.

It was no more than the Colls’ play deserved, as they were controlling the ball smoothly, enjoying the lion’s share of possession, and restricting their hosts to a series of hopeful long balls and long-range attempts at goal. The most threatening of these was well saved by Joburns, despite an awkward bounce. The ‘keeper was relieved to see a left-sided free kick evade the Glasshoughton strikers as the interval neared, before Pontefract spurned further attempts to extend their half-time lead: Fothergill, having been fed by the influential Josh Wright, shooting hard and low – and wide; Thornton twisting and turning before sending a powerful cross straight into the arms of Kemp.

Thornton started the second half as he had ended the first, with a similar such effort ending in the hands of the Glasshoughton ‘keeper. As the visitors continued to play the better football, Josh Wright floated a free-kick into the box. The clearance landed at the feet of Fothergill, who blasted a powerful volley just over the crossbar. With Pontefract spurning their chances to extend the lead, the home side grew in belief. Dell Pollock appeared likely to score when he nicked the ball away from Nicky Handley and set off in pursuit, only to be denied by the ever-alert Joburns, who raced out to smother. However, Pollock was not to denied for long. As the game passed the hour mark, the Glasshoughton player curled a delightful free- kick over the Pontefract wall an into the top corner of Joburns’ net, despite the best efforts – and the right hand – of Joburns.

With their lead halved, Pontefract responded. If they could have been excused a moment or two of panic – given their recent history of conceding goals in batches – they responded instead with their best period of controlled passing football in the match. Following a string of passes designed to control possession rather than break down their opponents, Fothergill saw an opening, and released Thornton – now operating on the right – with an incisive pass. The Colls winger strode purposefully goalwards, tormenting his marker with his trademark twists and turns, before cutting the ball back into the path of Craig Stephens. Stephens’ shot was blocked, but the clearance was picked up by Luke Smith, who fed Ryan Poskitt. Poskitt, now operating on the left flank following his switch with Thornton, clipped a teasing ball towards Fothergill, who rose above his marker to send a looping header over the retreating Kemp and into the net.

Pontefract were denied a fourth goal when the assistant correctly flagged Thornton offside following a precise pass by Fothergill, before Poskitt – having been set loose by a flick from Stephens – cut inside onto his favoured right boot and sent a curling shot inches wide of the far post.

As the ninety minute mark neared, Glasshoughton pushed to reduce the deficit, with Andrew Seed and scorer Pollock providing the bulk of their impetus. However, the Colls defence stood firm, and were able to restrict their hosts to a series of disappointing long-range efforts on goal. In fact, despite Glasshoughton enjoying their most dominant period of the match as they strove to reduce the deficit, it was Ponte who came closest to scoring in the dying minutes, when Rian Sykes broke up a Glasshoughton move before driving his team forward on the counter-attack, feeding Josh Wright who, in turn, fed substitute Lee Garside. As Garside picked his spot and pulled the trigger, he was denied by a last-ditch challenge from Booth.

With goal difference being all that separates the top three teams in the league, the Colls remain on course to pursue their first league title in 27 years and their return to the Premier Division after an absence of over a decade. Equally crucially, they broke their worrying sequence of switching off for a period in games, which had cost them dearly against Staveley and Shirebrook, and retained their focus throughout ninety minutes of football.

Pontefract Collieries:

Andrew Joburns, Johnny Forsyth, Luke Smith, Nicky Handley (capt), Luke Forgione, Josh Wright, Ryan Poskitt,  Rian Sykes, Carl Fothergill (repl. Lee Garside, 71 mins), Craig Stephens (repl. Connor Rollinson, 88 mins),  Joe Thornton (repl. Jason Bentley, 78 mins)

Subs not used: Paul Haigh

Goals:
Pontefract: OG Dean Lackie (14), Joe Thornton (22), Carl Fothergill (64)
Glasshoughton: Dell Pollock (60)

Bookings: None