Staveley MW 2:0 Pontefract Collieries
NCEL League Cup
Tuesday 16th November, 2010

The Colls crashed out of the League Cup to promotion rivals Staveley, when two injury-time goals settled a tie that seemed destined for penalties at Inkersall Road.

With the game seemingly deadlocked at 0:0 as it entered the final two minutes of the scheduled 90, it seemed that it would take something extraordinary or unusual to separate the teams without the need for extra time and penalties. As it happened, it took the unusual to unsettle the hitherto resolute Colls defence: the floodlights failed, to the embarrassment of the home club, and resulted in a 20 minute delay. When the teams re-emerged to play out the final two minutes before settling into the inevitable extra time, Ponte’s defence also failed – skipper Nicky Handley handing victory to the hosts with an inauspicious holding of sub Adam Houghton, allowing Aymen Tahar to settle the tie from the penalty spot. Tahar duly added an excellent second in the third minute of injury time as the visitors chased the game, and a tie that had seemed destined for an extended run was over.

Manager Simon Houghton’s disappointment was compounded by the loss of Josh Wright, who was taken to hospital with suspected knee ligament damage after landing awkwardly in the first half of the game. The loss of Wright meant that Duncan Bray, a recent signing from Harrogate Railway, was thrust into the action for his Pontefract debut. The new signing did not disappoint, giving a display of which Wright himself would have approved.

The first half had been relatively uneventful – particularly given the thrilling fayre that had been served up by the two teams in their league clash in October – with Staveley enjoying the bulk of the chances. However, they found Andrew Joburns in good form, as he denied first Scott Bates and then Todd Jordan, and the deadlock was rarely threatened before the interval. The rare Pontefract attacks tended to be instigated down the left flank, with the pace and trickery of Jason Bentley causing problems for the home defence. Bentley enjoyed Ponte’s best chance of the opening half, when released by a canny header from Craig Stephens.

The second half, however, was more reminiscent of the league encounter, as both teams sought a winner and the match began to flow from one end to the other. Bentley spurned the earliest opportunity in the opening minute of the half, before a good delivery from the increasingly-influential Luke Smith evaded Lee Garside by a matter of inches. With Duncan Bray becoming increasingly involved in the middle of the park, the newcomer broke up a Staveley attack before driving his team forward and releasing Bentley with a sumptuous pass over the full-back Staley. Bentley, for once, was wasteful, his cross clearing the bar as Garside and Stephens made their runs.

As the half wore on, Staveley started to re-assert themselves, with Jamie Smith releasing a 25-yard scorcher that seemed destined to open the scoring, before Joburns made an incredible save. When the teams resumed following the delay, it seemed that Joburns was destined to be the hero for the visitors, as he twice saved his team from point blank range as extra time loomed large. However, the heroics came to nothing, as the two injury-time goals settled the tie in the host’s favour.

Pontefract Collieries:

Andrew Joburns, Johnny Forsyth, Luke Smith, Nicky Handley (capt), Luke Forgione, Paul Haigh (repl. Joe Thornton, 86), Ryan Poskitt, Josh Wright (repl. Duncan Bray, 29), Craig Stephens (repl. Rian Sykes, 86), Lee Garside, Jason Bentley

Subs not used: Dean Twibey

Bookings: none