Leeds Carnegie 2:2 Pontefract Collieries
NCEL First Division
Monday 7th February 2011

Pontefract Collieries spurned the opportunity to rejoin the leading pack at the head of the NCEL First Division when they allowed a two-goal half-time lead to slip against Leeds Carnegie on Monday evening.

Despite their disappointment, the team will reflect on an impressive first-half performance that matched, if not bettered, anything they have produced this season, with a fine display of controlled football. However, their realisation that they could better a team of Leeds’ undoubted quality would surely only add to the frustration that they failed to put to bed a tie that they had utterly dominated before the interval. In a season in which the team have been notoriously poor starters and have relied on stirring second-half performances to build results, this was a reversal of form; as good as the team were in the first half, they were meek in the second, although injuries to key players Josh Wright, Jason Bentley and debutant Danny Frost would surely have contributed to the downshift in their performance levels.

It all started so well: with Jason Bentley and Carl Fothergill restored to the starting line-up, the team displayed an attacking verve that had been missing in the defeat at Emley. With Josh Wright also making a much-awaiting comeback in the engine room, the team enjoyed far greater control of the ball than has been recently evident. Danny Frost – signed from Premier Division Winterton Rangers earlier in the day – added sharpness, playing just off lone striker Fothergill in a 4:5:1 formation. The visitors started well, maintaining a high defensive line while pressing the ball and stifling the hosts of space in which to play. When the won the ball back, the team were able to attack in numbers, and played the ball around nicely, making great use of impressive wide-men Bentley and Ryan Poskitt. In the opening minutes Josh Wright showed that he is more than a creative force, snapping at the heels of Leeds’ Liam Smith, winning the ball before releasing Frost, who skewed his first attempt for the club wide of the upright.

With Carnegie denied space, they attempted to get in behind the Pontefract defence with balls behind the line. When Paul Harrison timed his run to perfection to latch onto a perfectly-weighted pass, Luke Forgione did well to recover and block the shot. Leeds forays were rare – as Pontefract dominated. Andy Broadbent won the ball in the middle of the park, drove forward and shot from 25 yards, his dipping shot bouncing awkwardly in front of the Leeds ‘keeper, who could only parry it away for a corner. Poskitt’s vicious inswinger had the ‘keeper flapping: Pontefract sensed the insecurity in the Leeds defence, and pushed on with renewed vigour. A sumptuous ball from Wright released Dean Twibey, rampaging down the right flank in support of his winger Poskitt. The full-back fed Fothergill, who turned and shot into the side netting at the near post.

When the goal did come, it was a classic. Danny Frost neatly flicked a ball into the path of Jason Bentley, who skinned the full-back for pace before he cut inside, steadied himself, and curled a delicious shot into the top far corner of the Carnegie net.

Within two minutes, Bentley almost doubled his tally. This time he latched onto a cleared corner, danced inside his marker, and sent a left-foot shot towards the top corner, only to see the ‘keeper parry it away for another corner. As the team sought a second, Bentley set off on another jinking run. This time, the resultant shot was hard and low, but too close to the relieved ‘keeper.

Leeds sent a warning shot across their visitors, when the dangerous Kyle Hawthorn skipped past Wright and Twibey before shooting wide, and again when Richard Batley volleyed just wide of the upright from the edge of the box. Their best opportunity of the half was created by the impressive skipper Jason Mycoe, who sent a searching cross-field ball into the path of his right-winger McGrory. The winger cushioned the ball into the path of striker Hawthorn, whose shot was only denied by a terrific save from Sam Dobbs.

However, Pontefract continued to create the bulk – and the better – of the openings. Bentley won the ball on the half-way line and drove at the heart of the defence. Fothergill peeled off into the space vacated by the covering left-back, and was found by a good ball from Bentley. Fothergill’s low shot missed by a matter of inches.

They did double their lead three minutes before the interval, and the goal was another well-constructed affair. The combative Broadbent won the ball in typical fashion in the middle of the park, and fed Poskitt, who drove on before feeding Fothergill on the right. The striker returned the compliment, curling a whipped cross into towards Poskitt, who timed his run to the near post to perfection, and clipped the ball into the back of the net.

As the referee’s whistle signalled the interval, the two goal cushion was the least of what the visitors deserved for their impressive display. With the team generally excelling after the interval, they must have been confident of securing the three points.

How things changed after the break. Where they had played with a high line and pressured the ball in the first half, they sat back and allowed Leeds time to string passes together and drive forward, inviting them on to the attack. The hosts accepted the invitation, Chris Thackray taking advantage of the lack of pressure on him to walk through the defence and pass the ball into the corner of the net.

With the momentum of the game now favouring the hosts, Pontefract’s woes were compounded by an injury to Wright, who was replaced by Paul Haigh, and Danny Frost, who made way for Duncan Bray. When Bentley – who had tormented the Leeds defence in the first half – damaged his suspect toe, Ponte were robbed of much of their attacking verve. As the team sat deeper and deeper, Fothergill – rightly named Man of the Match for his blend of skill, energy and intelligence – became increasingly isolated. The “hoof and hope” of the first half against Emley replaced the controlled, possession football of earlier in the evening as the team struggled to clear their lines and exert any semblance of control on the game. On a rare occasion when the visitors did get numbers into the Leeds penalty area, they almost put the game to bed. Fothergill and Poskitt swapped roles – as they had done for the second goal – with striker Fothergill crossing for winger Poskitt. Poskitt rose well, but directed his header wide of the far post – the sixth time that the team have missed at the far post in two games, when surely at least one of these efforts would have been converted by being headed firmly towards the near stick rather than glanced towards the far.

Buoyed by their escape, Leeds made one final push for an equaliser. When Duncan Bray fouled Thackray outside the box, the hosts pushed the free-kick into the path of winger McGrory, who shot powerfully to Dobbs’ right. The ‘keeper did well to save the shot, but Thackray was on hand to tap in the rebound, and deny Pontefract the win.

Although the single point would doubtless feel like a defeat for the Colls and sees them falling further behind the division’s leaders, they should be encouraged by the quality of their play in the first half, which allowed them to take a two goal lead against a side that had crushed them in both fixtures of the previous campaign. For ninety minutes, they have been brilliant in the last few days. Unfortunately, these ninety minutes were spread over two games: the second half at Emley and the first half at Leeds Carnegie being sandwiched between listless, poor displays. They will need to string two good halves together at Brodsworth on Saturday to restore their confidence and, crucially, to gather the three points that will breathe life back into their dwindling promotion hopes.

Pontefract Collieries:

Sam Dobbs, Dean Twibey, Luke Smith (capt), Johnny Forsyth, Luke Forgione, Josh Wright (repl. Paul Haigh, 55 mins), Ryan Poskitt,  Andrew Broadbent, Carl Fothergill, Danny Frost (repl. Duncan Bray, 61 mins), Jason Bentley (repl. Lee Garside, 78 mins)

Subs not used: Craig Stephens, Nicky Handley

Goals: Jason Bentley (18), Ryan Poskitt (42)

Bookings: Duncan Bray