Wakefield U19 Academy 3:0 Pontefract Collieries U19 Academy
Northern U19 Alliance
Thursday 10th February, 2011

Despite suffering defeat at the hands of their Wakefield rivals, the Pontefract Collieries U19 Academy side could hold their heads high after a fine performance against an older, bigger, and stronger team.

Conceding height and age advantage of around 4 inches and a couple of years per man to their opponents, the young U19s team belied their average age of under 17 with a mature, controlled performance, during which they outplayed their opponents for large portions of the match, only to be outdone by set pieces – when the height disadvantage proved crucial – physical strength and moments of costly naivety.

The result could have been different, had the Pontefract side been awarded a stonewall penalty when, immediately before the interval, the referee waved away their appeals after Leon Guest was pushed over from behind when racing clear of the Wakefield defence with the goal at his mercy. The old adage of “goals change games” would surely have come to the Colls’ benefit, had they gone into the interval with a deserved 1:0 lead instead of level with their opponents.

The first quarter of an hour of the game was dominated by the home side, as they pressed forward, mainly relying on balls down into the right-wing channel, for their strong, impressive forwards to chase. In the early stages, the visitors played into their opponents’ hands, pumping long balls down the middle of the park, proving meat and drink to the Wakefield centre-halves, while starving the Pontefract forwards of possession.

With the home side dominant in the opening exchanges, goalkeeper Tom King was called upon to keep his team level on several occasions. Thankfully for the visitors, he was up to the task, saving well from both strikers as Wakefield created openings.

As they settled, Pontefract started to exert their influence on the game, spurred on by a realisation that they were losing aerial battles, but could rely on advantages in pace and agility, and prosper by playing the ball around and behind their opponents. They started to play out from the back, with skipper Jack Hill and his fellow centre-half James Jenkins influential, while full-back brothers Jamie and Ryan Robinson – Ponte’s own version of the “Da Silva” full-back twins – linking well with the midfield. Despite playing out of position, Ryan McDermott and Karl Abbott grew in influence in the midfield, repeatedly bringing their wide players into the game and switching play with measured passes.

Once they started to move the ball forward in a series of triangles – good passes, ball on the floor, swift movement – they prospered, and started to create openings as the half drew on. In particular, Wakefield struggled to cope with the movement and skill of the excellent Leon Guest, whose appreciation of space caused all sorts of problems – the home centre-halves not knowing whether to twist or stick as he repeatedly dropped deep in search of influence, leaving Brad Wild to do a manful job of leading the line. With Steven Barraclough and Aaron Carrigan threatening from the wings, chances started to come, with the best move of the match resulting in the “non penalty” that would have been just reward for their first half endeavours.

The “goals change games” adage was proven in the second half, when Leon Guest set up an opportunity for Hassan Ahmed, whose shot was saved by the Wakefield ‘keeper. Within a minute of their best chance to take a lead, the Colls were behind, undone by a set piece which they were unable to clear, as their opponents outjumped them to convert a high ball into the area.

Wakefield’s lead was doubled, when a long ball from left back cleared the heads of the centre-halves, and their striker raced on to score. At 2:0 down, the visitors rallied, their positive attitude a real credit to themselves. In fact, they continued to play attractive, possession football, taking the game to their opponents with fast-moving, two-touch football.

Another fine move – this time down the left flank, featuring sharp, quick passing from Ahmed, Robinson and Hill, resulted in Guest playing a delightful blind pass into the path of substitute striker David Desalagne, who raced clear off the shoulder of the last defender. Unfortunately, the assistant referee’s flag denied the chance of setting up a stirring comeback.

The third goal finally snuffed out any hopes of a Pontefract comeback, when Wakefield.

Overall, a three goal deficit did not reflect the overall balance of the match, which probably favoured Pontefract over the bulk of the game. As the team grows together and they cut out the naïve errors that spoiled an otherwise excellent performance, they will undoubtedly start to convert good performances into results. Within the club the expectations for the coming two seasons – the vast majority of the squad are not due to become ineligible for the next two years – are understandably high, given the talent and attitude of this group of youngsters on display here.

Pontefract Collieries:

Tom King, Ryan Robinson, Jamie Robinson, James Jenkins, Jack Hill (capt), Karl Abbott, Aaron Carrigan, Ryan McDermott, Leon Guest, Bradley Wild (repl. David Desalagne, 78 mins), Steven Barraclough (replaced Hassan Ahmed, 45 mins)