Pontefract Collieries U19 Academy 2:0 Pockington Town U19s
Northern U19 Alliance
Monday 21st February, 2011

Ponte Colls U19 Academy side turned their good form into a win, beating Pocklington Town 2:0 under the floodlights at The White Rose Stadium.

Despite the conditions plotting against skilful football, both teams defied the slippery pitch and contrived to serve up an entertaining match, showing commitment to playing swift, two-touch football and keeping the ball moving. The first half was dominated by Pontefract, with the home team excelling in all areas of the game bar finishing. The tone was set in the first minute, when a cross by James Jenkins from the right found its way through to left-winger Aaron Carrigan, whose powerful shot rattled off the underside of the crossbar.

The home team – under the management team of John Redford and John Osborne – pushed forward, with Lewis Osborne creating an opening by beating the left back and pulling the bar into the danger area. Warren Redford latched onto a through ball, doing well to retain his balance under pressure from his marker, but could only steer his shot wide of the far post. Another searching ball from the ever-influential Leon Guest released Carrigan, who was denied by a fine last-ditch challenge by Town’s Saltmer, just as he pulled the trigger to shoot. A similarly perfectly-timed challenge denied Osborne when through on goal, before Jack Hill saw a 30-yard power drive clear the bar by a matter of inches.

The best move of the match followed, with Hill beating two men in the centre of the park releasing Guest, who skipped inside his marker before laying a measured pass into the feet of Redford, who had made space for himself on the left side of the goal area with an intelligent run. Unfortunately, the shot found the keeper Tom Green. A finely-worked free-kick saw Guest float a delightful ball over the defence to find Osborne free at the back post. Osborne’s intelligent header back across the goalmouth evaded everyone bar the Town centre-half Connall, who cleared the danger.

With the back line of Jenkins, Ryan Robinson, Grant Chapman and Karl Abbott dealing with the intermittent Pocklington threats, the home team securely pushed onwards in search of a goal. When the goal came, it was a peach: Ryan McDermott, fed by Lewis Osborne on the right side of the Pockington area, curled a shot with the outside of his right foot into the top corner of the net.

With the home team in the ascendancy at the interval, the only concern for the Ponte management was their failure to convert their superiority into anything more than a single goal lead. It seemed that the lead had been doubled in the opening minute of the second half, when Guest found himself on the end of a fine piece of interplay between Redford and Osborne, only to see his powerful shot ricochet off the ‘keepers oustretched foot, with Green diving the wrong way.

When the second goal came, it owed everything to a fine bit of improvisation by Osborne, who spotted Green off his line and lobbed the ‘keeper from 30 yards. It was tough on Green, who had done well to keep his side in the game to that point.

A super 30-minute cameo by Hassan Ahmed capped a fine display by the youngsters, with the winger repeatedly driving his team forward in search of a third goal. When Tom King was forced to make a full-stretch save from a Pocklington free-kick in the final minute, he was equal to the task, and maintained a clean sheet to cap a good night for the Academy side.

With Leon Guest already playing for the First Team this season, and several other players called into the squad, the rewards will surely start to come for this talented group. Performances like this certainly will not hinder their chances.

Pontefract Collieries:

Tom King, James Jenkins, Ryan Robinson (repl. Jamie Robinson, 72), Jack Hill, Grant Chapman, Karl Abbott, Leon Guest, Ryan McDermott (repl. Tom Foy, 67), Lewis Osborne, Warren Redford, Aaron Carrigan (repl. Hassan Ahmed, 60)

Subs not used: Bradley Wild, Steven Barraclough

Goals: Ryan McDermott (29), Lewis Osborne (60)

Cautions: Lewis Osborne (32)