Staveley Miners Welfare 2:2 Pontefract Collieries (aet)
Pontefract won 3:2 on penalties
Wilkinson Sword Trophy Quarter Final
Tuesday 15th March 2011

Brendan Ormsby started his tenure as manager of Pontefract Collieries by inspiring his team to a stunning win over runaway league leaders Staveley to take Ponte into the Wilkinson Sword Trophy semi-finals, and set up a mouth-watering derby against Glasshoughton for a place in the final.

With Staveley fully 20 points clear of the Colls, pulling away at the top of the NCEL First Division, and on the back of a sixteen match unbeaten run in the league and a thumping 8-0 demolition of Bottesford at the weekend, the home team started as strong favourites. When the teams were announced, their status as favourites was enhanced by the presence of several youngsters in the Pontefract team, as the visitors’ squad had been reduced by the departure of several players in the wake of the managerial change at the club.

Warren Redford started up front alongside Danny Frost: the youngster making his full debut for the team following an impressive cameo in Saturday’s win at Louth. Also making his debut was Callum Green, who joined Andrew Broadbent in the engine room, and Leon Guest, who started wide on the left. The match offered the youngsters an early opportunity to show their new gaffer what they were capable of, and they did not disappoint.

Pontefract started strongly, with Redford leading the line effectively, and unlucky to be denied an early goalscoring opportunity by a linesman’s flag. Following the early Ponte dominance, Staveley roared back, forcing a series of corners, with former Ponte favourite Joe Thornton providing excellent delivery on inswingers from the right.

Danny Frost battled well in the centre circle before releasing Redford with a delightful ball from the inside of his right boot. The young striker took an early shot, but his left-footed effort flew wide of the upright.

For the hosts, Andrew Fox had a fine volley saved by Andrew Joburns, who heeded his manager’s desire to release the ball early and released Poskitt on a swift counter-attack. With both teams showing attacking intent, it was end-to-end stuff – a real cup tie!

As half-time neared, Ponte suffered a double blow. Firstly Frost was taken out by a loose elbow to the side of his head, which robbed the Colls of their prime attacking threat. While Frost was being attended to, Staveley took advantage of their numerical supremacy to take the lead, when uncharacteristic sloppiness allowed Thornton to open the scoring.

Down to ten men and a goal behind as the break approach, Ponte were not bowed. Instead, they replied with vigour, taking the game to their hosts, and scoring a deserved equaliser on the stroke of half time when Leon Guest finished a fine move by opening his account for the club.

Half time represented the new manager his first opportunity to have an influence on his charges, and he took full advantage. Pontefract took the game to Staveley from the referees whistle, with Dean Twibey and Ryan Poskitt combining down the right to send in a fine cross which was turned behind for a corner with Guest poised to tuck it away.

Staveley responded in kind: firstly, Aymen Tahar sent a dipping free kick goalwards, which Joburns did well to hold onto; then Thornton hit the post with a fine header from a deep cross by Jordan Eagers. For the visitors, Guest – now playing just off Redford with Stefan Furness moving to the left – cut inside before unleashing a powerful shot which flew wide of the post. Luke Smith delivered a fine inswinging cross which Poskitt headed inches wide, before Callum Green blasted a half-volley through a crowd of players and wide of the post.

Redford picked up a loose pass in the opposition’s half, and fed Furness with a fine pass. Furness eschewed the chance to shoot with his left, choosing to cut inside onto his favoured foot, only to see his effort blocked. As the game opened up, Ryan Damms drove at the heart of the Ponte defence before shooting wide. With extra time looming, Poskitt beat his full back and hit the byline, sending a cross towards the head of Redford. Sadly for the youngster, the ball was too high for him to get any downward motion and win the match in normal time.

Extra time was barely a minute old before the Colls were in the lead, and it was no more than they deserved. Stefan Furness made the goal, cutting inside from his berth on the left and sending a firm shot goalwards. Leon Guest applied the final touch to divert the ball beyond the keeper and double his tally for the night.

With the back four of Twibey, Luke Smith, Nicky Handley and Man of the Match Jonny Forsyth looking as solid as a rock, and Callum Green and Andy Broadbent offering such secure protection in front of them, Collieries played like a team that knew they could see out the tie. Not that they settled – instead, the goal seemed to put an extra spring in their step as they sought to deal the killer blow.

Their task was made easier in the final minute of the first extra period, when Kyle Fores Chambers was dismissed for a scything tackle on Furness that also curtailed the Ponte youngster’s evening. Furness was lucky that an early shower was the worst he had to suffer, as the tackle could have easily caused longer-lasting damage. With Gareth Hunter introduced to shore up the midfield following Furness’s withdrawal, Pontefract were set up to defend their lead. However, Staveley were not finished, Ryan Damms scoring in the final seconds of the first extra period when his low shot eluded Joburns and squeezed over the goal-line for the equaliser.

Although both teams showed admirable attacking intent in the final 15 of the 120 minutes, the tie inexorably drew towards the lottery of a penalty shoot-out.

If he felt that he should have done better with Staveley’s equaliser, the shoot-out offered Andrew Joburns the chance for redemption, and he did not miss the opportunity to grasp it with both hands. After Ryan Poskitt had rattled the opener in off the post for the Colls and Leon Guest had a good penalty saved to put Pontefract 2:1 down with both sides having taken two, Staveley would not hit the back of the net again. Nicky Handley smashed his effort into the roof of the net, before Staveley first hit the bar then sent one over the top. Regular penalty-taker Luke Smith converted his with customary aplomb, before Joburns won the tie for his team with a fine save, diving low to his left.

To have gone into the den of the best team in the division and knocked their hosts out of the competition would have delighted Ormsby. To have done it in such deserved fashion will have surely surprised him. But this victory was no fluke. If his players can show such spirit and work ethic in the coming weeks as they have done in the victories over Louth and Staveley, the back four looking so assured and the youngsters all excelling at this level, the new manager will have every chance of enjoying a fine end to the season.

Pontefract Collieries:

Andrew Joburns, Dean Twibey, Luke Smith, Nicky Handley (captain), Johnny Forsyth, Callum Green, Ryan Poskitt, Andy Broadbent, Warren Redford, Danny Frost (repl. Stefan Furness, 45, in turn replaced by Gareth Hunter, 105), Leon Guest

Subs not used: Jack Hill, Duncan Bray

Goals: Leon Guest (45 (1^st half) & 91 (1^st half of extra time))
Penalty scorers: Ryan Poskitt, Nicky Handley, Luke Smith

Bookings: Andrew Joburns, Warren Redford, Leon Guest