PONTEFRACT COLLIERIES U19 4-1 GARFORTH TOWN U19
Northern Youth Alliance – Eastern Division
Monday 21st March 2011

Pontefract’s academy team came away from Monday night’s match up with Garforth as ultimately convincing victors.

Recent first team starlets Callum Green, Jack Hill, Warren Redford and Leon Guest all started this match against a Garforth side who were yet to register a win in the league. However, all thoughts that this match would be a routine home victory were all but dashed in the first 10 minutes as the Miners pace and all round football had Ponte penned in.

Michael Brown blazed a shot over after getting beyond Grant Chapman at left-back and Benjamin Bullock-Hughes’ point blank header was saved with a superb reaction from Ponte stopper Tom King.

That said, when Ponte went forward they created the much better chances and looked the more dangerous side. Redford hit a super shot which had the visiting custodian Paul Lineham beaten all ends up, but the striker’s fierce effort came back off the woodwork.

It wasn’t long until the home side took the lead however, a lovely one-two between Guest and Lewis Osborne saw the former smash a low drive beyond Lineham with just 12 minutes on the clock. Somehow, Ponte then went 2-0 in front! From a Garforth corner, and with the visitors looking the more dangerous of the two sides, the Colls broke at pace with Osborne having just enough pace to beat both Garforth full-backs and hit a clinical effort to double Ponte’s lead from a difficult angle.

Both sides then had efforts at goal, Bullock-Hughes hitting an effort wide ignoring his partner Johsiah Donaldson. If he had passed to Donaldson, the Garforth player would have quite probably halved Ponte’s lead. At the other end, Ryan McDermott’s corner was flicked on by Redford and just headed over the bar by centre-back Jack Hill.

Hassan Ahmed then hit a decent effort on the turn which took a deflection and was stopped from going in by a brilliant reaction save by Lineham. Ponte weren’t to be denied however, as moments later a half-cleared ball came to Ahmed who played the ball to Guest. The midfielder’s low hard cross was steered into the net by Redford, who made no mistake to put Ponte three up at the break.

The second half started with two chances created by Ahmed, his first, a free-kick, just evaded Hill’s head whereas his second effort was blocked at point blank range.

It was Garforth, however, who dragged themselves back into the game. A superb solo effort from left-midfielder Danny Redfearn, the Garforth player hitting a vicious dipping shot from just outside the area, which gave Tom King no chance.

The away side were more in the game at this point, but it was Ponte who made the game secure with 25 minutes to go. A throw-in from Ahmed caused havoc in the Garforth box, the ball missing everyone before coming to Jack Hill, who drilled the ball into the net from close range.

The last chance went to Brown, who summed up Garforth’s night when he blazed a shot high over the bar and should really have done better.

This was a good performance from Ponte, especially after being second best in the first ten minutes, and this will be a timely confidence booster before their trip to unbeaten league leaders Pickering Town next week.

All the players played their part, from Hill who marshalled his defence superbly, to Guest and Green who ran the midfield. Everytime the ball was forward, Redford and Osborne looked dangerous and were ably supported by McDermott and Ahmed on either wing.