Pontefract Collieries U19 Academy 1:1 Wakefield U19s
Northern U19 Alliance
Wednesday 4th May, 2011

Ponte Colls U19 Academy side continued their fine form, stretching their unbeaten run to four games with a hard-fought draw at home to high-flying Wakefield.

The team achieved the result despite almost making a disastrous start. With barely a minute on the clock, Wakefield floated a deep free-kick into the Ponte area, with two home players making a hash of headed clearances, resulting in the ball striking the upright with stand-in ‘keeper Jack Hill beaten. With the own-goal averted, Hill did well to close down Wakefield’s Ryan Barker and keep out the follow-up effort.

Pontefract eventually settled, with Lewis Osborne driving down the right flank, before sliding his cross into the arms of the Wakefield ‘keeper, Danby. At the other end, Barker came close to giving the visitors the lead when he turned the Ponte defence before striking his firm effort over the bar.

With both teams creating openings, Ponte broke clear, but Osborne wasted a promising 3 on 2 counter-attack by squandering possession, and the visitors came back at Ponte. Another deep free-kick resulted in a game of head tennis in the Colls box, with Wakefield’s Adam Sparkes spurning the resultant goal-scoring chance by heading over.

As the first half drew on, Wakefield took over, aided by the home side continually surrendering possession with ill-judged or poorly-delivered passes. For the visitors, James Kitson was dangerous, using his pace to break clear of the Ponte defence on several occasions. James Jenkins did well to save his team with a last-ditch challenge on the winger, before the visitors unlocked the leaden-footed defence with a fine passing move that fell into the path of James Shirtliffe on the right. The home team were relieved to see the winger’s effort cannon off the near post and away.

As the visitors pressed for an opener, it was the turn of Karl Abbott to rescue his team, with a fine challenge on Barker. Then Jenkins went from zero to hero in the space of mere seconds: first allowing a high ball to bounce over his head into the path of Kitson, then redeeming his basic error with a fabulous recovering tackle to deny a golden opportunity for the visitors.

However, just as it seemed that the hosts would escape to the interval with their clean sheet intact, they shot themselves in the foot, Hassan Ahmed and Clint Odor allowing Barker to turn them both inside the box before the striker stroked home the opener. It was no more than the visitors deserved.

John Redford and John Osborne used the interval to re-organise and – in particular – re-energise their below-bar team, and the hosts raised their game significantly after the break. Ryan McDermott led the way, streaking past the left back before having his cross cleared for a corner. From the corner, Leon Guest delivered a fine cross onto the head of Warren Redford, who headed inches over the bar.

The early momentum raised Ponte’s belief, and they pushed forward in search of an equaliser, with Callum Green, Leon Guest and Jamie Robinson leading the way through combative midfield performances, and Hassan Ahmed seemingly skipping around his markers at will, the hosts pressed forward. When the goal came, it owed much to the drive of Callum Green, who showed great determination to win the ball in the midfield before feeding Lewis Osborne, who controlled the ball with his first touch before despatching it into the bottom corner of the net with his second.

With the sides level, Wakefield were unlucky not to re-take the lead within seconds of the re-start, when a fine goal-bound effort was deflected away for a corner.

Despite Wakefield threatening from a series of corners, the Ponte team were rarely threatened, and could have won the game late on when a Guest free-kick was headed over by Karl Abbott.

The result ensured that John Redford’s team will end the season in fourth place in a tough league, while exceeding their pre-season points target for the campaign. With six of the starting line-up having made significant contributions to the first team in recent months, the Ponte Colls academy players have many reasons to be cheerful about the 2010-11 season, and hopeful about their future prospects, both as a team and as individuals.

Pontefract Collieries:

Jack Hill, James Jenkins (captain), Hassan Ahmed, Karl Abbott, Clint Odor (repl. Grant Chapman, HT), Ryan McDermott (repl. Aaron Carrigan, 65), Leon Guest, Callum Green, Lewis Osborne (repl. Steven Barraclough, 73), Warren Redford, Jamie Robinson

Subs not used: Bradley Wild,

Goal: Lewis Osborne (55)

Cautions: none