Pontefract Collieries defied the absence of several key players due to holidays by beating Marsden in the first pre-season game of the 2011 programme.

The team travelled to Huddersfield with several new faces in the mix, added to the core of last season’s stars. With Dean Twibey – last season’s recipient of both Player of the Season and Players’ Player of the Season awards – linking impressively with young Connor Rollinson down the right flank, the visitors started strongly, with most of the early chances being created by some incisive football involving these two.

In the absence of Brendon Ormsby – who was witnessing the final ever launch of the Space Shuttle while enjoying a pre-season Florida holiday – Ian Burchnall took charge of the side. The team lined up with only Josh Stacey up front, and the returning former Ponte player did not let the side down, causing the hosts some difficulty with intelligent runs across the line. When the goal came, it came from the left flank, despite the dominance of Twibey and Rollinson, and owed much to Stacey. The striker found Will Ramsey with a delightful ball chipped over he Marsden right back, and the debutant showed cool nerves and a great degree of skill to lift the ball over the onrushing ‘keeper and into the back of the net.

With the debutant partnership of former Burnley player Stephen Edwards and the excellent Luke Danville in the centre of defence, Nick Handley and Johnny Forsyth were hardly missed. The pair looked solid and commanding and, to the delight of Burchnall, added a comfortable degree of control on the ball. With the team encouraged to play out from the back, the defensive unit (including skipper Luke Smith at left back) saw plenty of the ball, and played a role in the team’s best moves. One such move saw the ball caressed the full length of the pitch: starting with a back-pass to Lee Kelsey, the ball was moved through a series of passes involving all four defenders, Rollinson, Tom Jubb and Andy Broadbent in the centre, and culminated in a Paul Haigh shot being blocked on the line.

After the break, the rotation policy typical of friendly games caused the Colls level of control and fluency to drop, although they managed to restrict the hosts to minimal chances. However, the hosts did equalise when a corner was nodded in at the front post – some work for the coaches to sort out before the season starts!

Spurred on, Ponte pushed forward, and grabbed an equaliser when Ramsey’s cross was nodded home by Stacey, who capped a tireless afternoon’s work with a well-deserved match-winning goal.

As well as excellent performances from the defensive unit, there were many positives to be taken from the game, as the players shook off the closed-season rustiness and gained match-fitness. Not least the form of Andy Broadbent, who calmly controlled the game throughout, and new boys Ramsey, Edwards and Danville, and the returning Stacey and Rollinson.

With tougher tests to come as the team prepare for the start of the season, these good performances will ensure that the returning players face stiff competition for places, as Ormsby and his management team seek to add the 4/5 quality players to his squad retained from last season.