Handsworth 2:0 Pontefract Collieries
Baris NCEL League Cup
Wednesday 17th August 2011

In this league cup clash which brought together two of the sides setting the early pace at the top of the Baris NCEL First Division, Handsworth came out on top, but owed much of their victory to an outstanding performance by their goalkeeper.

It took 6 mins before either team did anything worth mentioning and it was Pontefract took it to the home side when Ryan Poskitt took a free kick from the centre of the pitch just inside the Handsworth half. Poskitt hit the ball towards the back post area where Hicks was running in. It was Hicks who got to the ball when there was pressure from defenders and another Pontefract player and he headed wide and took his first knock of the evening during the process.

On 8mins Handsworth’s Outram hit a deep cross from the right wing saw Lee Hill coming in around the back and his height and ability in the air made him favourite to win the ball, but Dean Twibey beat Hill to the aerial battle. Pontefract countered, and set up an attack where Broadbent picked up the ball and played a stunning ball down the right wing for Greig McGrory, who looked onside only for the official to raise the flag.

The game started to open up with neither side dictating play and the ball was being played from end to end without the goal keepers having to do much at all. On 11 mins it was Pontefract’s time to start playing the sort of football that saw them win their first three games of the season, when Twibey intercepted a ball aimed at the dangerous Cushworth and cut inside. Twibey played a pass to Poskitt who turned to the inside, sending the defender the wrong way, and passed to Scott Mcgory, but a last ditch tackle from the Handsworth centre half saw him just get a toe in and clear the ball.

Pontefract were starting to take control of the game and put their hosts under a period of pressure which resulted in Handsworth’s captain commiting a foul on Poskitt and rightly being booked.

It was Poskitt who was the danger man again when he picked up the ball from inside his own half and ran at the defender taking him on the outside. Poskitt crossed the ball to the near post, where Scott McGrory pulled the ball back and got a left foot shot off which lacked power and failed to trouble the defence as they cleared the ball high up the field.

Micky Walpole made an superb sliding tackle on the edge of his own box, winning the ball cleanly. Gaining his feet, Walpole then played a great ball to Hicks who had made a good run in behind the defence. With the keeper coming rushing off his line and the ball bouncing up kindly for Hicks he attempted to lift the ball over the keeper. The keeper got half a hand to this but it was still going goal bound, however the keeper had taken the pace of the ball and this allowed the defender to get back and clear the ball before it crossed the line.

Handsworth wisthstood the early pressure and produced a fluent move themselves when the captain combined well with Hill who flicked the ball around Twibey for his team mate to run onto and cross. However, the cross was poor, and Stretton cleared easily at the near post.

It was Hill again involved in Handsworth next period of play when he found way too much space at the near post from a corner and made good contact but headed over. This sparked a period of pressure from the home team who finished the half the stronger of the two teams, Cushworth hitting the bar with a header was a warning that they were growing in confidence.

It was Bates, who had been lively all the match who then got some space in the penalty area and turned on to his left but his weak shot was saved by the feet of Kellsey. Handsworth kept up the pressure and another corner to the near post saw the onrushing Cushworth have a free header but the ball bounced awkard infront of him and he headed wide.

From the resulting free kick Kelsey hit a long ball and Hicks beat his man to the ball sending Greig McGrory through on goal. With the keeper again rushing out to close him down, McGrory lifted the ball over him only to see his effort pulled just wide of the post.

Early in the 2nd half, the Handsworth captain, who was lucky to still be on the pitch after an early booking and several reckless challenges, started the second period with a aerial challenge on Poskitt who went down holding his face under the challenge. Handsworth started the second half as thet finished the first, in a more confident moo,d and attacked Pontefract.

The right full back hit a straight ball down the middle for Bates to chase but Kelsey rushed from his line and headed clear, only for the ball to drop to Handsworth’s No 8, who tried to lift the ball back over the keeper and defenders first time but failed to beat the first defender, Stretton, who headed clear. The early warning signs were there for Ponte.

The first goal came when a cross was sent in from the left hand side, the ball took a bad bounce on the pitch and fell kindly to Cushworth who, as he has always done, headed home looping the ball over the Ponte keeper.

More pressure from the hosts saw Hill played into the penalty area by Bates. Hill hit a powerful shot at the near post and the Pontefract keeper got a hand to it onto the post only for the ref to give a goal kick.

They game died a little and several free kicks were awarded when it was hard to see a foul committed being spoiled by a spectacle by the referee’s whistle. This was summed up when Hill tripped over the ball as he approached Broadbent, for the ref to award a free kick to the home side as Broadbent looked on bemused.

Ponte rallied and won a corner due to pressure from Hicks and it was him who almost scored from the corner when in the centre of the goal, but he headed straight at the keeper.

The decisive second goal came on 63 minutes– Bates scored when sent through one on one with Kelsey, the ball coming from the left wing and when given the chance Bates did not waste it slotting the ball home with ease.

Pontefract should have got back in to the game when the Handsworth defender was layed on the floor legs outside the box but body and arms in the box following a challenge when he deliberately handled the ball, but the ref awarded a free kick, to the dismay of the Ponte players aand management.

The free kick was taken and Hicks won the ball, only to head against the bar and see the rebound cleared to safety.

Ponte made several changes, with Paul Haigh replacing Scott McGrory, and several minutes later Will Ramsey replacing James Hicks. Handsworth followed suit and replaced their captain (4) as they probably felt he would have been sent of had they not subbed him only for the player to verbally abuse the Pontefract gaffer. Handsworth substitute Bates was himself replaced, with Bates showing very little since Cushworth was replaced earlier in the half.

Outram fouled Twibey in a reckless challenge near the Ponte area and was booked for his troubles, as the home side racked up several bookings for the evening compared to Pontfracts none.

Pontefract tried to get back into the game and it was Handsworth’s man of the match goal keeper who they had to thank for yet again keeping them ahead as he first saved a looping shot / cross from wide left going under the bar and then saved a deflected shot from Broadbent when it seemed impossible to adjust to make the save.

On 90 minutes Pontefract were offered a lifeline when Will Ramsey raced through on the right, cutting inside the defender in the box only for him to lash out at Ramsey. Despite the Ponte winger creditably staying on his feet, the ref had no choice but to point to the spot. Grieg McGrory stepped up to take the kick and hit a low hard shot to the keepers left, but again the man of the match got across very well and saved with a strong hand and Haigh couldn’t put in the rebound from a very tight angle.

Throughout the 90 minutes, Handsworth did what they are good at, combining a high tempo game with a highly combative approach, upsetting their opponents with strong challenges which resulted in several bookings. It was good enough to beat Ponte, aided by an outstanding performance from their goalkeeper.

There were several positives for Pontefract: the return to form and fitness of Ryan Poskitt being a major one, together with run-outs for the returning Paul Haigh and Andy Broadbent, together with the likelihood that given a different opposition ‘keeper and their normal standard of finishing, they would have won the game.

To view full photograph gallery from the game via Facebook, click here

Ponte: Lee Kelsey, Dean Twibey, Connor Rollinson, Johnny Forsyth (captain), Lee Stretton, Scott McGrory (repl. Paul Haigh, 60), Ryan Poskitt, Andy Broadbent, James Hicks (repl. Will Ramsay, 65), Greig McGrory, Mick Walpole

Subs not used: Tom Robinson