Glasshoughton 1:0 Pontefract Collieries
Wilkinson Sword Trophy
Tuesday 30th August 2011

Holders Glasshoughton scored an 86^th minute winner, to knock neighbours Pontefract Collieries out of the Wilkinson Sword Trophy for the second year running.

The Castleford team, who are making a habit of scoring late goals in the early stages of the season, edged a feisty derby in which little quality football was displayed, although the passion of the two teams could not be denied. As a contest, the game was fiercely contested, but short on quality and creativity, with few chances created by either team, although the hosts enjoyed the lions share of these.

Brendon Ormsby rang the changes in his team selection. Robbed of the services of Will Ramsay through suspension and Ryan Poskitt through injury, James McDaid started wide on the right. Paul Haigh was also restored to the starting line-up following his return from holiday, being joined in the engine room by Mikey Walpole, after some excellent performances in the reserves. Also rewarded for patience, improved fitness and hard work was Lee Stretton, who joined skipper Jonny Forsyth in the centre of the Colls defence. With new signing Steve Lyons preferred to Greig McGrory alongside James Hicks, there was also a new look to the front line.

Pontefract did fashion the first opening, when a rare contested dropped ball was crossed deep into the box by Walpole, but Hicks could only head over the bar under pressure from Glasshoughton ‘keeper Sam Dobbs. Rob Oldham, having been played in by a neat flick from Hicks, blasted his shot wide. As the game settled down, Mick Walpole fashioned an opening for himself, driving forward from the midfield area before blasting a powerful shot wide of the upright.

Glasshoughton forced a series of corners and, as the game neared the half hour mark, started to dominate territory, if not possession. Luke Smith – one of the many former Ponte men in the Castleford team – delivered a deep free kick onto the head of Paul Banton, who headed wide. Corners, set pieces and deep balls for the quick Bentley to chase seemed the most likely sources of goals for the hosts, although Ponte reached the break without further real scare.

Pontefract, despite working hard to win possession, repeatedly surrendered the ball back to their hosts, lacking the controlled, possession football they have displayed in many performances of the season to date. From ‘keeper Lee Kelsey – who seems to have lost his early-season desire to feed his team via the full backs and wide men in favour of long balls in the direction of James Hicks – to the forward line – who struggled to bring the midfield into play – the visitors rarely strung passing moves together. With the hosts preferring hitting their strike force of Fothergill, Bentley and Radford early, there was little in terms of midfield artistry to enjoy.

Whatever Craig Elliott and Simon Houghton said to their team at half time seemed to work: Glasshoughton were quick out of the blocks, and could have been home and hosed before Pontefract woke up after the interval. Carl Fothergill, who excelled throughout against his old club, lifted a cross  onto the head of Liam Radford within seconds of the re-start. Radford was unlucky not to score. When McDaid was robbed of possession deep in his own half, the ball ricocheted to Jason Bentley – another former Colls favourite – who chipped both Kelsey and the cross-bar. On another day, Bentley could have had a brace, as he followed this miss by blasting over when played in by Paul Sykes. As the hosts got on top, Liam Radford twice raced beyond Lee Stretton, only to be denied first by Kelsey diving at his feet, and then by a fine last-ditch retrieving challenge by Stretton himself.

Pontefract pushed forward, with Rob Oldham blasting their best opportunity wide with a firm volley following a Mike Walpole throw into the box. As the visitors fought back, they were hindered by their own carelessness as they squandered possession time and time again with poorly directed or ill-judged passes. To add to their woes, Walpole twice gifted Glasshoughton attacking opportunities when Ponte had them on the back foot, first mis-hitting a long range shot and then mis-controlling a clearance when trying to set up another attack. The first opportunity led to an opening for Fothergill, who was denied by Kelsey, and the second was neatly retrieved by Twibey.

Twibey was also called into action  when Bentley took him on, but the Ponte man was equal to the challenge, tracking his man before executing a perfectly-timed challenge to deny a scoring opportunity. Twibey was later booked after an equally clean challenge was punished by the otherwise excellent referee, as the Glasshoughton forwards started to run at the Ponte back four, eschewing their earlier reliance on long balls.

The winner came as the game seemed destined for extra time and the dreaded penalties, and it was a well-worked goal, created down the right side, resulting in a cross that was neatly volleyed home by Andrew Seed at the near post.

While the hosts celebrated a hard-fought win, Pontefract’s players were left scratching their heads in wonder as  to where they had mislaid their controlled, composed, creative football. They will need to rediscover it in time for the visit of Tadcaster Albion on Saturday in the FA Cup.

Pontefract: Lee Kelsey, Dean Twibey, Stephen Edwards (replaced Liam Ormsby, 83), Jonny Forsyth (captain), Lee Stretton, Paul Haigh, James McDaid (replaced Scott McGrory, 72), Michael Walpole, James Hicks (replaced Greig McGrory, 55), Steven Lyon, Robert Oldham

Subs not used: Jack Hill, Warren Redford