Pontefract Collieries 2:3 Tadcaster Albion
FA Cup Preliminary Round
Saturday 3^rd September 2011

Pontefract Collieries crashed out of the FA Cup at The White Rose Stadium on Saturday, despite a brace of Goal of the Season contenders from Ryan Poskitt.

The game, between teams from the Premier and First divisions of the Baris Northern Counties East League, was a closely contested affair, with Pontefract enjoying the bulk of possession against their higher league opponents. However, despite their territorial advantage, the home team were unable to fashion clear-cut goal-scoring opportunities and were reliant on two wonder goals from Poskitt, while the visitors ruthlessly punished any indecision in the home defence to strike three times.

The game started with Ponte on the offensive, Greig McGrory setting up Poskitt on the right. The winger – who has returned to form with a bang having overcome a troublesome calf injury sustained late last term – had his shot blocked for a corner. However, despite starting on the front foot, the home side’s normally resolute defence showed early nerves when Tadcaster’s Tom Reid delivered a deep cross into the Ponte area and the back four seemed unsure whether to hold their line or track back. The edginess was decisive in the fourth minute of the match when Tadcaster took the lead: Carl Stewart, finding himself in acres of space on the edge of the six yard box from a floated cross, was able to direct a looping header over the outstretched arms of Lee Kelsey and into the net, unhindered by even the hint of a challenge.

The Pontefract bench were incensed: centre-halves by trade, Brendon Ormsby and his assistant Nicky Handley could not believe the opponent had been granted such luxury. Duncan Bray – who had watched Tadcaster a week earlier and compiled a detailed report into the aerial threat offered by The Brewers – must have felt that he had been wasting his time, such was the laxity of the defending.

Despite the early setback, Pontefract knuckled down and took the game to their visitors. They won a corner after some good work down the left flank by James McDaid, with Tom Robinson rising to head a Poskitt cross inches wide. As Ponte pressed, further goals seemed likely, with Tadcaster alert to the counter attacking opportunity. When a Colls move broke down on the edge of the Albion box, the visitors played out quickly, but skipper Jonny Forsyth and Rob Oldham combined to smother Reid as the visitors sought to take advantage of a five-on-four situation.

As the game ebbed and flowed, there were openings at both ends. A good ball delivered into the box by Rob Oldham just evaded the head of James Hicks with the goal beckoning. At the other end, Kelsey did well to dive low to his left and prevent a powerful Ryan Qualter header crossing the line following a corner. Poskitt – whose delivery was immaculate all afternoon – curled a perfectly-flighted free kick behind the Taddy defensive line, but no Ponte player was able to find a decisive touch. Then a Tadcaster break down the right culminated in left back Steve Jeff volleying goalwards, only to see his effort blocked at close range by Dean Twibey. Twibey and Poskitt combined well on the right to fashion a crossing chance which Poskitt lifted towards the six yard box, only to find the resolute Tadcaster centre halves in the way. Scott McGrory and Rob Oldham combined to set up Liam Ormsby, who slid a ball into the feet of Greig McGrory, who flicked on to Hicks. Again, the Tadcaster defence stood firm, although they were clearly more edgy when Ponte decided to keep the ball on the floor rather than lift it skywards.

Pontefract almost equalised in the 27^th minute, and it owed everything to Ormsby. The youngster curled a delightful free-kick onto the underside of the cross-bar from 22 yards, with the ‘keeper Arran Reid stranded. Alas, the ball bounced down inches the wrong side of the goal-line from the Ponte viewpoint, and was cleared. However, the clearance was picked up by Ormsby, whose crashing volley was deflected inches wide of the upright.

It was a let off for the visitors, and Pontefract were in the ascendancy as the interval neared. McDaid shielded the ball on the edge of the box before laying it off for Oldham. The young left-sided player met the shot well, but his effort flew high and wide.

With Pontefract dominating possession and territory, the visitors were relying on early-release long balls. With Stewart and Pell in fine form up front for the visitors, a goal seemed inevitable, although which team would score it was anybody’s guess. Time and again Forsyth, who has been magnificent in the heart of the Ponte defence since the season’s opener, displayed the calm and composure that has made him Pontefract’s best player during the opening weeks of the season, whether reading the game to intercept Tadcaster break-aways, or calmly nodding high balls back to his ‘keeper. With Forsyth and Co seemingly in command at the back, having overcome their early faux pas for the opening goal, it was left to the forwards to try to fashion a way back to parity.

Hicks came close to equalising when he headed a McDaid cross inches over the bar, after some fine work by Ormsby and McDaid had created the space for the cross.

Tadcaster’s Terry Taylor missed with an audacious 40 yard volley, having spotted Kelsey off his line.

Pontefract almost gifted Albion a two-goal half-time lead when Hicks, attempting to lay the ball back to Oldham, sold the youngster short. Oldham did well to retrieve the ball, battling through two challenges before McDaid came to his aid. As Tadcaster had poured forward like hungry wolves, sensing that Ponte were ripe for the kill, they had left gaps at the back, and McDaid slid the ball into the gap vacated by the left back and into the path of Liam Ormsby. Ormsby whipped the ball across into the no-man’s land between ‘keeper and retreating back four but, yet again, a well-delivered ball somehow evaded the onrushing strikers.

Tadcaster had the ball in the Pontefract net minutes before the break, but were denied for a clear offside. Poskitt then gave a taster for things to come when he danced through two challenges before clipping his shot too close to Reid. When Oldham mimicked Poskitt down the left, he was tripped just outside the box. This time, Ormsby curled the ball behind the defensive line but, yet again, it was tantalisingly out of reach of the flailing boot of Hicks, when even a stud would have deflected it goalwards.

Despite feeling that they had dominated possession in the first half and had come close on several occasions, Pontefract were aware that they could have been two down at the interval.

The second half started with a stark reminder of the danger posed by Albion on the break. Carl Stewart beat the offside trap and raced clear, but hit his shot wide of the post as Kelsey closed him down. It was a clear warning to Pontefract.

As the game settled into the same pattern as before the interval – Ponte pressing and Taddy breaking at pace – the attempts on goal increased. James Hicks volleyed over from 35 yards, before Stewart headed over the bar for the visitors. Pontefract won a series of corners, but could convert none, despite the Tadcaster keeper repeatedly choosing to punch the ball and struggling to clear convincingly when doing so. Poskitt picked up on one such clearance, volleying wide.

Pontefract thought they had scored when a delightful lofted pass by McDaid cleared the defenders and released Scott McGrory. The midfielder beat the onrushing Reid to the ball, but lifted his chip agonisingly wide of the post.

It was mainly Pontefract now, as the hour mark passed. However, the home team were still struggling to convert their possession into chances, as the final ball or cross were too often misplaced, or the ball was lofted aimlessly in the direction of Albion’s solid centre halves. With Ponte failing to fashion clear cut openings through incisive approach play, it seemed that it would require something special for the hosts to pull level.

When the equaliser came, it really was something special. McDaid wriggled and turned inside the box, but his attempted cross was deflected behind for a corner. It was to prove crucial as, once again, Reid punched clear. This time Poskitt retrieved the ball outside the box, cutting inside onto his favoured right foot before curling an absolute peach inside the far post and out of reach of the despairing ‘keeper.

However, parity did not last for long. With the momentum seemingly turned in favour of the home team, the visitors brought it crashing down, Graeme Whitehead rising above the Ponte defence to head home a corner.

Liam Ormsby almost gifted a third, when robbed of possession on the edge of his own box. Much to his relief, Taylor shot wide for the visitors. However, the reprieve did not last long. Again, capitalising on indecisiveness in the Ponte ranks, Stewart picked up the ball on the right, drove his cross across the face of goal and, where Ponte’s crosses inevitably evaded strikers, the Taddy equivalent found the boot of Jamie Hopcutt, who provided the decisive touch.

There seemed no way back for Ponte with just ten minutes remaining and their momentum clearly crushed. But Poskitt had other ideas. When James McDaid lifted a long diagonal ball over the head of the Tadcaster left back, Poskitt took the ball at speed with a cushioned first touch, sprinted clear of his marker, and crashed his shot beyond Reid and into the roof of the net.

With Pontefract now pressing for an equaliser, there was one final agony to come, as Poskitt – who else? – lofted a ball onto the head of Paul Haigh, only to see his header fly inches wide of the upright. When Kelsey’s long clearance landed at the feet of Steve Lyons, deep into injury time, the striker shot inches over the bar, and the final chance had gone.

Pontefract could consider themselves unlucky, having dominated possession, played the majority of the game in their opponent’s half of the pitch, hit the bar and had several close misses. However, their manager and players will be well aware that they lost the game, and that the difference between the team was in the detail. Going forward, Tadcaster were direct and decisive. At the back, they were resolute and solid. Pontefract, by contrast, struggled to open up their opponents in the final third, while gifting goals with basic mistakes at the other.

For Poskitt, the satisfaction enjoyed by his return to form and his knowledge that it is highly unlikely that any player anywhere will score a better brace of goals this month, would be overshadowed by the knowledge that his team’s FA Cup dreams are over for another season.

As a result, it is Tadcaster who progress in the famous trophy. Pontefract will try again next season. Meanwhile, they will put aside their cup distractions and re-focus on the league.

For full Facebook photograph album from the game, click here

Pontefract: Lee Kelsey, Dean Twibey, Rob Oldham, Jonny Forsyth (captain), Tom Robinson, Scott McGrory (repl. Paul Haigh, 71), Ryan Poskitt, Liam Ormsby, James Hicks (repl. Steve Lyons, 61), Greig McGrory, James McDaid

Subs not used: Lee Stretton, Andy Broadbent, Warren Redford, Connor Rollinson, Leon Guest

Goals: Ryan Poskitt (74, 81)

Cautions: James McDaid, Rob Oldham