Pontefract Collieries 3:2 Shirebrook Town
Baris NCEL First Division
Tuesday 13th September 2011

Pontefract Collieries turned on the style to race into a three goal lead against Shirebrook at The White Rose Stadium, before making hard work of seeing through the win despite being the better team throughout.

Buoyed by their return to winning ways at the weekend, Pontefract started like a team on a mission, clearly intent on keeping the ball on the floor and using the width of the pitch. With Will Ramsay on the left flank and Ryan Poskitt on the right both being fed early, the team pushed forward down both wings.

However, their positive start was almost undone when Tom Robinson tripped over the ball, releasing the dangerous Carl Haslam, whose shot cleared both Lee Kelsey and the bar. The close call proved to provide nothing but short-term relief for the visitors, who were put on the back foot when Steve Lyons was released down the left flank by an incisive pass from Liam Ormsby – the first of many to be made by the manager’s son during an outstanding performance in the middle of the park. Lyons slid a precise pass into the feet of Greig McGrory, who wriggled free of his markers before laying the ball back into the path of Ormsby. Ormsby evaded two challenges, driving towards the heart of the Shirebrook defence before sending a powerful shot wide of the upright.

With Poskitt and Ramsay augmented by Lyons and McGrory, who both used the full width of the pitch to good effect, the flanks provided Pontefract’s most fruitful areas. When Lyons dropped deep to pick up the ball just inside the opposition half, Poskitt saw clear space in front of him, beating the offside trap thanks to a perfectly timed run and a well-delivered diagonal ball from Lyons, over the full-back’s head and into the path of Poskitt.

Poskitt raced in on goal and, despite a wicked bobble as he set himself to shoot, adjusted himself well before crashing a low shot beyond ‘keeper Craig Payne and into the far corner of the net.

Pontefract pushed forward in search of a second. However, they were thankful for Tom Robinson, who tracked Haslam before putting in a perfectly-timed challenge to deny the striker a shot on goal.

Pontefract doubled their lead when Ormsby clipped the ball into the path of Steve Lyons, who held it up despite pressure from Shirebrook’s Jordan Johnson, before laying the ball into the path of Greig McGrory. The younger McGrory, who seemed back to his full sharpness after being rested at the weekend, smashed home a first time shot low into the far corner of the net.

Minutes after scoring their second, Liam Ormsby crashed a 40-yard free-kick towards goal. A wicked deflected sent the ball looping and spinning high into the night sky, with Dean Twibey being the quickest to react. The Colls full-back slid a firm ball across the face of goal, but Payne dived at the feet of McGrory to deny a certain third goal.

The third goal was not delayed for long, Pontefract going three up in the 20^th minute. The goal owed a great deal to the never-say-die persistence of Will Ramsay, who chased down a Shirebrook clearance before being fouled. Ryan Poskitt swung in a trademark free kick from the right and, when Shirebrook’s defenders were unable to clear their lines, skipper Johnny Forsyth was on hand. The captain put his foot through the ball, sending a crashing shot into the back of the net.

With a three-goal margin after twenty minutes of play and the team dominant, the result seemed beyond doubt. Shirebrook were being restricted to a couple of long-range efforts, struck more in hope than expectation.

However, as the game neared the half-hour marked, Pontefract seemed to take their foot off the gas. Haslam beat Lee Kelsey to a long ball, rounding the ‘keeper before being denied by a desperate flying lunge by the retreating Kelsey. The Colls ‘keeper – who played with more decisiveness and aggression than in the previous few games – did well to punch away a dangerously inswinging corner. However, the easing off from Ponte had allowed Shirebrook to gather momentum, and the visitors took advantage when a penalty was awarded for a foul on Haslam, who duly strode up to crash home the spot kick.

Pontefract came close to restoring their three-goal lead on the stroke of half time, when Lyons shielded the ball before laying it back into the path of McGrory, whose well-struck shot flew straight into the arms of a grateful Payne.

With Pontefract being aided by the driving wind and rain after the interval, they may have felt that the elements were on their side. It did not prove so. Within ten minutes of the re-start, their lead was cut down to a single goal, when a cross into the Ponte box was met by Forsyth, whose clearance struck Stephen Edwards and flew past Kelsey into the net.

With Pontefract still dominating possession and territory, it seemed more likely that the home team would extend their lead, although the possibility of an equaliser made for a tense final half hour. When Ramsay fed Poskitt down the right wing, the resultant cross was headed wide by McGrory.

Ramsay – who was a thorn in the side of the visitors from start to finish – picked up pieces wide on the left, driving beyond two men and cutting inside before sending a shot high and wide of the goal.

A similar run from Ramsay minutes later was deflected for a corner, which Forsyth did well to retrieve at the far post before sending a dangerous cross into the box, only to evade the heads of his strikers.

Ramsay, who seemed on a mission to kill the game off, again cut inside from the left, this time spreading play to feed McGrory on the right. McGrory laid the ball back into the path of Ormsby, who delivered an incisive pass over the head of left-back Day and into the path of Ryan Poskitt. Poskitt controlled the ball deftly and bore down on goal, but Payne was equal to his shot.

With Ponte failing to find the fourth goal that would have killed off the game, the visitors pushed forward in search of a late equaliser, pumping three free-kicks into the Ponte box in the final minutes of the match. However, they were unable to fashion a clear opening as Ponte, led by the impeccable Forsyth, stood firm, and held out to claim the three points.

There is a golden rule in Pontefract’s season: when Liam Ormsby plays, the team wins. The performance in this game from the youngster demonstrated that this in no mere statistical anomaly, as he gave a masterclass of midfield control, breaking up many a Shirebrook move one second, and launching a Pontefract attack the next, invariably picking the right pass and showing a mature appreciation of space and width for one so young. With Paul Haigh alongside him, Pontefract dominated the midfield throughout, and would have found it hard to forgive themselves had they not won this game.

However, Ormsby was pipped to the Man of the Match trophy by Will Ramsay, who displayed the tenacity, aggression and positive intent that his manager has demanded from his players.

Despite making hard work of winning a game that they dominated, Ponte would doubtless welcome a return to form for several players and the team as a whole.

Pontefract: Lee Kelsey, Dean Twibey, Stephen Edwards, Johnny Forsyth (captain), Tom Robinson, Paul Haigh, Ryan Poskitt (replaced Scott McGrory, 90), Liam Ormsby, Steve Lyons, Greig McGrory, Will Ramsay

Subs not used: Duncan Bray, Connor Rollinson, Nick Handley

Goals: Ryan Poskitt (9), Greig McGrory (15), Johnny Forsyth (20)

Cautions: none