Pontefract Collieries 3:0 Yorkshire Amateur
Baris Northern Counties East League
Saturday 29th October 2011

Pontefract retained their position on the shoulder of the league leaders with a hard-fought victory over Yorkshire Amateur, scoring three times in the final twenty minutes of the fixture to claim the three points.

In truth this was a very tight game for an hour mins, and could have gone either way until the last 30 mins. The game started off very scrappy with both sides unable to take control of the game without creating many chances. Most of the Ponte chances came from set-pieces with quality deliveries from both Ryan Poskitt and Will Ramsay the main focus during the first half. Tom Robinson came closest to scoring in the first half when he volleyed over from a tight angle from a Poskitt corner.

Ammers were launching some high balls into the box and their attacking numbers and pressure kept Lee Kelsey under constant pressure during the first half. Probably a nil-nil half time score was fair on both sides.

The second half saw Ponte come out fired up. A scramble between Will Ramsey and the Hammers right back resulted in a 12 man melee with Liam Ormsby the unluckiest player getting a yellow card when in reality any player from 6 or 7 could have been cautioned. The melee seemed to kick start the home side, with the defence dominating everything thrown at them, the midfield outfighting their opponents, and the movement and quality of the wide players and strikers creating  pressure through a 10 minute spell of crosses and freekicks.

It was whilst Poskitt was waiting to take a free kick that the linesman spotted an off-the-ball incident, where the right back lashed out at Will Ramsey and saw red. To make matters worse for the visitors, a quality ball in from Poskitt saw  Ponte win the header, and Scott McGrory attacked the knock-down to finish from 6 yards.

The 10 man visitors could have rallied but Ponte did not sit back and moved the ball brilliantly for the remaining 30 minutes, which Ammers could not cope with.

The second goal came from a long clearance when Gary Lumley beat the striker to the ball (which he had done for the entire game), Greig McGrory won the aerial battle to nod the ball into the path of Hicks, who turned his man on the edge of the box and chipped the on-rushing keeper to double the lead.

Any attacks Hammers did make were dealt with easily by Kelsey and the back four of Twibey, Robinson, Lumley and Edwards,  who look to be getting stronger as a unit with every game.

The third and final goal came from Ramsey after some superb work down the right. Tom Robinson spread the ball to Twibey, who laid a pin point pass to Greig McGrory. McGrory tore down the right and crossed the ball into the path of Ramsey who made no mistake from 10 yards passing the ball into the net.

3-0 gave Brendon Ormsby chance to make three subs with 10 mins to go. Scott McGrory, Liam Ormsby,  and James Hicks making way for Oldham, Haigh, and Bray. The three lads coming off had all given tireless performances during a very tough encounter.

Overall, this was a very good three points to keep Ponte going on a good run, which now stretches to four successive league wins. Most pleasing, however, was the way the team battled through a tough encounter, with every player winning their individual battles. Ponte were solid at the back, and the quality in attacks going forward ultimately created enough chances to win the game

To see the Facebook photo album from the match, click here

Pontefract: Lee Kelsey, Dean Twibey (Captain), Tom Robinson, Gary Lumley, Stephen Edwards, Will Ramsey, Scott McGrory (repl. Rob Oldham, 81), Liam Ormsby (repl. Paul Haigh, 81), Ryan Poskitt, James Hicks (repl. Duncan Bray, 81), Greig McGrory

Subs not used: Connor Rollinson, Gareth Roberts

Goals: Scott McGrory (71) James Hicks (74) William Ramsey (77)

Cautions: Gary Lumley, Liam Ormsby