Brighouse Town 3:1 Pontefract Collieries
West Riding County Cup
Tuesday 1^st November 2011

Pontefract crashed out of the West Riding County Cup to Premier Division Brighouse on Tuesday evening, having played a full part in a cracking tie.

Brendon Ormsby picked a strong line up for the cup competition, despite the glut of league fixtures facing his team in a crucial November. With only Ryan Poskitt missing from Saturday’s line up, being replaced by Connor Rollinson on the right flank, the team had a strong look to it.

However, Ponte were unable to start from where they left off on Saturday, with their hosts enjoying the best of the opening period. With the game starting at a furious pace, Brighouse took the game to their visitors, with strikers Craig Thompson and Anthony Haigh looking dangerous from the off. Thompson spurned the first real opportunity when heading over a free kick from eight yards out, but he was not to be denied for long.

The opening goal came after a period of play that resembled a baseline rally at tennis, with both ‘keepers playing the Nadal and Federer roles. When a long ball from Ben Ineson was rolled back to Lee Kelsey, the Ponte ‘keeper cleared the ball long to his opposite number, who pumped it straight back deep towards the Ponte base line. Uncharacteristically, the Ponte defenders seemed indecisive, allowing the ball to reach Thompson, who slipped around Kelsey before slotting the ball neatly into the net.

Connor Rollinson battled well in the midfield to win the ball and feed Greig McGrory, who laid the ball into the path of James Hicks. The striker laid the ball back into the path of the advancing Rollinson, who shot inches wide of the far upright.

Perhaps feeling that they had been let off, Brighouse tore into Ponte, and could have realistically taken the game out of sight of their opponents within the first half hour. First Thompson, having been well fed by his winger Danny Haldole, blasted a left-footed shot into the near post side netting. Then Haigh, having been allowed too much space in the Ponte box to turn, powered his shot against the crossbar. Then Haldone slid a precision ball across the face of goal into the path of Haigh, who managed to repeat the trick by thundering his first time shot against the bar. The ball rebounded to Alex O’Keefe, who was denied by the legs of Kelsey after a drive goalwards.

Having spent a period of the game hanging on for dear life, Pontefract started to work their way back into contention. Their first real flowing move culminated in the ball being worked out to the left flank where Stephen Edwards had pushed forward. The full back curled a cross towards Scott McGrory who, having timed his run from midfield to perfection, headed wide of the far post.

Greig McGrory then fed Rollinson, whose first time shot was blocked away for a corner. Liam Ormsby was next to have a go at goal, picking the ball up 40 yards from goal, skipping around a man, and sending his 35 yard effort wide of the upright with the ‘keeper beaten. As Pontefract started to control the game, Ormsby was outstanding, giving up nothing in the middle of the park. With Scott McGrory also competing well, and the striking partners Hicks and Greig McGrory looking hungry and lively, Ponte looked the most likely scorers, having earlier been lucky not to have been 3 or 4 goals adrift.

However, it was during this period of Ponte dominance that Brighouse doubled their lead, when a break-away move culminated in a cross from the right evading the Ponte defenders to land at the feet of Haigh, who cushioned his volley into the back of a sprawling Kelsey’s net.

With Brighouse breaking at speed and in great numbers, the threat of counter-attacks was always high, preventing The Colls from throwing caution to the wind. With a measured approach, Ponte chances were limited, with Hicks fashioning the best opening of the few remaining minutes of the first half, turning and shooting wide.

Whatever Ormsby, Bray and Handley said at the interval seemed to have sprinkled magic dust over their team. They started the second half as their hosts had started the first. A terrific move that saw the ball spread over the full width of the pitch led to a cross from Rollinson being headed inches wide by Greig McGrory. Minutes later, the deficit was down to a single goal, but it was the deeper-lying McGrory who scored, Scott timing his run to perfection – yet again – to meet his brother Greig’s low cross and slide the ball home.

All the momentum was with Pontefract, who had first clung on when being battered, then dominated before falling further behind to a sucker punch, then started the second half as a team on fire. With the game seemingly moving their way, they were suckered again, when a Brighouse free kick – taken from a full ten yards closer to goal from where the offence had occurred – was swung in from the left, punched clear by Kelsey, then smashed home by O’Keefe.

The goal restored Town’s composure, and they could have extended their lead when Haldole volleyed over. However, Pontefract were not finished yet, with Rollinson feeding Greig McGrory on the right. G-Mac slid the ball into his brother Scott, who sold his marker with a well-disguised turn in the box, before sliding the ball across the face of goal. Sadly, for the visitors, it evaded all outstretched feet and rolled out for a goal kick.

Substitute Warren Redford did well to trap the ball, turn, and feed Ramsay on the left. Yet again, the well-directed cross managed to evade a Ponte finish. Greig McGrory then played the role of provider, feeding Paul Haigh, who sent a shot over Ineson’s bar. Then McGrory found himself with a clear run on goal, but was unable to take advantage of the one-on-one with the ‘keeper, who did well to block the shot with his legs. Ponte could have been excused for feeling, at that moment, that the chance to get back into the game had gone. If they did, they did not let it show. Redford rose to meet a Kelsey clearance, heading the ball into the path of Greig McGrory, who beat a man before finding his brother who had, for the umpteenth time, timed his run into opposition territory to perfection. The older brother shot goalwards, but his effort was deflected wide for a corner.

When a Rob Oldham corner was headed over by Tom Robinson, the Colls final chance had gone, and the game finished 3:1, having been a terrific spectacle, played by two good, commited teams, in the best spirit of the game. Despite their defeat, there will have been many positives for Brendon Ormsby to take out of this match: not least the form of his son Liam, who was simply outstanding alongside Scott McGrory in the centre of the park.

Pontefract: Lee Kelsey, Dean Twibey (captain), Stephen Edwards (repl. Rob Oldham, 82), Tom Robinson, Gary Lumley, Scott McGrory, Connor Rollinson, Liam Ormsby, James Hicks (repl. Warren Redford, 65), Greig McGrory, Will Ramsay (repl. Paul Haigh, 71)

Subs not used: Gareth Roberts, Nick Handley

Goals: Scott McGrory (47)

Cautions: Gary Lumley, Liam Ormsby