Pontefract Collieries U19s 3:2 Goole U19s
Northern U19s Alliance
Wednesday 9th November 2011

Pontefract’s Academy team won a thrilling match last night to put them three points clear at the top of the Northern U19 Youth Alliance. A last minute penalty from Bradley Wild saw the young Colls twice come from behind to win 3-2 and set up a top of the table clash at Harrogate Railway next week.

Several enforced changes saw manager John Redford draft in Bradley Wild, Ryan Roper and Joby Barrick for the suspended Rob Oldham and Warren Redford and it took the side a while to settle into their usual rhythm.

The visitors, who were level on points with Ponte but with an inferior goal difference, made the most of the hosts sluggish start and controlled the first twenty minutes of the encounter. The Vikings took the lead just five minutes in, TOM COLLINS (5m) opened the scoring from the penalty spot, sending goalkeeper Tom King the wrong way after Grant Chapman had brought down Callum Roe-Dixon in the area.

The Colls were struggling to keep hold of the ball, and gifting possession back to the visitors regularly. However, against the run of play, a break forward saw Ponte draw level. Keiron Wright was the instigator, the youngster having a magnificent game throughout, lofted a ball forward which saw Wild head the ball on to Roper, who in turn coolly passed the ball across the defence in the area, allowing LEWIS OSBORNE (9m) the opportunity to equalise with a decisive finish from close in.

The goal seemed to galvanise Redford’s troops, and the home side were much more into the game now. A good run forward from Wild was ended when the striker was crowded out in the box, whereas at the other end Mark Baggeley took on the Colls defence and got in a lovely cross which was well defended by Ryan Waugh for a corner – the resulting set piece just whistling by everyone in the area.

Roper then missed a glorious opportunity to equalise – a high ball over the top of the defence saw the winger with time and space yet he somehow managed to skew his effort tamely wide.

The sides then traded chances, Baggeley with a free header that was straight at King, before Osborne whistled a shot just over the bar from the edge of the area. Osborne had a great game throughout too, and his determination saw him winning the ball back with regularity, creating numerous chances throughout the game for his team-mates.

Ponte were let off midway through the half, an inch-perfect free kick saw Roe-Dixon with a free header in the area, yet the striker headed wide from close in.

Wild then headed an effort over, before a cross into the area from Roper was cleared out to Joby Barrick. The defender let fly with a vicious left footed shot from around 25 yards out which stung the hands of Liam Caldwell in the Goole goal. The ball fell to Aaron Carrigan, only for Caldwell to excel once again with a diving save at the feet of the young winger.

As the half drew to a close, Collins let fly from the edge of the box with an effort that just missed the cross bar, before the visitors re-established their lead in injury time. A good ball forward caught the Colls defence completely unaware, ROE-DIXON (45m) was left unmarked and the striker made no mistake from close in, coolly rolling the ball beyond King.

Whatever Redford said to his charges at the break worked wonders as the Colls came out like a side possessed.

From the start, Roper showed his sides’ intent on getting something from the game with an effort just over the bar. The hosts were forcing Goole into their own half constantly. The pressure was intense, everytime a Colls player lost the ball they were determined to win it back instantly.

Osborne had an effort that went just wide from substitute Ryan McDermott’s pass, before Callum Green rolled a shot agonisingly beyond Caldwell’s goal – the chance started from another excellent Wright lofted cross.

Carrigan was full of running in the second half, and had his marker beat on several occasions. With one such chance, the diminutive winger broke forward before laying the ball off to Osborne whose speculative effort just cleared the bar.

Leon Guest then had an effort from distance that Caldwell did very well to get to, Ponte were creating chance after chance and were doing everything but score!

Just as the game seemed to be getting beyond the Colls, the goal they deserved finally came. Some lovely movement across the middle of the park ended with Wright again putting in a lovely cross for Wild, whose curled effort was saved yet RYAN ROPER (83m) was on hand to put away the tap in. The goal was nothing more than the Ponte Academy side deserved.

The game was approaching the final whistle now, and Wild had another impressive shot in the area – Caldwell once again pulling off a remarkable low save. The ball fell to Guest who attempted to lob the ‘keeper and last defender, yet the ball deflected out for a corner.

From the resulting corner-kick, in the second minute of injury time, Ponte got their reward. Joe Dack took down Osborne in the penalty area leaving BRADLEY WILD (90m) with a kick that had no little pressure on it. A fiercely struck penalty saw ‘keeper Caldwell get a finger tip to it, yet the ball nestled into the back of the net, much to the delight of the home fans. That signalled the end of a thrilling game.

Despite starting poorly, the Ponte Academy side bossed most of the rest of the game. Indeed, the second half saw Goole constantly chasing the game. As one of the visiting coaches commented afterwards, it was like the Alamo at times! Had Ponte not got the win, it would have been unjust – yet this side doesn’t know when it’s beaten. The Colls kept going right up until the final whistle.

There were impressive performances throughout the park, but the two stand-outs had to be Lewis Osborne, whose battling display impressed everyone in attendance, and Kieron Wright who rarely put a foot wrong during the game and was involved in all three of the Ponte goals.

The win sets up a mouth-watering top of the table clash next week. The young Colls travel to Harrogate Railway, the North Yorkshire side sitting just three points behind Ponte and with a game in hand. It promises to be an entertaining affair, and whose to say the never-say-die spirit in the Ponte camp can’t see them to yet another win?

COLLS: King, Wright, Barrick, Waugh, Chapman (Abbott 66m), Carrigan (McDermott 60m), Green, Guest, Osborne, Wild, Roper