Pontefract Collieries 3:1 AFC Emley
Baris Northern Counties East League, First Division
Saturday 12^th November, 2011

Pontefract moved up two places to third in the NCEL First Division, running out convincing 3:1 winners against Emley, despite having their first-half lead pegged back by the visitors.

Having produced a shocking performance at Louth last Saturday followed by a masterclass to beat Teversal on Tuesday evening, the supporters were wondering which Ponte Colls team would turn up for this crucial fixture against a team tipped to be challenging for honours come the end of the season. As it happened, they need not have been concerned, for the team followed their 5:1 win in Nottinghamshire with another convincing, professional performance at The White Rose Stadium.

Not only was this a terrific performance by the Colls, it also contained three of the best goals that will be scored at the stadium this season: Liam Ormsby’s volley into the top corner from outside the box was followed by Paul Haigh’s flying bullet header and rounded off with Steve Lyon’s fine header to cap a fine move.

Pontefract started as they left off at Teversal – on the offensive. A good move which saw the ball being spread across the full width of the pitch led to Liam Ormsby slipping a fine pass into the feet of Paul Haigh, in the box but with his back to goal. Haigh held off his marker and laid the ball into the path of Steve Lyon, who was denied by a terrifically-timed last ditch challenge from Emley skipper Chris Wadowczyk. Despite muted appeals for a penalty, the referee correctly awarded a corner, from which the pressure on the visitors was relieved when a headed clearance ignited a swift counter-attack, which was eventually cut out by Tom Robinson.

Despite controlling the majority of possession, Ponte did not create any further real openings in the first quarter of an hour. Their best effort came from James McDaid, who received the ball with his back to goal 30 yards out on the left, turned his marker and cut inside, before shooting straight at the Emley ‘keeper Adam Valante.

Another flowing move from the Ponte team came to nothing, when Steve Lyon’s could only get an outstretched toe-end to a cross from skipper Dean Twibey, following some good work by Connor Rollinson down the right.

With the hosts dominating possession but failing to create clear-cut opportunities, it required something special to open the scoring. Liam Ormsby obliged. Twibey fed McGrory, who drifted wide to create space. McGrory beat his marker before delivering a fine cross into the area. When the cross was headed clear, Ormsby lay in wait, striking the ball into the top corner of the net from 20 yards. It was routine stuff for Ormsby, who seems to be running his own Goal of the Season competition.

With Ormsby rampaging throughout the park, Paul Haigh and James McDaid also battling well in midfield, and Connor Rollinson enjoying a rich vein of form on the right, Ponte were winning all the midfield battles. With strikers Steve Lyon and Greig McGrory using the full width of the pitch up front, the team started to stretch their opponents. All Emley could manage during the opening half hour was a move that led to a Stephen Powell cross, easily cleared by Tom Robinson, who was joined in the heart of defence by Gareth Roberts, enjoying his home debut for the club.

Another flowing Colls move spread the ball from Stephen Edwards on the left to Rollinson on the right. Rollinson slipped the ball to McGrory, who beat his marker and chipped a cross in from the right, where it was met by McDaid, timing his arrival at the far post to perfection. McDaid’s radar was uncharacteristically faulty, and his shot flew over the top.

Lyon drifted wide on the left, repeatedly holding up the ball for his team-mates to join him. When he laid the ball into the path of Edwards, the reliable youngster found Paul Haigh, who found McGrory on the right. This time, the delivery found the head of McDaid, although the result was the same as the classy winger was unable to get over the ball and keep his header the preferred side of the crossbar.

The Colls were denied what looked like a good appeal for a penalty when McDaid was flattened in the process of trying to head home Lyon’s cross from the left.

Emley threatened Lee Kelsey’s goal for the first time in the 35^th minute, but the Colls ‘keeper was quick to react to a through ball from right back Max Joyce, racing out of his area to beat Dean Wharam to the ball.

Paul Haigh showed his quick feet, twisting and turning away from his opposite number Josh Ingham until his opponent conceded defeat, allowing Haigh the space to drive his team forward. The move came to nothing when the Emley defence crowded out the ball on the edge of the box to clear. Edwards retrieved the clearance, feeding McDaid, who beat his marker before laying the ball square across the edge of the box into the path of Haigh, whose shot was blocked, and Emley breathed again.

The visitors finally managed their first attempt on goal with a mere four minutes of the first half remaining, but David Heagney’s shot from 25 yards trickled towards Lee Kelsey.

With Pontefract so dominant in the first half but only one goal to show for their efforts, it was perhaps inevitable that their lead would be wiped out early in the second. However, the hosts could have been two up straight after the interval, when Liam Ormsby dinked the ball over the Emley defence into the path of Tom Robinson, who was still upfield following a set piece. Robinson, ten yards out with only the ‘keeper for company, was perhaps unaware that he had time aplenty to take a touch and calmly shot home. Instead, he volleyed over the top, much to the relief of the visitors, who had been completely undone by Ormsby’s intelligent pass and Robinson’s perfectly timed run.

Emley took advantage of the let-off, firstly being denied by a last-ditch challenge from Robinson on Scott Holt. Then Holt, having been slipped in on the left by Powell, had his shot well blocked by Kelsey. Kelsey was unlucky that his parry fell straight into the path of Holt, who slotted his second effort home.

Pontefract took the equaliser as a wake up call, and redoubled their efforts. Within four minutes of being pegged back, they were in front again. Liam Ormsby won the ball in the centre circle, fighting clear of markers to make the space from which he fed Rollinson on the right. The youngster drove forward, skipping away from a challenge before finding Lyon, who had drifted into the space vacated by Rollinson on the right. Lyon dipped his shoulder and took on the left back, then whipped a vicious cross into the heart of the Emley box, where it was met by Paul Haigh, busting a gut to get into the danger area. Haigh launched himself at the ball, thundering his header into the roof of the net.

With Rollinson running his marker ragged down the right, substitute Will Ramsay sending the right side of the Emley defence back-pedalling, and the strikers drifting wide whenever possible, Ormsby and Haigh started to spread the ball across the full width of the pitch. When Ormsby found Lyon on the right, the striker sent a clever back-heel into the path of McGrory, who filled the space vacated by his partner. McGrory sent his pass across the pitch into the path of Ramsay, cutting in from the left. Just as Ramsay prepared to pull the trigger, he was denied by Joyce’s last ditch effort.

Despite the match being played in a fine spirit with barely a bad challenge throughout, the second half was marred by an unseemly incident, when Emley’s Dean Wharam reacted badly to the dual indignity of being robbed of the ball by Gareth Roberts’ robust challenge and then being substituted by wanting to fight the entire Ponte team, running first at Roberts and then at Edwards with fists flailing. The talented but hot-headed striker needed restraining by his bench, who did very well to save the player from himself and calm the incident down as he was led from the field of play. Referee Cedric Duval, aware that the player had not actually struck anyone – thanks to his team-mates and manager – issued a yellow card instead of the anticipated red, and allowed the visitors to complete the substitution.

Ponte kept their discipline, and resumed attacking duties. Ormsby fed McGrory in the left hand side of the penalty area. McGrory cut back, shielding the ball and laying it into the path of Ramsay, whose curling effort flew high and wide of the far post. Ramsay missed again minutes later, meeting Lyon’s cross first time, but seeing his shot fly over the bar.

However, Pontefract were not to be denied for long, scoring the decisive third goal in the 70^th minute. The goal mirrored the second: Ormsby winning the ball in the centre of the park, then feeding a player on the right. This time it was Rollinson, who skinned his marker before sending a perfect cross over. Steve Lyon nipped in front of ‘keeper Valante, nodding home to put the result beyond reasonably doubt.

Pontefract kept their foot on the gas. Ormsby sent a long pass towards Ramsay, who battled well to win the aerial battle, cut inside then shoot. With the hard work done, Ramsay was denied by a cruel bobble, and his shot flew over the top. Substitute James Hicks was denied a fourth on his birthday in added time, when his header was ruled offside. It would have capped an excellent afternoon’s work by the team.

This was a fluent performance, with Pontefract playing a highly effective, flowing brand of football, built on good passing and constant movement. The team used the full width of the pitch, creating two goals from crosses into the box, and managed to limit their opponents’ chances to a minimum. With Paul Haigh and Liam Ormsby outstanding in the middle of the park (as they need to be, to be favoured over the excellent Scott McGrory), Connor Rollinson full of fire on the right, and Steve Lyon putting in a Man of the Match performance with a magnificent display of forward play, the team produced a fine attacking performance to win the game.

The team now face a crucial week, with games against two of their main title rivals. On Tuesday, the side visit Rossington, followed by the visit of leaders Worksop to The White Rose Stadium next Saturday. After two convincing wins, the team are going into the biggest week of the season to date in good form and high on confidence. Whether this is still true in a week’s time will go a good deal of the way to determining whether the team can push on for promotion this season.

To view the full Facebook photo album from the game, click here

CURRENT LEAGUE STANDINGS

Pontefract: Lee Kelsey, Dean Twibey (captain), Stephen Edwards, Tom Robinson, Gareth Roberts, Paul Haigh (repl. James Hicks, 85), Connor Rollinson (repl. Scott McGrory, 75), Liam Ormsby, Steve Lyon, Greig McGrory, James McDaid (repl. Will Ramsay, 52)

Subs not used: Duncan Bray

Goals: Liam Ormsby (20), Paul Haigh (55), Steve Lyon (70)

Cautions: none