Pontefract Collieries 0:3 Worksop Parramore
Baris Northern Counties East League First Division
Saturday 19^th November, 2011

Pontefract lost the battle of the top two teams at The White Rose Stadium, being undone by three set-pieces from the visitors.

In truth, it was not just the hosts’ inability to cope with the set-piece aerial onslaught from the leaders, who contained several giants in the ranks and clearly know how to play to their strengths. This was a strangely muted performance from The Colls, with the team apparently flat and lifeless, and failing to reach the heights of their previous three games. When the home team did threaten the visitors’ goal they came up against a ‘keeper, in Steve Hernandez, in outstanding form.

With The Colls boasting the best defensive record in the league coming into the game, it was ominous that the normal back five were subject to change through injury. With skipper Dean Twibey out through injury and Lee Kelsey also ruining his ever-present record through absence, youngsters Connor Rollinson and Tom King were drafted into the rear-guard. The latter, making his debut for the first time between the sticks, made a solid start to his career in senior football, while Rollinson was one of the few Colls performers who impressed, yet the changing of the normally unimpeachable back five undoubtedly unsettled the team, which was further weakened by the absence of Poskitt, Lumley and Bray, with James McDaid being relegated to the bench following a knock sustained midweek at Rossington.

The game belied its status as a clash between the top two teams in the league with a start that was not so much slow as comatose: the only real action in the opening ten minutes being a twisted ankle sustained by Worksop’s Lee Thompson. There was a warning of things to come for The Colls after 11 minutes, however, when a throw-in on the left side was launched into the box towards the twin towers of centre-halves Andy Brownrigg and Karl Colley who – along with several of their team-mates – towered above the Colls troops. While Tom King denied the opening effort by diving at the feet Gavin Davis to prevent the striker poking home from Brownrigg’s knock down, the chance was simply a warning shot.

On 15 minutes, Worksop tried again with a long-throw, and this time they scored, with Tom Nolan popping up at the far post to convert a knock on, sending his header looping over King and into the net.

The game settled into a pattern. Pontefract struggled to retain possession, repeatedly presenting it back to Worksop with panicky clearances or aimless long balls, which were never going to be sufficient to give Greig McGrory and Steve Lyon any chance in the Land of the Giants that is the Worksop back four. Worksop launched the ball down the channels, content to turn the Pontefract defenders in the knowledge that they would likely be forced to concede the corners or throw-ins from which they fancied their chances, and with just cause.

Pontefract tried to shake themselves loose of their lethargy, and finally mustered an attack of note with nearly a quarter of the game gone, but Scott McGrory’s cross was headed clear. Worksop almost prospered from another set-piece minutes later, but Thompson’s 35 yard free kick rattled off King’s cross-bar and over for a goal kick. At the other end, Liam Ormsby floated a deep free-kick into the box and onto the head of Gareth Roberts, whose goal-bound header was cleared off the line by Worksop skipper Scott Lowe. Scott Preece then missed with a 25 yard shot, having been set up by Davis for the visitors.

Greig McGrory finally found the ball arriving at his feet, turning in the box to feed Lyon who, in turn, slipped the ball inside to Scott McGrory. The elder brother drove into the Worksop area, but was denied by a fine tackle from Andy Wood.

The younger McGrory then fed Lyon on the right and, when the ball was pulled back to the edge of the box, Will Ramsay arrived at speed to blast goalwards. Despite the power on his shot, the effort was hit straight at Hernandez, who did well to hold onto the ball and prevent McGrory from tapping in any rebound. Ramsay then fed McGrory in the six yard box, but the young striker found his space closed down a combination of Hernandez and his skipper Lowe, and the visitors escaped.

With Pontefract finally improving, Worksop doubled their lead. Again, it was a simple set-piece: Nolan arriving at the far post to nod home a corner that swung perfectly across the face of goal. Simple, but effective.

Finding themselves two goals down with the interval looming, Pontefract strove to gain a toe-hold in the game. Connor Rollinson, who was lively throughout, cut inside from his berth on the right flank, beating three men at full pace before being unceremoniously upended on the edge of the penalty area. Liam Ormsby’s strike was straight and true – but straight at the ’keeper.

When Paul Haigh was tripped on the stroke of half-time, Ormsby disguised his intentions with a short run-up before striking a 35 yard effort towards the top corner of the net. Hernandez performed heroics to cover the distance across the face of his goal before diving high to his right to deny the Colls’ skipper with a spectacular save and deny the hosts a fillip to both the score-line and their self-belief to take into the half-time break.

Pontefract did improve after the break, and seemed determined to avoid the mistakes of the first half. Greig McGrory capped some good work down the right flank by sliding the ball across the face of goal into the path of Ramsay, who struck his effort first time, but over the bar.

A good angled ball in from Stephen Edwards found Scott McGrory in the box, having spotted the run from midfield. McGrory turned to feed his brother who, in turn, rolled the ball into the path of Lyon, who sent a left footed shot over the top.

Just as it seemed that The Colls were getting closer, the game was taken away from them by Worksop’s third goal. A free kick was floated into the box from wide on the left, won by the towering Colley, and finished off by Adam Fretwell, who was first to react to the knock down.

Despite their three-goal lead, Worksop finally managed an attempt on goal from open play after an hour, but King was equal to Nolan’s low effort. A fine ball from Colley down the left channel fed Scott Preece, whose effort cannoned off the front post and away.

Liam Ormsby delivered a free kick to Tom Robinson, but the centre-halves shot was deflected behind for a corner. Gareth Roberts stooped to meet the corner at the far post, but could not get enough on the ball to head it goalwards.

The late addition of James Hicks gave the towering Worksop backline something else to think about, with the “awkward customer” joining McGrory and Lyon in attack. Hicks benefited when Lyon chested down Rollinson’s pass, blasting towards the bottom corner of the net with a sweet strike from 28 yards. However, Hernandez equalled his earlier effort, stretching every sinew to tip the ball round the post.

Tom Robinson fed Hicks with a good pass down the right touchline and, when the big striker sent a low cross over the face of goal, fellow substitute Warren Redford attempted an audacious flick, but again found Hernandez in terrific form to deny the youngster an outstanding finish to a good move.

When Liam Ormsby sent a 90^th minute free kick over the top, the hosts were denied their final chance of a consolation, and their misery was complete. In such a tight division, the result made the difference between topping the table and lying in fourth place, where the team now find themselves.

Worksop won this game by three goals to nil despite having created only a single opening from open play throughout the entire ninety minutes, which speaks volumes of the effectiveness of the game plan, if not the fluidity of their play. Pontefract, by contrast, seemed to leave their game plan in the dressing room, eschewing the possession game that has served them so well in dragging them back into the title race, instead preferring a long-ball game that constantly returned the ball to their opponents huge defenders and played right into the hands of their visitors. Add the fact that too many of their talented players performed way below par, and this was a recipe for disaster.

Let’s hope that the players can rediscover the magic ingredients in time for Tuesday night’s trip to Hallam.

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

Pontefract: Tom King, Connor Rollinson, Stephen Edwards, Tom Robinson, Gareth Roberts, Scott McGrory (repl. James Hicks, 65), Paul Haigh, Liam Ormsby (captain), Steve Lyon (repl. James McDaid, 83), Greig McGrory (repl. Warren Redford, 83), Will Ramsay

Substitutes not used: Nick Handley, Leon Guest

Cautions: none