Ponte bounce back with classy win at Hallam |

Ponte bounce back with classy win at Hallam

Hallam 1:3 Pontefract Collieries
Baris Northern Counties East League First Division
Tuesday 22^nd November, 2011

Pontefract's jubilant players celebrate Greig McGrory's decisive late goal

The Colls showed all their character to bounce back from their weekend crash against the Worksop barriers – and from going a goal down against the run of play – to win at Hallam and re-ignite their title challenge.

With the side reeling from their 3:0 defeat at home to leaders Worksop on Saturday, questions were being asked about Pontefract’s title credentials in advance of the game. Having performed so well do drag themselves back into the title race with 7 wins from 8 matches going into Saturday’s clash with Worksop, the nature of the defeat must have provided a severe dint to The Colls’ players confidence, coming within recent memory of a similar non-performance against Louth.

The early signs were good for Pontefract, as the team showed more control and fluidity than they had in either of their recent catastrophes. Will Ramsay set the tone, signalling his own personal return to form with a scorching run that let the left back in his wake before sending over a teasing cross towards the back post, where it somehow evaded the onrushing strikers. Ramsay’s team-mates, realising that the winger had the beating of his marker, fed him time and time again in the early minutes, with the hosts doing well to keep the damage down to a series of corners.

Picking up on the clearance from the fourth of these corners, Scott McGrory – who was back to outstanding, all-action form himself in the engine room – drove towards goal before unleashing a low shot from 30 yards. Again, the hosts deflected the ball out for a corner.

With most of the early threats having been focused on the right flank, where Ramsay was combining with Connor Rollinson to good effect, skipper Liam Ormsby altered the focus of attack, switching the ball left to Steve Edwards, finding space as the hosts’ drifted across to close the space around the Ponte right flank. Edwards played a neat one-two with James McDaid before chipping a perfectly-weighted ball – the first of many such balls the young left back would play through the game – into the chest of Steve Lyon. Lyon chested down, spun away from his marker, then swung the ball behind the right back and into the path of McDaid down the left. McDaid raced clear, sliding the ball towards Greig McGrory at the far post, but the ball was cleared by Hallam’s Julian Watts.

With a quarter of the game gone and the visitors playing up the considerable slope, all the quality was coming from Ponte, who seemed to be gathering momentum. When the Hallam left-back Dwayne Wiley broke up a move, he raced onwards, deeper and deeper into Ponte territory. However, Tom Robinson was alert to the danger, tracking back a full 70 yards before putting in a tackle in his own box. It was an effort that summed up the visitors’ determination.

Although Pontefract were dominant in possession, passing the ball well and using the full width of the pitch to take the game to their hosts, they were less impressive when not in possession, allowing Hallam too much time on the ball. They paid a heavy price, when Liam Morris latched onto a long ball to strike home past Lee Kelsey’s despairing dive.

Finding themselves a goal down against the run of play, pushing up a ski-slope of a pitch, and coming a few days after a demoralising defeat, teams of lesser character may have allowed their heads to drop. Not the Colls. Led by Lyon and the outstanding Greig McGrory, who would allow no cause to be considered lost in an imperious, gutsy display, Pontefract re-doubled their efforts. When McDaid was obstructed in the act of turning an opponent 25 yards from goal, McGrory dipped the resultant free-kick over the wall and into the bottom corner of the Hallam net, only to see his “goal” ruled out as the free-kick had been indirect, and the ball had evaded any touch on the way in.

Greig McGrory strokes home the equaliser

Again, Ponte’s players could have been forgiven for despondency, but they gritted their teeth and pushed forward. They soon had the reward of an equaliser. Liam Ormsby, playing the role of orchestra conductor, waved his baton and released Steve Lyon down the right wing, floating a superb pass over the head of Lyon’s marker. The classy striker kept his head, picking out the near-post run of his strike partner McGrory with an inch-perfect pass. McGrory did the rest, taking a touch before passing the ball past the ‘keeper and into the net.

Greig’s brother Scott was denied a goal by an athletic save from Lewis Naylor, when the midfielder reacted to Gareth Roberts header across the face of goal to cleverly lift the ball over the ‘keepers head and back towards the goal. Naylor showed terrific agility to tip the effort over the bar.

Aaron Moxam tried an audacious overhead kick from a cross during a rare Hallam attack, but Kelsey made the save look easier than it was. Then Steve Lyon tried the same trick, but was penalised for a high foot in attempting to convert Connor Rollinson’s cross.

With the sides level at half time, Pontefract would have felt that they held all the aces entering the second half: they had dominated play during the opening period and, this time, the slope would work in their favour. However, Brendon Ormsby and his worldly-wise lieutenants Bray and Handley warned his team against any suggestion that the hard work had been done.

The team responded positively. In the opening minute of the second half, a deep Ormsby free kick was headed clear, but only as far as Lyon. The striker chested the ball down and struck a left foot shot goalwards, only to see it deflected over the bar for a corner.

Greig McGrory showed his strength and skill to control a high Kelsey clearance, evading the attentions of both Hallam centre-halves to trap the ball, spin away and feed McDaid on the right – where the winger was appearing after a trade of flanks with Ramsay. McDaid flashed a pass across the face of goal. Matt Darcow miscued his clearance, and the ball somehow found its way through to Tom Robinson, whose presence in the Hallam penalty area was as eloquent a sign of Pontefract’s attacking intent as any. Unfortunately, Robinson also miscued, with the goal at his mercy.

Ramsay drifted infield, showing lightning quick feet to evade two challenges and create space for himself. He fed Scott McGrory, who drove beyond two markers before blasting wide from 25 yards.

Pontefract thought they had scored with a quarter of an hour remaining, when Greig McGrory’s effort appeared to have crossed the line before being cleared.

With the echoes of the Ponte appeals still ringing in their ears, the visitors could have easily gone behind in a game they had dominated, were it not from a magnificent save from Lee Kelsey, diving low to his left to prevent Moxam’s effort from going in.

Again, Pontefract reacted positively, pouring forward in search of the goal that would surely, at this stage, win them the three points and pull them back level on points with the league leaders. As they had been throughout, Ormsby and McGrory were terrific in midfield: Ormsby the orchestrator; McGrory the all-action hero. McDaid and Ramsay were ever-threatening on the flanks, assisted by the full-backs Edwards and Rollinson. With Lyon and the magnificent Greig McGrory up front, the Colls combined to create a fine attacking unit. With Gareth Roberts and Tom Robinson commanding at the back, the Colls were rarely threatened. However, as the game entered its final five minutes, it seemed increasingly likely that the Pontefract side would have to settle for a point as a reward for their return to form.

Not so. Liam Ormsby won the ball in the middle of the park, surveyed his options, then fed Will Ramsay on the left. Ramsay checked inside, curling a fine cross into the heart of the Hallam area, where Gareth Roberts – another centre-half piling forward in search of a winner – headed goalwards. Roberts must have thought he had scored, but was denied by a fantastic save from Naylor. However, Steve Lyon pounced on the rebound from the ‘keeper’s parry and pulled the ball across the face of goal. Up popped Greig McGrory to score his – and Ponte’s – second of the game.

Pontefract were not finished. McGrory, who had worked tirelessly throughout, won the ball before playing provider to his strike partner. However, Lyon drove his left-footed shot into the side netting.

Steve Lyon bears down on the Hallam goal to add the third

When Ormsby found Lyon in space on the left a minute later, the striker had the time and space to cut back onto his favoured right foot and smashed his shot goalwards. In attempting to clear, Darcow could only deflect the ball into the back of the net, and to put the result beyond doubt.

This was a well-deserved win. Taken in isolation, Pontefract were the better team throughout, created the best opportunities, and reacted to adversity with admirable stoicism. However, when taken in the context of their home defeat against Worksop, this was an even more impressive win. The players showed terrific application, work-rate and poise, and should be praised for their reaction to adversity. Despite the doom and gloom after Saturday, the team moved level on points with the leaders, over whom they enjoy a game in hand.

Despite the loss to Worksop, Pontefract remain the form team of the league, having won 8 out of their last 10 fixtures. They will need to show all the determination, character and class that they showed here if the run is to continue at the weekend, when The Colls host a tough Hemsworth side at The White Rose Stadium.

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

Pontefract: Lee Kelsey, Connor Rollinson, Stephen Edwards, Tom Robinson, Gareth Roberts, Scott McGrory, Will Ramsay, Liam Ormsby (captain), Steve Lyon (repl. Duncan Bray, 88), Greig McGrory, James McDaid (repl. Leon Guest, 74)

Subs not used: Nick Handley, James Hicks, Warren Redford

Goals: Greig McGrory (35, 85), OG (Matt Darcow, 88)

Cautions: Scott McGrory