Pontefract Collieries 2:0 Eccleshill United
Baris Northern Counties East League, First Division
Saturday 21^st January, 2012

Pontefract maintained their lead at the top of the Baris NCEL First Division with a hard-fought win over promotion rivals Eccleshill United at The White Rose Stadium on Saturday.

The Colls entered the game with the omens against them: having lost five of their previous six games at home, the players must have feared the uneven pitch, and been further unnerved  by the vicious gale blowing down Beechnut Lane; whenever Ponte have been presented with an opportunity to preserve top spot, they have lost; their opponents had dismantled them in the reverse fixture; and, to compound matters, Pontefract’s recent history in windy conditions is one of failure.

Scott McGrory drives his team forward

Brendon Ormsby implored his players to put the pitch, the weather and the opponents to the back of their minds, and to focus on  their own game. They did not let him down. Led from the front by Assistant Manager Duncan Bray and from the back by ‘keeper Lee Kelsey and skipper Dean Twibey, and bolstered by the presence of new signing Ian McLean at left back, Ponte won the crucial early battles. Scott McGrory showed his tenacity early on, pressuring the Eccleshill defenders into conceding a corner.

Eccleshill, having beaten Ponte in the reverse fixture, gave as good as they got. In the game at Bradford, Marcus Edwards had destroyed The Colls defence. Here, he had the ball in the net within ten minutes, latching onto a finely slid ball. However, the linesman reprieved Ponte, raising his flag to signal offside.

Despite electing to face the billowing wind in the first half, Ponte retained possession admirably. James McDaid – yet to be on the losing side in a Ponte shirt at home – latched onto a ball by Liam Ormsby and drove at the heart of the United defence before rifling a low shot wide of the upright.

With both teams pressing forward, Ponte had Lee Kelsey to thank for maintaining parity, when the Ponte ‘keeper parried a well-struck shot from Joe Penn into the path of Ryan Poskitt, who completed the clean-up job by hooking clear.

Steve Lyon heads goalward: this effort came to nothing when the referee penalised Bray for a foul on the 'keeper

The visitors came close when a Josh Wright free kick drifted wide of the upright. The former Ponte favourite was central to most of Eccleshill’s play, spreading play well for his side. When Ponte attacked, Duncan Bray was central to most of their good moves. The veteran latched onto a ball from Twibey before turning the left-back and whipping a vicious ball across the face of goal. Bray’s strike partner Steve Lyon then manufactured a chance for himself, robbing Wright of the ball in the middle of the park and driving towards the heart of the Eccleshill defence before unleashing a left-foot drive from 35 yards that cleared Tom Taylor’s crossbar by a matter of inches.

Pontefract came close to taking the lead on the half hour, when Ian McLean swung a corner in from the right, and Gary Lumley met the ball on the half-volley, six yards out. Lumley met the ball firmly, but was unable to keep it below the cross bar, and the Bradford side escaped.

Eccleshill were awarded a free-kick in a central position 25 yards from goal, when the officials spotted Lumley’s use of an arm in clearing the ball in the swirling wind. This time, Wright stepped aside, allowing Josh McLean to take the free kick. The striker curled a marvellous free kick over the wall, only to see it drift inches wide of the upright with Kelsey beaten.

Kelsey kept his team level minutes later, when a Tom Robinson clearance landed at the feet of Wright, 35 yards from goal. The player reminded Ponte what they were missing, blasting a vicious volley towards the top corner of the net. However, Kelsey was equal to it, launching himself at full stretch to parry the ball around the post for a corner. Great shot; even greater save.

Pontefract had another let-off on the stroke of half-time. This time, Edwards timed his run to perfection, springing the offside trap and latching onto a fine reverse pass from Adam Bower. Kelsey closed the striker down quickly, but Edwards rolled the ball past the advancing ‘keeper. To Pontefract’s relief, the ball rolled onto the foot of the post, and was retrieved by a grateful Kelsey.

Having faced the worst of the conditions, Ponte were happy – if not slightly relieved – to go into the break with the scores level. They were to take full advantage after the interval, bossing the game from the 45^th minute to the last.

Ryan Poskitt set the tone, curling a right footed shot just wide of Taylor’s upright. Then it was the turn of Dean Twibey, making his 100^th appearance for the club. Twibey celebrated his membership of the exclusive “100 club” – watched from the stands by his fellow veteran Ponte legend Johnny Forsyth – with a fine display, allowing Tom Robinson to revert to central defensive duties alongside Gary Lumley in the absence of the injured Nick Handley. However, the Colls’s skipper will rue his 60^th minute effort, as he pounced on a loose clearance to blast the ball over the bar from 12 yards with the goal gaping.

Ponte lost the services of Scott McGrory on the hour, when the youngster was unable to run off a nasty thigh injury. He was replaced by Connor Rollinson, who added an extra verve to The Colls’ attacking options, allowing the versatile McDaid to move into the engine room alongside Liam Ormsby. Within a minute of his introduction, Rollinson skinned his marker, making progress down the left flank, before feeding McLean on the overlap. The full-back hit the byline, but his cross was caught by the wind and drifted behind.

Dean Twibey lies prone after a trip by the Eccleshill left-back: the referee pointed to the spot

With Pontefract starting to dominate, Marcus Edwards reminded the hosts of his threat, making another well-timed run to give himself a clear run at Kelsey’s goal. The striker crashed the ball towards the far post, but Kelsey was equal to it, diving to his left and parrying into the path of the retreating McDaid, who tidied up the bits and pieces. With Kelsey outstanding at one end, Bray continued his masterclass at the other. This time, his contribution was telling; Bray wriggled clear of several United defenders and into the penalty area, before sliding the ball into the path of Twibey. As Twibey shaped to shoot, he was tripped, and the referee had no hesitation in pointing to the spot, to the chagrin of the Eccleshill ranks, who felt that there had been minimal contact.

The ever-reliable Liam Ormsby slots home from 12 yards to give Ponte the lead

With two players already booked for dissent, the visitors’ self control threatened to desert them. Their mood was not helped when Liam Ormsby displayed all his usual calm and quality to despatch the penalty beyond a despairing Taylor.

As both sets of players re-set themselves for the re-start, the visitors continued their protests, accusing the officials of cheating. The referee had heard enough, sending Craig Laight off the field of play; the defender having earlier been cautioned for dissent.

With a goal and a man advantage, Pontefract turned the screw. Liam Ormsby – having scored from 12 yards – tried his luck from 40, but his free-kick sailed over the bar.

Fuelled by a sense of injustice, Eccleshill pressed for an equaliser. They thought they had one, when Edwards arrived at the far post to meet an angled ball from McLean. However, the assistant referee – having missed McLean in an offside position earlier in the move – did flag against Edwards, and the slender advantage remained with the hosts.

Duncan Bray celebrates his decisive goal

The Colls doubled their advantage in the 81^st minute, and it was a greatly deserved reward for their assistant manager. The move started with the ball in the hands of the Colls’ ‘keeper. Kelsey delivered a clearance down the left flank for Rollinson to chase, which the youngster did with relish. Rollinson laid the ball back into the path of Ian McLean, who had covered 70 yards to support his winger. The newcomer beat a man, then delivered a delightful dink into the path of Steve Lyon, who found himself in space on the left side of the box. As Lyon was closed down by a desperate defender, he skipped around him, then chipped the ball across the face of goal, and onto the forehead of Duncan Bray. The veteran made no mistake, heading the ball down into the net. The assistant manager was visibly thrilled by both putting his team into a commanding lead and by sealing his return to form and fitness with an important goal.

However, Eccleshill were not finished, showing great determination to right the injustices they felt. Edwards blasted goalwards, but was again denied by the flying Kelsey. As the ball riciocheted around the box, Robinson and Lumley threw themselves in the way of the goalbound ball, before it rolled into the path of Wright, who shot low towards the corner of the net. Kelsey confirmed his Man of the Match performance with a fine save to protect his team’s two-goal lead.

In the final minute of added time Ponte came close to a third. Ian McLean set the wheels in motion, winning the ball on the half-way line with a typically crunching challenge before racing forward and feeding substitute Greig McGrory in the box. McGrory held the ball up and turned his man, laying the ball into the path of Bray on the edge of the box. The assistant manager – who would have waltzed off with the Man of the Match trophy but for the heroics of Lee Kelsey – skipped around his marker and rifled a left foot shot inches over the cross-bar.

On the back of several disappointing home performances, this was a welcome return to top home form by the hosts who fully deserved to win the game, despite the protestations of the visitors, who clearly felt injustice at several decisions from the officials. This was a feisty game between two good teams, shaded by the hosts. With key rivals also winning, the result preserved The Colls’ slender advantage at the top of the league. Although these rivals enjoy games in hand on the leaders, winning this fixture at least provides clear daylight between Ponte and one of their main promotion rivals.

The Colls travel to Grimsby next Saturday, hoping to maintain their winning run and preserve their slender advantage in the race for the Premier League.

Pontefract: Lee Kelsey, Dean Twibey (captain), Ian McLean, Tom Robinson, Gary Lumley, Scott McGrory (repl. Connor Rollinson, 56), Ryan Poskitt, Liam Ormsby, Duncan Bray, Steve Lyon (repl. Greig McGrory, 81), James McDaid

Sub unused: Gareth Roberts, Andy Bugg, Stephen Edwards

Goals: Liam Ormsby70, pen), Duncan Bray (81)

Cautions: none