Pontefract U19s 3:2 Pocklington Town U19s
Northern U19s Alliance
Wednesday 15th February, 2012 

The youngsters of Pontefract Collieries put in yet another hard working performance and were rewarded with a well deserved 3-2 win against a much improved Pocklington Town side who had come on leaps and bounds since the early 8-0 drubbing between the two same teams.

If the Colls team was full of slick football, quality passing and lovely one touch moves, the Colls team in the second half of the season have galvanised themselves into a solid unit, one which is extremely difficult to beat or break down.

There were a couple of enforced changes to the line-up as Brad Gresham’s injury allowed Aaron Carrigan a place in the starting line-up, along with Ryan McDermott who was in for Kieron Wright. Rob Oldham was once again installed as captain, and the ‘tormentor of Pocklington’ wasn’t to disappoint on a cold night at the White Rose Stadium.

Perhaps due to the changes in the side, the Colls struggled to adapt early on – both sides also having to deal with a couple of weeks lay off due to the weather, which won’t have helped matters. Craig Mathie had the first effort of note in the first couple of minutes, a tame shot straight at the reliable Danny Ansbro.

The same player was at it again in the opening stages, this time Ryan Waugh doing well to clear up at the back as Mathie threatened to break. Again, Mathie was the dangerman this time putting in a lovely cross to Chris Bilton, who could only head wide in the area.

However, with their first chance of note, the Colls went ahead, just as they did in their last game at Goole. A passive move forward found ROB OLDHAM (16m) on the edge of the box. The academy captain stopped the ball, teased the defender, and then unleashed a fierce shot into the bottom corner.

With their tails up, Ponte now upped their game and started to create chances. Oldham was involved again moments later, this time finding Lewis Osborne who turned his marker before hitting his effort straight at Tom Guildford in the visitors’ goal.

Osborne again won the ball from a mistake in the visitors defence, this time hitting a powerful effort that was well saved by Guildford. Back at the other end, Mathie was behind the defence again, but this time, man of the match Karl Abbott came from nowhere with a great covering tackle to stop the winger in his tracks.

The sides continued to trade chances, Warren Redford bursting away from the defence but just letting his last touch take the ball away from him, before Chris Saltmer’s effort was easily saved by Ansbro.

Pocklington were having the majority of possession at this point, yet it was still Ponte who looked the more threatening – Callum heading just wide from an Osborne cross.

Just before half-time, some would argue the perfect time to score, the U19s doubled their lead, and it owed much to some woeful defending. Osborne worked the ball forward, finding Green whose hard low shot was saved, however the ball wasn’t cleared, was cut back right across goal, finding ROB OLDHAM (44m) who kept his cool to fire into the net. The visitors had three chances to clear the ball, and were duly punished.

Ponte were unsettled in the first moments of the second half, and the slow start cost them and gave Pocklington a way back into the game. Some poor play at the back saw ALEX BOYES (53m) take advantage of the home side’s failure to clear the ball, and duly despatched the effort into the bottom corner.

However, the goal against seemed to spur Ponte on to increase their lead and make the game safe. Redford hit a lovely effort from an acute angle that Guildford did very well to save, before a passing move between Redford, Osborne and Oldham saw the latter’s shot blocked, with Redford unfortunately blazing the rebound over from close in.

Osborne then showed a lovely touch on the far side, before delivering a dangerous low cross into the area that Carrigan just couldn’t connect to.

Ponte then seemingly made the game safe, and the move was orchestrated by the impressive Callum Green in midfield, who drove forward and played a neat one-two with Redford, who laid off for AARON CARRIGAN (71m) who coolly finished in the area.

It was all Ponte now as the home side looked to drive home their advantage. Osborne was denied a goal from Guildford, after a trademark long throw in from Karl Abbott. Moments later Osborne again burst through the defensive line, but a good block by the defence saw the ball fall to Redford, whose effort was deflected just wide.

The game could have been sealed and delivered as the match approached injury time, Green smashing a fierce volley on target from the edge of the area, only to be met by an even more impressive flying save from Guildford.

Deep into injury time, the visitors were awarded a penalty as Abbott fouled Ben Alport in the box, allowing ALEX BOYES (90+3m) to send Ansbro the wrong way.

Ponte were never really in trouble in this game, but in all fairness, they weren’t at their sharpest and you felt they could always step up a gear if needed. Man of the match Karl Abbott had a stormer at the heart of the defence, not putting a foot wrong until extremely late in the game, but the youngster had been commanding and won everything at the back.

Manager John Redford said after the match, “Again, it wasn’t one of our better performances and we should have been more comfortable, especially in the second half. It’s another three points though when we haven’t been at our best, and that’s the sign of a quality team.”

Team: Ansbro, McDermott, Chapman (Allen 83), Abbott, Waugh, Carrigan, Green, Guest (Hill, HT), Osborne, Redford, Oldham