Selby Town midfielder Nathan Kamara prepares to see his red card as Pontefract captain Dean Twibey lays comatose on the ground and Duncan Bray jumps up to protest
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Words and pictures by James Grayson (@jamesAgrayson, @NonLeagueNorth)
The first half sending-off of Selby Town midfielder Nathan Kamara proved to be the turning point as Pontefract Collieries won the battle of the unbeaten Toolstation NCEL Division One sides.
Kamara was dismissed late in the half for second bookable offence at a time when the scores were locked at 1-1.
Seltby has just levelled the game through Dane Mortimer which cancelled out Craig Rouse’s superb header at Skinner Lane.
Two goals from Tom Copping and Matty Marsden – both inside the opening 18 minutes of the second half killed off Selby and Collieries joint manager Duncan Bray admitted the red card changed the game.
“It ended up more comfortable than what it would have been (if Selby had kept 11 men on-the-pitch),” he told Non League Yorkshire.
“They threw everything at us in the last 20 minutes and made a game of it, but the turning point was when Nathan Kamara got sent off.
“At 1-1, that was the turning point because they had change everything and we had to pup it and use the space and we did as we took our chances well.”
The home side were put under the cosh early-on. Goalkeeper Craig Parry made an excellent save from a Ryan Robinson header and then Danny Gray uncharacterially fired wide in a good position.
Moments after Kamara was rather harshly given his first yellow card for kicking the ball away, Ponte took the lead against the run of play.
Rouse, who scored the winner in midweek, rose smartly to head home Marsden’s fine cross.
Collieries then had a good spell of pressure, but, failed to extend their lead.
Pontefract midfielder Chris Kamara runs over to Craig Rouse after the striker’s opening goal
Craig Rouse (right), who scored Pontefract’s opening goal
The referee Daniel Bennett doesn’t even look at Selby midfielder Nathan Kamara as he shows the red card
An excellent low finish from Mortimer from 18 yards drew Selby, but their joy soon turned to disbelief.
Kamara flew into a needless challenge on Dean Twibey right in front the Ponte bench and referee Daniel Bennett had the easy decision of showing the former Garforth man his second yellow card inside 11 minutes.
Selby then suffered another blow at half-time as Gray had to be replaced because of injury.
The initiative was with Ponte and a goal seemed inevitable. Selby will be disappointed with the manner of how it was conceded.
Selby failed to deal a short corner and the ball travelled towards the back post to the unmarked recent signing Copping, who simply put his foot through the ball from close range and found the net.
The ball drops nicely for Pontefract defender Tom Copping for the second goal
Tom Copping watches as the ball finds the net
Jonathan Mwembe celebrates as Tom Copping wheels away after scoring
Game-over: Pontefract midfielder Matty Marsden celebrates scoring the decisive third goal
Just after the hour, Selby’s Tom Bennett forced another good save out of Parry and within 60 seconds, Ponte scored the decisive third goal.
Mark Whitehouse’s persistent down the left-wing enabled him to cross and Marsden applied the finishing touches from close range.
The goal rounded off an excellent attacking display from Pontefract – a side that have high hopes this season.
A positive for Selby, who have made an excellent start, is that they didn’t throw the towel in. Young substitute Matty Start narrowly missed out on scoring a late consolation that rounded off a competitive local derby.
Selby assistant manager Chris Dickinson, who took charge in place of the unavailable Dave Ricardo, said: “I thought we did well for the first 20 minutes.
“We kept good possession of the ball and we put the ball in the right areas in the box.
“We missed a couple of chances, but really, shape-wise and penetration on the ball going forward, the sending-off has cost us.
“(Nathan Kamara) he picked up one yellow card and probably made a couple more errors with the challenges and then delved into a third one and the referee was left with no other decision to make.”
Pontefract Collieries: Parry, Twibey (captain), A Robinson, Mwembe, Copping, Joseph, Marsden (Hicks 86), C Kamara, Radford (Wetherald 80), Rouse (Simpson 85), Whitehouse. Subs unused: C Robinson, Mesenge.
Selby Town: Thane, Archer, Binns, Jones, Mortimer, O’Reilly, Bennett, N Kamara, Gray (O’Connor HT), Robinson, Muirhead (Start 67). Subs unused: Pardoe, Horsman.
Referee: Daniel Bennett
Ref Rating: 5/10
Attendance: 88
Man of the match: Tom Copping (Pontefract Collieries)