Emirates FA Cup
Pontefract Collieries 2-3 Tadcaster Albion
Tadcaster celebrate Charlie Binns’ goal. Picture: Matthew Appleby
A brace from Conor Sellars and a sublime curler from Charlie Binns was enough to see Tadcaster Albion past Pontefract and into the second qualifying round.
Conditions were absolutely horrendous in Pontefract with the rain hammering down and showing no signs of stopping. Nevertheless, it made for a proper FA Cup tie.
It was the home side who had the first effort on target with Pontefract captain Mark Whitehouse’s free-kick testing Michael Ingham’s handling on a severely slippery day.
The team two divisions below the Brewers then found a way past the former York City stopper as Josh Corbett’s dinked cross was nodded in by Jordan Turner but the forward strayed slightly offside and the goal was disallowed.
However Taddy slowly got into their stride and took the lead half-way through the first-half.
Liam Shepherd’s lofted free-kick was headed up and across goal by Tom Corner and Sellars showed great anticipation to read the play and coolness to nod past Ben Saynor in the Colls goal.
The goal gave The Brewers a real confidence boost as Billy Miller’s men looked to kick-on and extend their lead with Liam Shepherd’s low skidding drive well stopped.
Taddy were in the ascendency for the second part of the first half and smelt blood. This time it was Adam Baker who came close to doubling the lead, Saynor doing just enough to keep out the rasping shot.
The Brewers did double their lead in the 31st minute as Sellars grabbed his second of the afternoon.
Liam Shepherd quickly set the former Middlesbrough midfielder away one v one down the left-hand side and the live-wire that is Conor Sellars dipped inside and arrowed a rocket into the bottom left-hand corner.
Ponte pulled a goal back four minutes from the break. Gregg Anderson’s attempted clearance was blocked by Turner and the same man reacted quickest to steer past Ingham setting up an intriguing second half.
Pontefract have won their first five fixtures in the 2016/17 campaign and you can see why as they pushed hard for an equaliser at the start of the second half. With that being said, Taddy got off to a severely sluggish start as Turner raced clean through one on one with Ingham but the striker rushed his effort and volleyed wide of the mark.
Several seconds later and Turner was at the heart of the action again as he sprung the offside trap. This time he did hit the target but Ingham got down well to his right and the rebound, again struck by Turner was cleared off the line by Andy Milne.
These were three huge chances for Colls to level the cup tie whilst Tad drifted off, but would they be looking back and rueing.
The difference between the two sides on the day was the clinical finishing in front of goal as The Brewers restored their two goal advantage with what you’d call half a chance. A corner was controlled by Tom Corner with his back to goal and he teed up Charlie Binns who sublimely curled in his first goal for the club and celebrated with some fancy samba dance moves.
Credit has to go to Ponte though as they hit back once again reducing the deficit to one. Lewis Morgan misplaced pass inside the penalty area was pounced upon by substitute Kieran Hirst who powered past Ingham setting up a grandstand finale.
The home side threw everything at Taddy in the final stages as they looked to force a replay. They always say you’ll get ‘one more chance’ and that they did as substitute Jack Mawson found himself unmarked but he could only head straight at Ingham.
Thanks to Jay Taylor