Bill Cook Trophy
Pontefract Collieries 5-1 Glasshoughton Welfare
A Scott Smith inspired four-goal burst in the final 25 minutes secured the Bill Cook Trophy for the sixth consecutive year for Pontefract Collieries.
Local neighbours Glasshoughton Welfare were holding on until two leagues higher Pontefract pulled into fifth gear and went on a rampant spree of goals to win the contest.
Mikey Dunn’s opener was cancelled out by Glasshoughton’s returning striker Jamie Simpson in the first half.
Glasshoughton held out in the match, played in memory of local trophy dealer Cook, until Smith put the Colls back in front on 65 minutes.
Smith then supplied assists for goals from Eli Hey (2) and Dunn
Glasshoughton have to look at their performance in a positive fashion because the two previous games against Pontefract have seen them walloped by half-time.
Dunn caught Glasshoughton goalkeeper Sam Riches off his line for the first half. The winger cut in on the left and lobbed the stopper from distance.
Most probably assumed Glasshoughton would fold against the giants of Ponte, but they didn’t they were rewarded for their efforts when Simpson headed home from corner.
The visitors rode their luck on the stroke of half-time as Vaughan Redford had a goal-bound effort headed off the line.
Whether it was related to the changes, fitness or Ponte’s superiority, Welfare could not cope with the home side’s powerful surges forward in the climax.
Former Garforth Town midfielder Jack Lazenby set the wheels in motion for the second half. His through sent substitute Hey scuttling away and the striker crossed the ball across the face of goal to give Smith the simplest of tap-ins.
The away defence was all at sea as Smith burst away only a few minutes later to return the complement to Hey who went through and easily finished.
Smith hit the post as the Colls searched more goals and when the ball returned to the penalty area, Hey netted his second and Ponte’s fourth.
The night’s hard work was rounded off by Dunn, but it was Smith who put the yards with another break forward before passing to his fellow attacker who had an easy finish.
Man of the Match
Scott Smith (Pontefract Collieries)