NPL Division One East
Pontefract Collieries 1-2 Cleethorpes Town
Craig Rouse’s Pontefract Collieries were victims of a smash and grab raid by Cleethorpes Town who nicked all three points thanks to a late goal at Beechnut Lane.
Jon Oglesby’s 77th minute deflected effort stole the points for Cleethorpes who had to survive a lot of pressure in the second half.
Ponte deserved at least a point but it the start and finish where it went wrong for them.
The middle section was pretty good but when you concede in the fourth minute you’re making life hard for yourself.
A long ball was knocked down by Scott Vernon and captain Alex Flett sent a low stinger past home goalkeeper Ryan Musselwhite.
Cleethorpes nearly added more to their tally straight after as Brody Robertson and Oglesby both went close.
The response was excellent from Ponte.
Vaughan Redford missed a sitter after great build-up play from Mikey Dunn and Ben Gordon.
Dunn released Gordon down the left-side of the penalty area and the ex-Chelsea youngster’s low squared cross found the unmarked Redford who wasted his golden ticket by blasting over from six-yards.
Despite the miss, the Colls kept the heat on their visitors and were deservedly rewarded.
Cleethorpes goalkeeper Tom Jackson initially denied Gavin Rothery but the Colls quickly won the ball back.
Rothery got himself back into an onside position just inside the penalty area and received a pass from Jack Vann.
He took a couple of touches before sending the ball into the six-yard-box where Eli Hey was able to steer the ball past Jackson.
The bulk of the second half was spent in Cleethorpes’ half.
The visitors defended exceptionally as they must have faced Ponte’s ‘secret weapon’ ten or more times – the long-throw missile from Jack Greenhough.
Redford was inches away from giving Ponte the lead.
His Eric Cantona-esque outside of boot shot was heading for the top corner until Jackson got a fingertip on it to deflect it onto the crossbar.
The second half was very disrupted because of various passages of argy-bargy and the odd theatrical falls.
The funniest moment was when a Cleethorpes defender went down under a challenge from Hey and a woman on the front row of the main stand leapt off her seat and began clapping and chanting ‘send him off, send him off’. No-one joined her in unison.
Cleethorpes rarely ventured into Ponte’s half – not that it mattered when Oglesby’s shot from outside the area took a massive deflection to leave Musselwhite helpless and Ponte going home without even a point for their efforts.
What They Said
Pontefract Collieries manager Craig Rouse
“It is a game of fine margins and they have been clinical and took their chances.
“I think there is a lot of fortune in the second goal
“It took a wicked deflection and there was nothing Ryan could do.
“There’s more we could have done to stop them coming inside by shutting the door.
“We weren’t switched on enough.
“(In terms our chances) their goalkeeper tipped one onto the bar.
“We missed a gilt-edge chance from six yards (in the first half) so it is fine margins but you want to be on the right side of them.
“I’d say we deserved a point but their management might say something different and say they’ve come away from home and grinded it out.
“I wouldn’t take it away from them but I certainly think our overall performance deserved more than it got but we have to learn from it.”
The Teams
Pontefract Collieries: Musselwhite, Greenhough, Gordon, Vann, Clarke, Stokes (Okpolokpo 80), Rothery (Robson 78), Lazenby, Hey, Redford, Dunn (Smith 71). Subs unused: Brook, Brown.
Cleethorpes Town: Jackson, Long, Topliss, Dickens, Cooke, Donald (Smaller 62), Venney, Flett (captain), Vernon, Robertson, Oglesby (McKay 83)). Subs unused: Stead, Middleton, Pettinger.
Who Was In Charge
Will Cavanagh (10/10)
How Many Were There
217
Man of the Match
Tom Jackson (Cleethorpes Town)