Sat 28 April 2012, Bridlington Town v Retford United (NCEL Prem)

Match Details: Bridlington Town 2 – Retford United 2 (NCEL Prem)

Pre-Match Build Up: The NCEL fixture fairy was in top form this season, producing final day matches in each division which saw the top two clubs pitted against each other in a ‘Winner Takes All’ style scenario. In Division One, this meant that second placed Worksop Parramore entertained leaders Handsworth, while in the Premier Division, leaders Bridlington Town were visited by second placed Retford United. Unfortunately the fixture fairy cannot control the midweek weather, which meant that Retford’s penultimate game was postponed due to waterlogging, and that after today they would still have one game left to play. Nevertheless, with Brid two points ahead of Retford, it meant that if either team won today, they would immediately be crowned champions.

Destination: Queensgate, Bridlington
Competition: Northern Counties East League, Premier Division
Kick-Off: 3pm
Attendance: 495
Admission: £6
Programme: £1.50

Directions: Queensgate is around a mile, or perhaps a bit less, from Brid railway station. On exiting the station turn left onto the main road, then follow this as it curves round to the right, and a few hundred yards further is a right turn onto Queensgate. The footy ground is then a little way down here on yer right.

Off The Pitch: Queensgate is a decent and well-equipped ground for this level of football, with covered accommodation along almost the entire length of one side of the pitch. This is separated near the halfway line, with seating at one side and banked terracing at the other.

Behind the far goal is some more covered standing (on one level this time), and then along the dugout side is a further amount of covered standing – this being the ‘bus shelter’ enclosure pictured below. The near end is uncovered, containing some terracing as well as the social club and tea bar / shop portacabins. Today, all these were doing a roaring trade well in advance of kick-off, with programmes all sold out by 2.45 and long winding queues for the tea hut.

 

On The Pitch: The first half saw a very physical encounter in the main, as each side sussed the other one out and tried to get a foothold. Then as the game wore on, both sides began to play more of what you would term ‘pure football’, with a great contest taking place as things reached a climax. Brid drew first blood, with Craig Hogg heading home from close range following a corner, but Retford fought back and went into the break on level terms thanks to a shot from Carl Snowden, which I was sure was going wide till it nestled in the bottom corner of the net. Things really started to liven up from hereonin, with Retford starting to take control of proceedings in typical fashion. One of their manager Brett Marshall’s best bits of jiggery pokery this season has been the addition of Karl Slack up top, and it was he who put Retford 2-1 up midway through the second half, running onto a through-all and then poking it past the Brid keeper.

By this time, Retford had also brought on Lee Mellon and Carl Haslam, with Mellon battling for every loose ball, and Haslam starting to terrorise the home defence and looking dangerous evertime he received the ball out wide on the left. Going for the killer punch, Retford soon had the ball in the back of the Brid net once more through Warren Hatfield – except it was ruled out for some reason I didn’t spot at the time. With Brid now entering the last chance saloon, they started piling players forward at every opportunity. To their credit, they also managed not to panic, and in the final minute of normal time, substitute Billy Logan hooked in a shot from close range. Retford were now the ones hanging on by a thread as Brid came forward yet again during stoppage time. At times it seemd like every player on the pitch was in the Retford six yard box (inlcuding the Brid keeper at one stage), however despite a couple of close calls Retford held out, meaning that their destiny is still in their own hands.

This afternoon’s 2-2 draw means that Retford must now beat Thackley at home on Tuesday in order to snatch the title away from Bridlington. Given that Retford have only lost three league games this season, you’d have to put them as favourites. However, with one of the three teams to have beaten them being their remaining opponents Thackley, you never know what might happen. This season has been a fantastic one to watch football in both divisions of the NCEL, and it’s a shame that there is only one potential promotion place out of the Premier Division, as both Brid and Retford have been equally top notch this season.

Sat 21 April 2012, Eccleshill United v Rossington Main (NCEL D1)

Match Details: Eccleshill United 1 - Rossington Main 0 (NCEL D1)

Pre-Match Build Up: For the penultimate Saturday in the NCEL’s fixture calendar this season, the Dribbling Code visited the village of Wrose - which looks down the valley onto Bradford and Shipley, and is home to NCEL Division One side Eccleshill United FC. Next Saturday the potential Premier Division title-decider between Bridlington and Retford is our likely destination, whereas this week on the face of things there was less at stake. However, that’s not the way teams run in the NCEL, as players fight for every possible point and every position higher up the table they can achieve. Today’s visitors Rossington Main had already achieved their highest number of points ever in the league, which is good going considering the number of players they have lost over the course of the season. Eccleshill, meanwhile, coupld leapfrog Rossington in the table if they secured victory today. So no surprise then, that today’s match was fiercely contested on the pitch.

Destination: Plumpton Park, Kingsway, Wrose, Bradford, West Yorks, BD2 1PN
Competition: Northern Counties East League, Division One
Kick-Off: 3pm
Attendance: 38
Admission: £5
Programme: £1

Off The Pitch: The current Eccleshill United came into being just after the Second World War, taking the place of a previous club of the same name, which had ceased operations in the late 1930s. After moving through various different grounds, in 1963 Eccleshill United bought a former quarry site, on which it then built its current ground. The club also owns a plot of land just to the side of teh main enclosure, which contains an open pitch currently used by the general public. There is the possibility that one day this could either be developed (as a synthetic or training pitch) or sold off (e.g for housing), but the latter would depend on another sports facility being set up elsewhere in its place for legal reasons.

The current set-up includes two areas of spectator cover - stepped terracing behind the near goal, and a main stand with four rows of seated accommodation which stradles the halfway line. Built in the late 1980s, with seating first added in the early 90s, the main stand was updated last year when its original ’bucket’ style seats were replaced by newer tip-up seats that had been obtained from Chesterfield’s former Saltergate ground.

And in the far corner (pictured below, with the aforementioned neighbouring pitch also visible on the left) sits the infamous Eccleshill outside bogs – no longer in use though, and possibly to be demolished over the summer, sadly! Also the close season is likley to see some ground improvements at Plumpton Park, including updating the changing rooms and levelling the pitch. The latter is part of plans which should see Bradford City’s Reserve team move back in to play their home games in Eccleshill next season. With the ground also used for at least one local cup final, and Bradford City regular pre-season-friendly visitors, the Eagles seem to have a good standing within the local football community, which is always pleasing to see for non-league clubs.

On The Pitch: A highly competative game saw the home side narrowly take the spoils this afternoon, though possession must have been fairly close to 50-50 I would have thought. Skill-wise, there was a bit of an end-of-season air to it, with very few clear-cut chances and a couple too many shots sailing over the bar for either side to be entirely happy with. So neither goalkeeper had a great deal to do in terms of shot-stopping.

The only goal of the game came around the hour mark, with Eccleshill’s pacy number 9 Marcus Edwards (pictured above) latching onto a high ball that outfoxed Rossington’s offside trap, and executing a precise lob over the keeper and into the net. Elsewhere, perhaps Rossington’s best chance came when Dean Sidebottom shot just over the bar, and Eccleshill came close to a second goal when Andy Fieldhouse just failed to direct a cross from the right on target with his shot.

And now, the gallery…

Twitter updates via www.twitter.com/dribblingcode

Sat 14 April 2012, Denaby United v Shafton Villa (D&DSL)

Match Details: Denaby United 5 – Shafton Villa 2 (D&DSL D1)

Destination: Old Road, Conisbrough, Doncaster. South Yorks, DN12 3ND
Competition: Doncaster & District Senior League, Division One
Kick-Off: 2.30pm
Attendance: 75-ish (head-count)
Admission: free
Programme: £2.00 (special 40-page full-colour issue)

Pre-Match Build Up: Last Saturday saw The Dribbling Code head down to Old Road in Conisbrough, to watch the reborn Denaby United take on Shafton Villa in the second tier of the Doncaster Senior League. The clash pitted the division’s top two teams together, and was to all intents and purposes a ‘title-decider’, with the winners looking at a clear run at the top in the last couple of weeks of the season. I’d been hoping to squeeze in a visit to watch Denaby in their first season back in senior football anyway, and once it was announced that a special commemorative programme would be issued for this game, done by former editor David Green, a date was made with both destiny and Denaby.

Off The Pitch: Denaby have spent their first season back using Old Road playing fields in Conisbrough (the village next door to Denaby), which has five pitches in it in total. United use the main pitch, which is situated next to the pavillion – handy today for getting some shelter from the repeated rain outbursts, and also meaning that refreshments and merchandise was available pitchside. Aside from a temporary rope down each side, the pitch is basically an unenclosed park pitch, which will be okay for them again next season in the Premier Division, but would mean they need to look elsewhere after that if they wish to progress up the pyramid to leagues such as the Central Midlands or Northern Counties East. The ground is about a mile away from Conisbrough railway station, which is served by an hourly service running between Doncaster and Sheffield. Otherwise, the X78 bus from Doncaster runs frequently and stops on Old Road very near to the ground.

With both teams already assured of promotion, the thing at stake today was the race for the First Division title. So while the league normally uses a neutral referee plus an official from each club as linesmen, today we had a full complimnet of three neutral officials taking charge. I think the referee must have forgotten to bring something important with him this afternoon mind, but more of that later. The new-look Denaby are managed by Paul Noonan, whose son Dan also plays for the team (though wasn’t in their line-up today). Elsewhere, chairman Paul Nielson and secretary Steve Pugh are among those who have helped get the club up and running and looking at a dream start from their first season back. As well as the aforementioned David Green, whose name will be familiar to anyone who read the club’s award winning matchday programme back in the 1990s-era, long-standing fan Barrie Dalby, who co-wrote the book documenting the club’s history for its 100th anniversary, was also present today. And there is a definite feel of a club looking to pick up where it left off, with a very young side on the pitch, but many old faces still involved or giving them support from the sidelines.

Denaby took an early lead today thanks to a fine volley from distance by top-scorer Ryan Oakley. He duly celebrated with a double somersalt, and let’s just say that his finishing with the ball is far better than his gymnastic ability, which saw him end up on the floor in a heap and a few people worrying for his safety! Shafton duly came back at the homesters though, and after 17 minutes were on level terms thanks to James Thompson, who nipped onto a through ball ahead of the Denaby keeper and prodded the ball past him low into the left-hand corner of the net. No further scoring took place before half-time.

After the break, Denaby took hold of the game though - first through a penalty, with Oakley getting his second of the game and again only narrowly avoiding a self-inflicted injury during the ensuing celebrations. Soon after this, a goal from open play by Steve Ellor made it 3-1, and then around the hour mark a tap-in from Oakley following a darting run to the near post made it 4-1 to Denaby and pretty much game over. Shafton rallied briefly though, and pulled a second goal back through Ben Pearson, but Denaby then capped a fine team performance when Ellor scored his second and Denaby’s fifth with a neat side-footed finish following a cross from the left-wing. Meanwhile, a brief punch up between two opposing players somehow went uncarded by the referee. And following a blatant kicking the ball away elsewhere, and a scything tackle which definitely warranted a booking and would nowadays be a staright red in the Premier League, none of which saw the ref reach for his notebook, we collectively came to the conclusion that Mr.Brown must have forgotten to bring his cards with him today! A good game to watch though, especially considering the level the Donny Senior League operates at, and a few casual observers who don’t normally attend games here were impressed at what they saw today.

After today’s win, Denaby now lead Shafton by one point, with Denaby having four games left to play and Shafton just two games remaining. So two more wins will definitely be enough to secure the title for Denaby. As it proclaims on their webpage and on the front of today’s programme, Denaby United Are Back!

For further information on Denaby United, check out their facebook page at:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Denaby-United-FC-are-back/158777560854589

Or the club’s official webpage at:

http://www.denabyunited.com

The programme issued for the above game is also available by mail order while stocks last.

Mon 9 April 2012, Ossett Town v Ossett Albion (NPL D1N)

Match Details: Ossett Town 1 – Ossett Albion 1 (NPL D1 North)

Pre-Match Build-Up: Games at this time of year can be synonymous with end-of-season fever and nowt much to play for. No chance of such shenanigans though at the Easter Bank Holiday ‘Ossett derby’, which supplied mucho blood and thunder, and – courtesy of the increasingly muddied pitch as the rain came down - no danger of a boring bumpy surface either. Add to that the fact that Albion were not quite safe from relegation yet. Plus, being three points behind Town at the start of play (but with a bettter goal difference), an away win today would put them above their nearest neighbours in the table too. Further incentive for locals came with price reductions that saw all adults charged just three quid admission, and all kids let in free… so set the controls for Ossett, Batman….

Destination: Ingfield, Prospect Road, Ossett, Wakefield, West Yorks, WF5 9HA
Competition: Northern Premier [aka Evo-Stik] League, Division One North
K/O: 3pm
Attendance: 362
Admission: £3 (normally £8)
Programme: £2

Directions: 126/127 bus from Wakefield (or Dewsbury), which takes 20 minutes to Ossett bus station, and Ossett Town’s ground is directly opposite the bus station.

Off The Pitch: Aside from the seemingly moronic idea of trying to insist that spectators don’t bring their own food or drink into the ground (does any other club do this? - surely it can only serve to put people off), Ingfield is a really nice – and generally under-rated - non league footballing arena. It may not have the spectacular views of the hills that near-neighbours Ossett Albion are blessed with, but with two small standing enclosures, a larger seated stand behind one goal, and some nice expanses of terracing and elevated points to watch the game from,Town have a ground which I would certainly miss if the much-reported move to a new ground comes off in the near future. The clubhouse is also nice and spacious, and there’s a separate two-tier snack bar/hospitality suite next to it. Today’s game had a family feel to it, with kids from the club’s Junior side accompanying the players onto the pitch, and loads of young ‘uns milling about on the terraces.

On The Pitch: Today’s game saw the welcome sight of two teams desperate to win, with a slight contrast in playing styles. Town, relegated from the Premier Division last season, had the more physical and long ball approach, while Albion, who have been in Division One since gaining promotion from the NCEL in 2004, adopted more of a get-the-ball-on-the-floor-and-pass-it-around style. It was interesting to see the two contrasting approaches pitted against each other, and an enthralling game ensued. Things took a turn for the worse for Town midway through the first period though, when left-back Kyle Cook was sent off for a foul inside the penalty area on Albion’s Marc Thompson who was closing in on goal. It seemed a bit of a harsh decision to many of the crowd (myself included) – presumably the ref adjudged him to be the last defender, as it wasn’t a challenge worth a straight red in itself. The penalty, in the muddy conditions, was poorly hit though by Joe Fox, with Town keeper Ashley Connor guessing correctly when diving to his right and making an easy save. Soon after though, Albion took a deserved lead from open play, with Tyrone Gay charging forward, and executing a fine stooping header past the flailing Connor in the home goal. No further scoring took place before half-time, though Albion looked odds on to win the match with the slender one goal lead, coupled with a man advantage.

Town played well after the break though, gradually forcing their way back into the game with some good counterplay. Then Shane Kelsey won the ball off a defender on the left-hand edge of the box and shot a fine effort past the keeper for the equaliser. At 1-1, Albion’s Alex Booker had a clear header from a cross on the left wing, but which he sent agonisingly just wide of the goal. Then Daniel Toronczak went close for Town in a goalmouth scramble. Albion had a couple of corners right at the death but couldn’t force the ball towards the goal and the game finished a draw, which was overall a fair result.

Although I’ve been to both Ossett clubs several times between them, this was my first attendance at a Town/Albion derby, and it proved a good choice today. Town provided a friendly welcome, and – fascist snap ‘n’ pop policy aside – is definitely a club I would recommend paying a visit to if you’ve never been before.

early bath permit

Tyrone Gay of Ossett Albion stoops to head home the opening goal..

.. then goes for a celebratory roll in the mud

yellow cards..

another yellow card..

more yellow cards..

cards without looking..

cards for the substitutes..

meanwhile, some more football breaks out..

Gooooaaaaallllll!!!!! Ossett Town. Shane Kelsey makes it 1-1.

Sat 31 March 2012, Staveley MW v Dunston UTS (FA Vase)

Match Details: Staveley Miners Welfare 2 – Dunston UTS 2 {agg 2-3} (FA Vase Semi-Final 2nd Leg)

Pre-Match Build-Up: Like flies on sherbert, Staveley’s first ever appearance in the FA Vase semi-finals was the obvious draw card for any nearby groundlegging types this afternoon. Staveley had already got further in the competition than anyone would have reasonably expected – now all that stood between them and an appearance at that great big place in London called Wemberleey was a team of those pesky Northern League blighters - the type who always seem to excel in this particular competition nowadays. To succeed, Staveley would have to overturn a one-goal defecit from last week’s first leg, in this return home tie. Could they do it? Well, no actually, but it was a top afternoon’s entertainment any road.

Destination: Inkersall Road, Staveley, Chesterfield, Derbyshire, S43 3JL.
Competition: FA Vase, Semi-Final second leg [first leg score Dunston 1 - Staveley 0]
K/O: 3pm
Attendance: 1,050
Admission: £5
Programme: £1.50

Directions: The nearest glittering metropolis to Staveley is Chesterfield, so public transport travellers are advised to take a train to Chesterfield, then catch either the 70/71 or 77 bus from Beetwell Street (near the library/outdoor market), which is 5 mins walk from the choo-choo station. The bus takes around 20 minutes, and drops you off pretty much at the end of Inkersall Road. From here, the ground is a couple of hundred yards away on your right, and is easily spotted due the the big ‘Staveley Miners Welfare’ sign in the car park, and the blue and white stick of rock/football rattle type stripes which the entire frontage of the ground is painted in. Nice.

Off The Pitch: Staveley’s ground is for sure an impressive beast – mucho improvments of late mean that aside from needing some additional seating, it comes across as closer to a Conference standard ground than a Step 5 one. Recent weeks have seen a lot of additional terracing introduced in order to meet the grading deadline, so that should the club finish top of the NCEL at the end of this season, the off-pitch facilities would be up to scratch for a step up to the Northern Premier League.

There’s certainly plenty of space available at Inkersall Road for the club to develop the current location into whatever they want. Lovely wide stretches of tarmac and terracing surround the pitch, with three covered stands – one of standing accommodation behind each goal, and one of seating across the halfway line. There is also a large bar / clubhouse, a newly introduced outdoor ‘beer garden’, and the two-tier ‘Tower Bar’ as pictured below, which has a snap hatch down below, and an area above which was being used today as a TV gantry.

On The Pitch: With Dunston UTS leading 1-0 from the first leg, this game was about as finely poised as you could get. Both sides came raring out of the blocks, with some hard tackles flying from Dunston in particular. Staveley got the dream start they wanted, with little more than five minutes on the clock Simon Barraclough received a through-ball just inside the left corner of the penalty box, and executed a quality finish which flew past the Dunston keeper and nestled just inside the opposite goalpost. Dunston came back strongly though, and after Daniel Craggs had sent a free header from a Lee McAndrew cross just wide, an even better opportunity was to follow after 15 minutes. A free-kick on the left was whipped in by full-back Terence Galbraith, Michael Dixon was at the far post in enough space to calmly knock the ball back across the box, and with Staveley keeper Ian Deakin in no man’s land, a grateful Dunston top-scorer Andrew Bulford calmly side-footed past the lone defender on the goal-line to even the scores up. A delighted Bulford was promptly booked for over-celebrating his goal amongst the away fans, and this was to prove costly on the half hour mark, when he was shown a further yellow for a scything tackle which in all honesty was probably a straight red in today’s noncy climate. Bulford looked devastated as he trudged off, and when Staveley got a further goal shortly before half-time courtesy of a Chris Coy tap-in, not many in the ground would have predicted anything other than a Staveley win during the second period.

Dunston though, were not about to give up the game. Knowing that to get anything out of it now, they would have to work harder than the home side, they came out after the break and did just that. Staveley, meanwhile, were very subdued, and whether consciously or not, had reverted to playing like they just had to wait for the win to come, rather than force it on the pitch. As a result, Staveley’s performance nosedived to something with no real purpose or pattern to it, and Dunston always looked capable of something on the break, and by now lone striker Micheal Dixon was well on his way to a man-of-the-match performance. Confusion turned to disaster for Staveley on 71 minutes, when Simon Barraclough caught a Dunston defender with an elbow and the referee seemed happy to even the numbers up and order him off with a staright red card. In the ensuing melee, Dunston’s goalkeeper looked to have headbutted a Staveley player – even the Dunston fans couldn’t believe how stupid this was and were expecting the worst - however the ref and linesman batted not an eyelid for some reason and he got off scot free instead. This proved to be the last piece of luck Dunston needed, as from here-on-in it was endevour and pure quality which won them the game. With just five minutes to go, Stephen Goddard slipped his marker, and when the ball was played across to him on the penalty spot from Steven Shaw, he had so much time he was able to let the ball bounce four times before sidefooting it over a lunging Staveley keeper Deakin and into the roof of the net. Although the horror of what was happening briefly woke up Staveley for the final few minutes, the game was already beyond them and Dunston closed out for an historic victory. Although from a personal perspective it would have been nice to see NCEL representatives Staveley win through to the final, it would be a meaner bugger than myself who would begrudge the loyal volunteers and supporters of Dunston UTS such a richly deserved end to their season, and culmination of several decades of hard work behind the scenes.

 

Sat 24 March 2012, Retford United v Hall Road Rangers (NCEL Prem)

Match Details: Retford United 7  Hall Road Rangers 0 (NCEL Prem)

Pre-Match Build-Up: At start of play today, Retford sat level on points with current NCEL leaders Bridlington Town, trailing them only by virtue of goal difference. However, the club’s main problems were the off-pitch turmoil which had recently come to light – with players not getting paid their promised travelling expenses since November, a situation which had meant manager Brett Marshall having to fund the team out of his own pocket and with so many broken promises, announcing his intention to resign at the end of the season. Would Retford be able to take promotion financially then, should the team achieve the league title on the pitch? No one really seems to be able to answer that at the moment, but the team spirit at the club seems 100% intact still, and the players determined to push all the way during these last few games, regardless of whether they have a future here or not.

Destination: Cannon Park, Leverton Road, Retford, Notts, DN22 6QF.
Competition: Northern Counties East League, Premier Division
K/O: 3.15 pm [delayed by 15mins due to the late arrival of the away team]
Attendance: 149
Admission: £5
Programme: £1.50
Weather: Sunny ’n’ calm

Directions: Cannon Park is about a mile outside Retford Town centre. As no buses run directly to the ground (though there is one which stops off about halfway), if you’re on public transport then you’re faced with either jumping in a taxi or a 2o-minute walk for the final stretch. Easiest route on foot IMO is to head out of the town centre down Chapel Gate and Churchgate (by St.Swithin’s Church), which then becomes Leverton Road as you pass over the main East Coast Railway bridge. Cannon Park is then on your right and easy to spot. The ‘Getting To Football’ website which I normally recommend for directions gives a different route, which includes more back/roads country lanes, and personally I feel is less straightforward if you’re new to the area (plus would also be a bit bleak if returning in darkness).

Off The Pitch: First visit to Cannon Park for yours truly, but what a nice set-up it is. Aside from the slight inconvenience of having to walk the last few hundred yards down a main road with no pavement, once you get there the rural setting makes a welcome change, and the ground itself has a very homely feel to it – plenty of space round the pitch; small seated and covered standing areas to watch the game from; and a right big bobby dazzler of a clubhouse an’ all.

To save wear ‘n’ tear on the main pitch, the players warm up on the back field (as pictured above) which is situated just behind the stand behind the goal pictured below.

A decent amount of terracing/hard-standing surrounds the full area of the pitch, with an additional stand sitting across the halfway line at the far side of the ground. This contains four rows of plastic tip-up style seating, with around 150 seats in total. Either side of this is a small amount of grass banking. There is also normally a club shop open selling various bits & bobs of merchandise, however it was shut this afternoon due to the shopkeeper being on holiday.

Due to traffic congestion on the way down, by 2.30pm Hall Road still only had around 4 or 5 players present, so the kick-off was delayed by quarter of an hour to give the rest of the players time to arrive. Missing from the Hall Road line-up this afternoon was regular captain Steve Gawthorpe, who had been ommitted on account of his sister having passed away the previous day. A minute’s silence was also held in her memory, while Neil Towler took the captain’s armband temporarily.

On The Pitch: Hall Road started out okay, matching Retford for possession for the first ten minutes or so, but once Karl Slack had beaten the visiting offside trap and bagged his and the home side’s first goal of the day on 15 minutes, it was very much one-way traffic thereafter. Hall Road seemed to be employing the tactic of trying to pass the ball the length of the pitch, starting from their goalkeeper and gradually working forwards. However, it was failing almost every time – goal kicks followed the pattern of right-back Jamie Heard receiving the ball short from the keeper, but with no real quick movement in front of him in midfield, he was left repeatedly with the only option of either going sqare to his nearest centre-half, or backwards to the keeper. Retford sussed this was working in their favour, and were happy to let Hall Road have the ball in defence, then put pressure on them as quickly as possible. The second goal was not long in coming, with Hall Road getting caught in possession by Carl Haslam who then slotted easily past their keeper. And within a couple of minutes it was 3-0 and pretty much game over - Karl Slack beating two defenders then executing another good finish for his second of the game. By now the Retford crowd were urging the home side to go for broke and try to make up the goal average which separated them and Bridligton at the top of the table. Slack obliged just before half-time with his hat-trick via a close-range finish. 4-0 at the break then, and Hall Road in disarray and with some thinking to do.

Unsurprisingly, half-time saw Hall Road make a double substitution in order to try and change the game’s pattern and try to salvage something. Though they did put up more of a fight in the second half, there was no stopping the Retford juggernaut which was by now in full flow. At the hour mark it was 5-0, with Carl Haslam this time teeing up Adam Scott for an easy tap-in. Retford then made some changes themselves, but any hopes Hall Road might have had about this altering proceedings were immediately dashed when debutant Carl Snowden hit home with his first kick of the game (and first touch in a Retford shirt), and a further substitute, Jamie Brown, got Retford’s seventh after 71 minutes. Retford then let their foot off the gas somewhat and didn’t add to the scoring – though Hall Road’s misery was completed when aforementioned right-back Jamie Heard, who’d been given a torrid time by the Retford attack, got his second yellow card of the afternoon and received the opportunity for an early bath. A great overall performance then by Retford, who also shaved the woodwork a couple of times and could have had double figures. As usual, Retford’s attackers all caught the eye, however The Dribbling Code’s ‘Man Of The Match’ award goes to midfielder Lee Mellon, who was here, there and everywhere today and typified the Badgers’ team spirit and work ethic.

Before the game, a minute’s silence was held in memory of Jess Gawthorpe, the sister of Hall Road captain Steve Gawthorpe, who had sadly passed away the previous night

Sat 10 Mar 2012, Pontefract Collieries v Handsworth (NCEL D1)

Match Details: Pontefract Collieries 2 – Handsworth 3 (NCEL D1)

Manager’s tip of the day – Never turn your back on a goalscorer!

(Faffy Gwindi celebrates Handsworth’s equaliser with an impromptu pile-on boss Russ Eagle; Sam Smith then bagged a last-minute winner for the visitors)

Pre-Match Build Up: On paper this looked like the Match of the Day in the NCEL’s Division One, with first-placed Handsworth visiting second-placed Pontefract Collieries, and both teams level on points at the start of play. Ponty manager Brendan Ormsby echoed this sentiment in the match programme, writing that ”If either team can win, they will really fancy their chances of going on to win the title.” It also turned out to be a game well worthy its of top billing.

Destination: Skinner Lane, Pontefract, West Yorks, WF8 4QE.
Competition: Northern Counties East League, Division One
K/O: 3pm
Attendance: 95
Admission: £4
Programme: £1 (20 pages / 3 of adverts)
Weather: Mild and mud-free – a big contrast to this time last year!

For ground details / directions, etc., see previous Ponty Colls report here: http://thedribblingcode.wordpress.com/2011/03/10/sat-5-march-2011-pontefract-collieries-0-barton-town-old-boys-1-ncel-d1/

Off The Pitch: Poor Ponty Colls seem continually battling against the elements at this time of year. On my previous visit, a big chunk of brickwork behind the far goal had disappeared thanks to the March winds, and a couple of years before that, a covered shelter had also gone the same way. This time it was part of the near side perimeter wall that had recently blown down. Credit to the groundstaff who had just finished tidying up with brushes and the like before kick-off. Hope it’s not too big a job to get things back to normal again a.s.a.p. Apart from that, things are pretty much as they were last season – though the pitch is in much better condition thanks to the dry spell we’ve had of late. As usual, the tea bar was doing a brisk trade this afternoon, with a plentiful selection of hot food and drinks available. Pie & Peas seemed to be the order of the day, though having had some dinner just before leaving home, I made do with just a brew instead. Next time, I think I’ll starve me sen before stting off, in the name of ‘Tea Hut Research’! It was also nice to meet up with Ponty Colls’ secretary Rod for the first time, who is researching the club’s rather murky history and trying to piece together the jigsaw of how the club developed in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Rod also tells me that apparently the club’s first ever chairman (a Scot) based the pitch design directly on that of Hampden Park! And just before kick-off, a minute’s silence was held in remembrance of the six British soldiers (five of whom were from the Yorkshire Regiment, and one from the Duke Of Lancaster’s Regiment) who had lost their lives during the week in Afghanistan. RIP.

On The Pitch: This was one of those games which you luck upon a couple of times a season, in which you couldn’t ask for anything more of it as pure entertainment. And despite a scrappy first half, in which open play was not helped by a combination of the swirly wind, and Ponty’s ‘multi ball’ system which seemed to consist of 2 decent balls and 3 flat ones on the pitch at random. Ponty deserved their 2-0 lead at the break, and were not cruising but certainly looking comfortable. But Handsworth were breathtaking in the second half, and pretty much ran rings round their opponents. After a Sam Smith penalty got them back in the game, a cracker from Faffy Gwindi made it 2-2. And just as it looked like Handsworth had run out of steam, Sam Smith won another lost cause near the left touchline and slotted home from what looked like an impossible angle to send the visiting mob into delirium.

As the winning goal went in, a devastated Ponty boss Brendan Ormsby trudged forlornly round the outside of the pitch looking completely shellshocked. It wasn’t through lack of effort on the home side’s part, as Ponty had put their all in. It just seemed like their gameplan went a bit awry in the second half, and whatever the Handsworth halftime team talk was, it did the trick. By the time it got to 2-2, Ponty seemed to be resorting too quickly to lumping the ball into certain areas of the pitch rather than stringing passing moves together, and also collectively giving Handsworth a bit too much space and time on the ball. But credit to the away side for playing their way out of trouble, rather than panicing and going route 1. Their front three of Sam Smith, Scott Bates and Callum Ward, as well as the aforementioned Faffy Gwindi, all caught the eye today. And having stood on Handsworth’s left side in both halves of the game, I would also pick out left back Richard Tootle, who put in a really solid performance down that flank. Finally, also a rare positive mention on this site for a referee – although he made the inevitable occasional mistake, the man in black today Nigel Haycock I felt put in an excellent display, which helped the game flow and was just the right balance of standing for no nonsense but not blowing his whistle needlessly unless there was a proper foul committed.

The 5 teams at the top of the NCEL D1 are basically separated by one win, so promotion looks like going down to the wire. Handsworth still have to play Glasshoughton twice, but deserve their top billing on this evidence.

P.S. More detailed match reports can be found on Handsworth and Ponty’s own websites here: http://www.pitchero.com/clubs/handsworthfc/s/match-report-21490.html?fixture_id=347024&official=1

And here: http://www.pontecolls.co.uk/2012/03/12/ponte-hand-promotion-advantage-to-rivals/

And a set of photos from Ponty Arthur here: http://www.whiterosephotos.co.uk/portfolio249785.html

Photo Gallery 

 

 

Handsworth’s Sam Smith slots home the winner in the 90th minute