Colls make a splash as Moatmen see their hopes sink
PONTEFRACT Collieries fully deserved their thumping win in EvoStik Division One East as their impressive passing game picked Gresley apart, even when the pitch was left barely playable by a heavy downpour.
The Moatmen fell behind to an early penalty and the result was beyond doubt well before substitute Jake McIntosh was dismissed with 10 minutes to go.
Gresley were under pressure from the start on a very soft surface and, after six minutes, referee Ben Cooke saw a push in the area and awarded a penalty. Vaughan Redford dispatched the spot kick.
The Colls were close to doubling their advantage when Redford jinked into the area but his final shot flew just past the far post. More pressure came with Redford running through on goal but, again, his final effort went wide.
It was 2-0 after 25 minutes when Glyn Cotton’s long-range low shot beat goalkeeper Oliver Fairbrother and flew into the bottom corner.
Gresley could not get to grips with the fast movement and passing of the visitors and it was not until the 31st minute that they had an attempt on goal.
The Moatmen were awarded a free kick just outside the area and Martin Smyth’s shot made keeper Ryan Musslewhite tip a dipping shot over the bar. From the corner, a scramble a yard from goal finished with the ball poked goalwards only to be cleared off the line.
After 39 minutes, Callum Riddell hit a powerful shot which had Musslewhite scrambling across his goal but the ball went just wide.
Just as the rain began to fall, Jack Greenhough’s free kick from 22 yards was pushed away by Fairbrother.
By the time of the restart, there were puddles of standing water all over the pitch but the referee decided to let the game continue and full credit must be given to Pontefract as they continued to play the attractive passing game they had played through the first half, even in atrocious conditions.
Jordan Nadat replaced Riddell after 54 minutes and was soon causing problems for the Colls, firing a shot just over the bar, but the away side once more pressed Gresley back with a shot crashing back off the base of the post and the rebound blocked.
The pressure told after 60 minutes when the impressive Eli Hey beat the Gresley back line and raced towards goal. With only Fairbrother to beat, he unselfishly laid the ball across for team-mate Michael Dunn to side-foot into the empty net.
Pontefract continued to push forward, with Fairbrother having to punch away a well-struck low shot but Gresley went close again when Kane Lee beat Musslewhite to the ball only to see his effort roll agonisingly wide.
After 80 minutes, Hey was put through on goal again and young defender McIntosh, in trying to get back, clipped the heels of the league’s top scorer. It was a clear denial of a goal-scoring chance and, as the last man, a red card was inevitable.
Pontefract added a fourth goal to top off a very good performance and again it involved Hey, who set up substitute Nick Guest to fire home.
Gresley had a glimmer of a chance after 89 minutes but James Jepson’s free kick flew wide.
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