Cars and Busses carried the Staveley Miners Welfare players,
officials and fans up to Skinner Lane home of Pontefract Collieries but perhaps
a boat would’ve been more appropriate. As a rain storm of biblical proportions
arrived an hour before kick-off and didn’t relent all afternoon.
The grass was what would normally be described as a little
bit too long but in this instance it perhaps helped the pitch to remain
playable for the entire 90 minutes which was a good thing not only as an
abandonment would’ve meant a wasted journey but also would’ve spoiled what was
to turn out to be arguably the most entertaining game of the season...
...Ryan Watters coming in at right back for the unavailable
Fabian Smith was the only change to the starting line-up and Staveley began the
game in their changed strip of orange kicking towards the brand new housing
estate.
It took some time for both sets of players to get used to
the conditions but Staveley settled the better with Courtney Hastings first to
try his luck, from just outside the box in the fourth minute but fired over. As
did Kieren Watson moments later who elected to shoot rather than find a better
placed Adam Scott.
A freekick awarded following a nasty looking challenge on
Courtney Hasting went out for a corner which was poorly taken by Adam Scott but
the clearance from Pontefract went straight back to Staveleys right winger and
after dropping the shoulder and skipping past an onrushing defender with ease
he to fired over.
Those early shots were clearly just range finders as with
twelve minutes on the clock a tackle from Matt Varley which left the Trojans
captain hobbling around a little afterwards broke to Ash Rawson in the middle
over the park and he in turn found Adam Scott out on the right who up until now
with the home side playing three at the back had pretty much had that area of
the field to himself strode forward and planted the ball under home goal keeper
Ellis Halpine to give Staveley the lead.
Pontefract C 0 – 1 Staveley MW.
Matt Varley was struggling slightly with the injury
sustained in the earlier challenge and Pontefract exploited the fact that
Staveleys captain was not quite as quick across the ground as normal and,
former Staveley forward Aaron Moxam who before the start of the day had
seventeen goals to his name found himself in space at the edge of the box but,
on his weaker foot swiped at fresh air. Just after Kieran Watson was adjudged
to have fouled a defender as he rose to meet a beautifully flighted Adam Scott
cross who, once again had tied his fullback in knots, Ponte’s Aaron Joseph
similarly fluffed his lines at the crucial moment after a marauding run through
midfield.
The home sides Liam Schofield did however have his shooting
boots on and from out of nothing he cut inside from the left and from a
seemingly impossible angle equalised with a left footed outside of the boot
curling shot which deceived Ryan Musselwhite in the Staveley goal and went in
at the far post.
Pontefract C 1 - 1 Staveley MW
Staveleys lead was restored however just five minutes later
when tormentor in chief Adam Scott received a pass from Courtney Hastings who
had brilliantly brought a high ball down on his chest. Scott once again skipped
past his marker who initially fouled him outside the area but finally brought
him down in the box so a penalty which, was duly dispatched by Courtney
Hastings was awarded.
Pontefract C 1 – 2 Staveley MW
Appropriately, given the weather, the floodgates were not
just opened but well and truly blown off by a rampant Staveley in the remainder
of the half. On thirty five minutes a clever dink to Charlie Oglesby down the left just as it looked like he was about launch
the ball into the box by Matt Varley resulted in the left back winning a left sided corner taken by Adam Scott. Kieren
Watson should have headed it in but instead it went all the way over to
Courtney Hasting out on the right. Wasting no time at all Hastings returned the
ball to the far post for Jamie Brown to nod home.
Pontefract C 1 – 3 Staveley MW
Pontefract just did not know what to do with Adam Scott but
to their credit they didn’t resort to hacking him down as other teams might
have and in the 39th minute he received the ball out right and drove
for goal, skipped past Phil Linley as though he wasn’t there and stopped the
ball on the byline to watch Aaron Joseph, in attempting a challenge just slide
past. Scott then passed the ball to Kieran Watson who smashed it in at the near
post from two yards out.
Pontefract C 1 – 4 Staveley MW
Courtney Hastings completed the first half rout when he
collected the ball in midfield turned and from at least 20 yards unleashed a
curling shot which went over Ellis Hallpine and nestled in the bottom right
hand corner.
HT. Pontefract Collieries 1 – 5 Staveley MW.
Someone once said “it was a game of two halves” and this
certainly was that, as no one told Pontefract collieries that the points had
already been won and they immediately pulled another goal back when a cross
from their left was turned by substitute Sam Cable after the ball had seemingly
got stuck in the muddy goal mouth.
Pontefract Collieries 2 – 5 Staveley MW
Pontefract ‘keeper Ellis Halpine saved his side going
further behind saving firstly on 56 minutes from Kieren Watson who after great
pressing from Courtney Hastings and another cross from Adam Scott fired
straight at Halpine from close range. Then he rushed out to collect a through
ball from Courtney Hasting to Jamie Brown after the pair of them had led the
home defence a merry dance, with a quick one two.
He was at it again just past the hour mark as Jamie Brown
beat two defenders and saw his shot saved and when diving at the feet of
Courtney Hastings who had done well to fashion a half chance after he had slightly over run the ball following Kieren
Watsons driven pass.
Halpines heroics helped give his side a platform and the
confidence they needed to believe they were still in this and Sam Cable reduced
the arrears further when he pounced on a rebound following a freekick in the
seventy third minute.
Pontefract Collieries 3 -5 Staveley MW
Brett Marshall threw on Chris Baugh in the place of Jamie
Brown and he joined Ross Goodwin who had already replaced Steve Carty to
freshen up and give the midfield a more stronger look to try and impose
themselves more on the home side who after looking down and out at half time
suddenly looked like they might unbelievably get something out of the game.
The travelling Trojans didn’t need to worry though as
Richard Mintoft found Courtney Hastings in midfield and he held it up long enough
to be able to pick out the run of Adam Scott who once again slid the ball under
an on rushing Ellis Halpine, but he was denied a second goal by Kieren Watson
who added the killer touch at the far post to make sure it went in.
Pontefract Collieries 3 – 6 Staveley MW
Pontefract still weren’t done though and Aaron Moxom grabbed
his customary goal with a penalty in the final moments.
The second half failed to live up to the first half
excitement as far as Staveley were concerned owing much to the conditions as
anything else but in the end everyone was just pleased with the three points
and will be talking about that 5 star first half for some time to come.
FT: Pontefract Collieries 4 – 6 Staveley MW
It was an experience for many of the younger lads and may give them a taste of non-league football in its more natural state.
The team are on a decent run but no-one is getting carried away, having beaten 4 teams on the trot from the lower reaches of the league - and that is no criticism of Ponte who stuck to their guns admirably - but Staveley will come across more resilient teams in the future weeks - starting with Tadcaster at Inkersall Road on Saturday 5th December 2015, kick off 3pm. (match subsequently postponed)
The team are on a decent run but no-one is getting carried away, having beaten 4 teams on the trot from the lower reaches of the league - and that is no criticism of Ponte who stuck to their guns admirably - but Staveley will come across more resilient teams in the future weeks - starting with Tadcaster at Inkersall Road on Saturday 5th December 2015, kick off 3pm. (match subsequently postponed)
With 3 games to go to the half way stage there is a belief that and within the team that the second half will be better than the first half. On that basis, it may be the pre-season prediction of 5th to 9th can be achieved. Let's hope so.
Attendance: 111
SMWFC Line Up:1.Ryan Musselwhite.2.Ryan Watters.3.Charlie
Oglesby.4.Ashley Rawson.5.Matt Varley.6.Richard Mintoft.7.Adam Scott.8.Steve
Carty(12.Ross Goodwin).9.Courtney Hastings.(17.Adam Wisdom).10.Kieren
Watson.11.Jamie Brown.(15.Chris Baugh)Subs not used: 14.Alex Pugh.16.Mohammed Tijani
