Pontefract Collieries enjoyed a Bank Holiday weekend to remember, scoring twelve goals without reply as they swept aside Padiham FC in the FA Trophy before dismantling league leaders Liversedge at The Hunters Stadium.
Even Carlsberg would have struggled to top the Bank Holiday that Ponte Colls enjoyed.
A 7-0 victory away at Padiham FC in the FA Trophy First Round Qualifying Round on Saturday was followed by an emphatic 5-0 victory over Liversedge on Monday, giving the Colls a remarkable 12-0 aggregate across the two games. It was the perfect response to Tuesday night’s first defeat of the season at big-spending Matlock Town, with Jimmy Williams’ side returning to winning ways in emphatic fashion and finally securing their first league victory of the campaign in the process.
Seven Heaven in the FA Trophy
The Bank Holiday weekend began with a trip over the Pennines as the Colls headed to Padiham in Burnley for an FA Trophy First Round Qualifying tie. With both sides operating at Step 4 of the Non-League Pyramid, but in different NPL regions, Pontefract knew they would have to be at their best to progress.
They certainly made their intentions clear from the outset. The Colls were quickly on the front foot, pinning the hosts deep inside their own half and controlling the early stages of the contest.
The pressure eventually told just before the half-hour mark. Jack Wilson was brought down inside the Padiham penalty area, leaving the referee with no choice but to point to the spot. Elliott Walker stepped up and made no mistake, calmly finding the bottom-left corner to put Pontefract ahead and double his tally for the season.
The Colls continued to dictate proceedings and, five minutes before the break, they doubled their advantage. A deep corner was delivered towards the back post and Connor O’Grady rose highest to meet it. His header was heading towards goal before James Morris reacted quickest to get the decisive touch and flick the ball beyond the goalkeeper.
Two goals to the good at the interval, the Colls showed no signs of taking their foot off the gas after the restart.
The third arrived following a long throw into the Padiham box. The ball dropped invitingly inside the area and Jack Vann reacted quickest, first bringing it under control before firing a low finish into the bottom corner with the goalkeeper unsighted.
The floodgates had well and truly opened. Padiham attempted to push forward from a long throw of their own, but Niah Payne won possession and immediately turned defence into attack. Spotting the run of Kiyani Clayton, Payne delivered a superb pass into the path of the winger, who raced away at pace.
Clayton showed great composure, cutting across his man before rounding the goalkeeper and calmly rolling the ball into an empty net to make it 4-0. There was still plenty more to come.
Alex Pavan was introduced from the bench and quickly made his mark. Once again, Payne was at the heart of the move, threading a perfectly weighted ball through to Pavan. The substitute needed just one touch to bring the ball under control before firing a superb finish into the far corner, putting Pontefract five goals clear with almost 20 minutes still to play.
Four minutes later, Payne finally got the goal his performance deserved. After already playing a starring role in two of the goals, the forward was given the opportunity to add his name to the scoresheet from the penalty spot. He made no mistake, sending the goalkeeper the wrong way to make it 6-0.
The travelling supporters were loving every minute, with celebrations in the away end accompanied by chants of “Wembley, Wembley!”
And with seconds remaining, the rout was complete. Clayton’s free-kick was curled towards the back post, where Ben Middleton rose highest to power a header into the net and complete a stunning 7-0 victory.
The result marked a record win for Pontefract in the competition and one of the widest margins of victory across the FA Trophy round. Seven goals, a clean sheet and safe passage into the next round. But there was still another game to come.
League Leaders Toppled at The Hunters Stadium
Just 48 hours later, the Colls were back in action. Bank Holiday Monday brought the return of league football, with Pontefract welcoming Liversedge to The Hunters Stadium.
The visitors arrived in West Yorkshire sitting top of the league with a perfect record, looking to make it five wins from five. The Colls, meanwhile, were still searching for their first league victory of the season. A strong travelling support from Liversedge helped create an excellent atmosphere, with plenty at stake for both sides.
The opening 10 to 15 minutes were relatively cagey as both teams settled into the contest, although Pontefract goalkeeper Harry Christy was called upon early, making a smart save to keep the scores level.
The game burst into life just before the half-hour mark — and it was Pontefract who struck first. Elliott Walker delivered a dangerous, whipped free-kick into the penalty area and, the Liversedge captain attempted to deal with the danger. Unfortunately for Joe Walton, his stooping header flew perfectly into the bottom corner of his own goal.
The Colls had the lead, and matters were about to get even worse for the Liversedge skipper. James Morris was brought down inside the area as he looked to get onto the end of an opportunity, with Walton adjudged to have pulled the forward back and denied a clear goalscoring opportunity.
The referee produced a straight red card, leaving the visitors with ten men and Pontefract with a penalty. Walker once again took responsibility. And once again, he delivered sending the goalkeeper the wrong way, firing into the bottom corner to double the Colls’ advantage.
Now with the numerical advantage, a two-goal lead and the wind at their backs, Pontefract took complete control. Liversedge struggled to cope with the pressure, and the third goal arrived from another set-piece.
A corner from the left wasn’t dealt with by the visitors and, as the ball dropped inside a crowded penalty area, Niah Payne’s effort found its way through the bodies and into the net. There was some debate over whether Morris had got the final touch, but there was no doubt about the outcome. Three-nil.
And Pontefract weren’t finished. Another Elliott Walker corner caused chaos inside the Liversedge box. The ball was eventually cleared as far as the edge of the area, where captain Jack Greenhough was waiting. The skipper met the ball with a spectacular spinning volley. It flew towards the top corner, leaving the goalkeeper with absolutely no chance. Four-nil.
The Colls continued to press forward in search of more and, with five minutes of normal time remaining, they found a fifth. Morris produced a superb individual run, beating two defenders before going around the goalkeeper and seeing his effort heading towards the goal. Kiyani Clayton was on hand to make absolutely certain, poking the ball home from close range to complete the scoring. The goal prompted furious appeals from the visitors, who believed Clayton had drifted offside, but the goal stood.
The final whistle confirmed a huge three points for the Colls. The Bank Holiday weekend delivered everything Pontefract supporters could have asked for. Team of the Weekend? We’d say so.
