Pontefract Collieries faught back for a point at The Hunters Stadium as they drew 1–1 with Dunston in a physical and hard-fought encounter, where each side enjoyed their moments of control across the ninety minutes.
The opening half belonged to the visitors, who were sharper in the duels and more aggressive in their press. Despite that, clear openings were limited, with both sides cancelling each other out in the final third. Dunston eventually found the breakthrough through a simple but effective move: a long ball over the top released David Robinson, who managed to sneak in ahead of the returning Lloyd Allinson and poke home the opener.
Jimmy Williams’ men emerged after the break with a renewed intent to play on the front foot, pushing Dunston deeper and taking control of possession for long spells. Pontefract worked the ball into good areas and forced Dunston to defend their box, but a clear-cut chance continued to elude them as the visitors held firm.
With time running out, Colls finally got their lifeline. Joe Kenny made a strong tackle on the edge of the area, the loose ball fell to Danny Edwards, and as he looked to pounce he was clipped by a lazy challenge. The referee pointed to the spot, and up stepped Frankie Sinfield—cool as ever—to send the keeper the wrong way and level the scores.
Both sides pushed for a late winner, but a mixture of resilient defending and wasteful shooting saw the sides ultimately taking a point apiece from a competitive clash.
Player of the Match: Ben Middleton – Playing out of his natural position at Left Back, he controlled the wide right players for Dunston really well. Middleton was also heavily involved going forward and almost snatched a win with a late effort.
Image courtesy of Eric Murphy Photography.