The season came to an end this weekend, in a season of ups and downs for Ponte. Craig Rouse’s first year in charge has seen records fall and after a slow start to the league campaign, the lads turned a corner to finish comfortably in mid table. The final day saw Ponte host Sheffield FC, who faced potential relegation from the Northern Premier League.
The game got off to a frantic start with the visitors clearly eager to get much needed points to survive. They got off to the perfect start when twenty three minutes in they took the lead. A corner curled in from the right was nodded in at the back stick by Joshua Burns, this goal saw them step out of the bottom three and above Lincoln and Bridlington Town.
The first half saw a number of challenges go unpunished in a tough midfield battle, The Colls created a few openings without causing former stopper Ryan Musselwhite too much trouble.
As the half time whistle blew Sheffield FC were holding onto their lead and their league status as it stood.
Ponte started the second half keen to get back into the game, in front of their home fans for the final time this season. With just over an hour gone they got an equaliser, a loose ball from another former Colls man (James Baxendale) dropped to Jack Shepherd who cleared up field. His clearance dropped between keeper and defence and Mikey Dunn nipped in to lob Musselwhite. 1-1 and the home end erupted.
It wasn’t long before the visitors had retaken their lead though. A soft foul on the edge of the box saw Sheffield with a free kick on the edge of the Ponte box, the left back stepped up and curled in a perfect free kick just out of reach of Lloyd Allinson.
Both sides had chances to add to the score sheet, but in all truth the remainder of the spectators interest fell elsewhere. With Lincoln United all but safe with a 3-1 win against Pickering, but at Bridlington Town the game had much left of the story to write. ‘Brid’ led 2-1 before Dunston equalised with eight minutes to play, to send the Sheffield FC fans into raptures. But their hearts were broken on the 90th minute as a penalty to Bridlington was dispatched to save them, leaving Sheffield in a relegation play off spot. (They have since had a reprieve from this as Yorkshire Amateurs failing ground grading sees them relegated).
Pontefract Collieries Team;
Sheffield FC Team;
Attendance: 372