Emley back to winning ways

It was a bright start for the home team from the kick off with Liam Schofield, back from a three-match ban, Devan McIntosh and captain Anthony Leech all pressing for an early lead.

The first chance for Emley came on 6 minutes when Anthony Haigh took a quick free kick from a central position but the pace on the ball beat Steven Kenworthy and ran away to Sam Andrew in the visitor’s goal.

It was Kenworthy again with the next Emley effort, Schofield laid the ball off well but the shot was not troubling keeper Andrew.

Pontefract threatened with a Mark Simpson cross but it was cleared by Emley’s number one Paul Day. His clearance found Kenworthy but his cross ran away from the on-rushing Leech and Doran Jordan.

The opening period was played at a frantic pace with Emley firmly in the driving seat. When Pontefract conceded a free-kick for a foul on Schofield on the edge of the box, Josh Ingham stepped up and hit a curling shot that the goalkeeper had to tip over the bar.

From the resulting corner, taken by Schofield, Jordan’s header was steered round the post and off the line by the defender on the post.

Emley continued to press, with half-chances for Kenworthy, Haigh and John Cyrus.

The breakthrough came on 31 minutes. A Haigh through ball for Jordan fell to Leech who made no mistake with his left-footed shot.

The sigh of relief was short lived. Pontefract pressed and harried their hosts in search of the equalizer and, when a 35th minute free-kick wasn’t dealt with cleanly by the Emley defence, Gary Lumley was on hand to bundle the ball over the line.

The rest of the half belonged to Pontefract with Simpson at the end of two missed opportunities. The first was a shot that he blazed across Day’s goal and then, as the half entered stoppage time, Simpson was on the chase for a long ball that would have put him one-on-one with Day, but the Emley keeper was out to scoop the ball from the attacker’s toes.

The second half started 1-1 and it was all Emley, who now had the wind behind them. McIntosh went on a run from the left but his shot was straight at the keeper and then Haigh held his head in his hands as his nod from close range went just wide.

The first big cheer of the second half came when Emley’s top scorer Ashley Flynn made his long-awaited return from injury to replace Schofield.

Another cheer came on 62 minutes when an Ingham corner picked out Haigh who made up for his earlier miss with a well-timed jump to head the ball powerfully into the back of the net and put Emley back in front.

Ten minutes later and the returning Flynn increased the lead to 3-1. A Day goal-kick was met by a Pontefract head but the ball carried on into the path of the Emley striker who fired home emphatically.

As a contest the game was effectively over and Emley controlled the play for the remainder of the second-half.

Emley will be pleased with the result but also the manner of the victory that arrests their recent dip in form and puts them back up to fifth in the table. Next up is a visit to Eccleshill on Wednesday night.

Emley Man of the Match: Josh Ingham

Emley: Day, Thornton, McIntosh, Ingham, Cooke (Wilson 75), Cyrus, Leech (c), Jordan, Kenworthy, Haigh (Townend 85), Schofield (Flynn 56)
Subs not used: Joseph, Jerome

Pontefract Collieries: Andrew, Twibey (c), A Robinson (Bray 70), Staley, Lumley, Brook, Lyon (T Robinson 70), Wetherald, Radford, Simpson (Perks 63), Durham
Subs not used: Forsyth, Hawdley

Attendance: 109