Emley AFC showed character and resilience to fight back from two goals down and earn a 2-2 draw away at Pontefract Collieries, setting up a decisive final day in their push for a home play-off tie.

The Pewits were made to work hard on the night, with the hosts starting on the front foot, but a strong second-half response saw Emley take a well-earned share of the points. Reflecting on the performance, manager Richard Tracey said: “We always knew it was going to be a difficult game because it was a must-win for Pontefract. On their own pitch, you expect them to come out and have a real go at you.

“I thought in the first half we had a couple of good opportunities to create better situations, but to be fair to Pontefract, they pressed really well and we didn’t play through that press particularly well.”

Tracey pointed to areas his side could have improved in the build-up to the opening goal: “Their goal comes from a long ball, we don’t win the first header and he cuts inside and puts it in the top corner, it’s an unsaveable strike. But there are things we should have done better to prevent it.”

After falling further behind early in the second half, Emley responded in impressive fashion: “At half-time we spoke about needing to be braver in possession and more of a threat. When they went 2-0 up, you’re looking at your bench and thinking about changes, but the reaction from the players was excellent. It almost kicked us into gear. To get one back within a couple of minutes was massive. If we’d let the game drift for 10 or 15 minutes, it would have been a much bigger challenge.”

From there, the Pewits took control and pushed for more.
“I thought from that point we were excellent, on the front foot and really causing them problems. We got ourselves back to 2-2 and from there we wanted to go on and win the game. Loz probably has the best chance late on, if he gets a touch past the keeper, he’s either through on goal or winning a penalty.”

Despite having to settle for a point, Tracey felt his side deserved their reward: “I thought in the end we were well worth the point. It was a hard-fought, fair game and credit to Pontefract for how they played.”

The result means Emley’s fate is still in their own hands heading into the final game of the season, with a home clash against Newton Aycliffe next up.

Looking ahead, Tracey made it clear there will be no complacency: “Newton will be a tough game. Anyone who thinks it’ll be easy is mistaken they pushed Matlock all the way and are a good side going forward. With relegation confirmed, they’ll play with no pressure, which can make them even more dangerous.”
He also stressed the importance of Emley controlling their own performance on the day. That pressure and stress comes onto us because we’ve got to manipulate the game and make sure we go and win it. There’s an awful lot to play for going into the game.”

Tracey highlighted just how open the play-off picture remains heading into the final round of fixtures: “There’s still everything to play for, it could be Dunston, Bradford Park Avenue or Matlock. The situation is wide open. In terms of speculating, it could be Dunston in two ways, but equally we could be playing Bradford Park Avenue or Matlock, that’s the reality of it.”

Despite recent inconsistencies, the Emley boss is confident his side can deliver when it matters most: “We’ve got confidence when you look at our record against the teams around us, we know we can compete with any of them. Our recent form hasn’t been brilliant, but our performances against the better sides have shown what we’re capable of.

“In a perfect world, we get a positive result on Saturday and take that momentum into the play-offs. We believe we’ve got enough to compete with anyone.”

With a home crowd behind them and a play-off advantage within reach, Emley now turn their focus to Saturday, knowing a strong performance could set the tone for the final stage of their season.