A Saturday to Forget
Rainworth expected the game at Pontefract Collieries would be difficult, especially after being on the wrong end of a 5-0 defeat, at home, earlier in the season.
The prospects of achieving a victory became even harder when it became known that both regular centre-backs were unavailable and so it proved as Pontefract cruised to a comfortable 4-0 win.
Pontefract had the ball in the net in the second minute, but it was disallowed for a previous infringement.
It was all Pontefract in the opening minutes as they forced Rainworth to defend deep inside their own half.
Luke Jeffs went close in the 11th minute when his well-struck free-kick just went over. Then when Rainworth failed to deal with a corner in the 19th minute Jack Greenhough was on hand to open the scoring for Pontefract.
Seven minutes later and Pontefract doubled their lead as a Jeffs corner went directly into the far corner of the net.
Rainworth were indebted to Ben Townsend, who made and excellent save at full-stretch from Kieran Scargill in the 31st minute and another eight minutes later from Cody Cromack.
In the final minute of the half, Townsend denied them once more, this time from Vaughn Redford’s point-blank header.
At the start of the second half Rainworth did start to push Pontefract onto the back foot, without however creating an end product.
In the 54th minute Rainworth made a double substitution bringing on Nathan Modest and Brad Jones for Luke Walker and Rob Ludlam.
In the 64th minute when Greenhough’s through ball sent Mark Whitehouse clear on goal, only for Townsend to block his goal bound effort with his leg and then gather the rebound.
Rainworth made their final substitution on 66 minutes when Charlie Dawes replaced Tomas Poole.
It was to no avail as Townsend once again denied Pontefract tipping Kane Reech’s goal-bound effort over. However, the relief was short-lived, when from the corner Redford’s effort evaded everyone for Pontefract’s third.
Reech must have wondered how he hadn’t got on the score-sheet in the 80th minute, as Townsend made an incredible double-save. Three minutes later he did, despite Townsend getting fingertips to the ball, he was unable to stop it finding the bottom corner.
At the final whistle Pontefract had deservedly won 4-0 and but for Townsend’s heroics in the Rainworth goal the margin could have been much greater.
RAINWORTH MWFC: Townsend; Ludlam (Jones); Waddle; Knowles; Wilson; Goodwin; Poole (Dawes); Booth; Walker (Modest); Jordan; Sykes.
Subs (not used): Bennett; Francis (gk)
Attendance: 162
Highlights
As it happened
- Pontefract Collieries
- Rainworth Miners Welfare
- 0
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Rob Ludlam Yellow Card 40:00'
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Jack Waddle Yellow Card 51:00'
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Nathan Modest Sub On 54:00'
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Brad Jones Sub On 54:00'
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Luke Walker Sub Off 54:00'
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Rob Ludlam Sub Off 54:00'
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Charlie Dawes Sub On 66:00'
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Tomas Poole Sub Off 66:00'
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Nathan Modest Yellow Card 75:00'
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James Knowles Yellow Card 75:00'
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League table
| # | Team | Pl | Pts |
| 1. | Pontefract Collieries | 34 | 88 |
| 2. | Handsworth Parramore | 42 | 85 |
| 3. | AFC Mansfield | 37 | 84 |
| 4. | Pickering Town | 32 | 75 |
| 5. | Maltby Main | 35 | 65 |
| 6. | Rainworth Miners Welfare | 42 | 63 |
| 7. | Hemsworth Miners Welfare | 35 | 59 |
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