Hall Road Rangers 2, Pontefract Collieries 4

Haworth Park

Buildbase FA Vase Second Round

Saturday November 11

Match Report by Ollie Harsley

Photograph supplied by Lee Myers

The FA Vase adventure is over for Hall Road Rangers after they were beaten 4-2 by Pontefract Collieries at Haworth Park. Rangers started the better of the two sides but as the match went on the visitors began to exert their control and ultimately ended up victorious.

The first half was perfect from a Hall Road point of view as the hosts raced into a two goal lead and for the most part weren’t troubled too much by the opposition attack.

Rangers took the lead in the 16th minute when Josh Batty scored after being sent through on goal by Chris Spinks which concluded with a clinical counter attacking move.

Spinks doubled Hall Road’s lead in the 37th minute in similar fashion after being set up by Tom Bennett to round the Pontefract goalkeeper and slot into an empty net.

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PHOTO: Chris Spinks is met by his team-mates after putting Hall Road in the driving seat

Pontefract did create some half chances but that is all they were as James Hitchcock was virtually untroubled in the Hall Road net.

The second half of the match was completely different as Pontefract asserted more control of the ball and began to come back into the game.

They also created more dangerous opportunities on goal including a well hit free kick that just went wide of the post.

The visitors pulled back a goal in the 65th minute when Kane Reece poked home after a low cross into the Hall Road penalty box wasn’t dealt with efficiently.

The momentum continued for the away side as they pinned Hall Road in their own half.

The all important equaliser came in the final moments of the match when Vaughan Redford smashed home a rebound into the Hall Road net which forced the game into extra time.

Pontefract carried on from where they left off in extra time as they forced a great save from James Hitchcock to tip a free kick over the bar.

The visitors completed a remarkable turnaround and took the lead in the 102nd minute after Vaughan Redford grabbed his second goal of the game.

The game was well and truly finished in the 118th minute as Redford got his hat trick and sent his side into the 3rd Round of the FA Vase, with Tom Bennett compounding Rangers frustration by receiving two yellow cards in quick succession to reduce the hosts down to ten men..

Hall Road boss Bill Gill was frustrated after his side let their 2 goal lead slip away.

“Our lads were superb for 70 minutes but you cannot throw a 2-0 lead away against a side like Pontefract. They punished us and their character and desire showed through today”, Gill said.

Gill also expressed his desire for his players to move on and concentrate on next Tuesday’s home match against Liversedge. “We move on to Tuesday and I expect a reaction from the lads”, Gill concluded.

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PHOTO: Benn Lewis showed great bravery keeping out a Pontefract attack but took a kick to the head for his efforts