ROLAWN sponsored Pocklington Towns Under 19's were in Pat Rice league cup action on Thursday 14th of November against Central division side Nostell Miners Welfare and on a night when they created several good chances to score, ended up indebted to a MOM performance from keeper Sean Minto to record the win after a low key second half performance.

 

Town dominated the first 20 minutes with Sam Shipley, Sam Beales and Dan Cahill controlling the central midfield area. Despite their pressure, Nostell scored first when Town failed to clear a corner and the second cross was nodded in at the far post. Town responded immediately and when Dan O'Connor broke down the Nostell right, despite a bad bobble on the heavy pitch needing him to take an extra touch, his cross shot was turned in at the far post by James Hudson on 25 minutes. Pock soon doubled their lead when a Shipley shot as only parried by the Nostell keeper and O'Connor showed great touch and quick feet to beat four defenders and fire home from 10 yards out on the half hour but this was the signal for the home side to change their formation.

 

With the Nostell No. 7 a handful down the Pock left, Minto needed to make a couple of smart stops to shots to preserve Pocks lead as the home side enjoyed a spell of pressure into the interval. Callum Quarton made a great last ditch tackle at the far post while solid defending from George Alport, Marty Garget and Steve Beilby also held Nostell at bay. Garget made a great header off the line when Nostell thought that they had scored and a Beilby free kick on 39 minutes was flicked on by Hudson to O'Connor for another rasping effort to fly narrowly wide as Pock went into the break 2-1 up but with the game very much still in the balance and with Nostell making a bright start to the second half, Pock found themselves on the back foot for the first time in the game.

 

With Town struggling to find the time and space to get on the ball, they were forced to defend deep and rely on counter attacks but with Nostell unable to find their way past the resolute defending, Pock created several chances to open up some daylight. O'Connor was unable to turn in a cross after great work by Hudson on the hour and with Minto making a series of superb saves, with a flying block from a point blank shot a particular highlight, Pock rode their luck for a 20 minute period.

 

Hudson was in a collision with the Nostell keeper when clean through on goal, with a yellow card the result for the home player due to defenders covering and with Hudson and O'Connor guilty of missing a couple of great chances, the game entered the last 15 minutes balanced on a knife edge with both teams going at each other in a great advert for U19 football. Pock finally sealed the win on 86 minutes when a poor Nostell goal kick was picked up by O'Connor and his 30 yard shot flew in off the post for a 3-1 lead. Despite Nostell not giving up, Town defended everything brilliantly to ensure that they made it through to the quarter finals on a night where the whole squad put in a shift and got the result that they deserved. They took on Pontefract Collieries on Tuesday 19th of November in the next match before a home game against Scarborough Athletic on the 26th. The games kick off at 7.45 and all spectators are welcome.