Report

The Stan had to settle for a point at Pontefract, despite having a two-goal lead twice in the game.

It was the home side who had the first chance of the match on 4 minutes, beginning with a long kick forward by the goalkeeper which bounced over a leaping Stan defender, flicked on by a forward into the path of a Pontefract player out on the left who drilled a shot low but straight into the hands of Alfie Gordon.

Less than a minute later, the Stan were gifted an opportunity to take the lead when Pearson was tripped in the box, following a Dan Stephenson free kick from just inside the Pontefract half. Reliable as ever from the spot, Leighton Hopper calmly dispatched the kick after a short run-up.

After the home side failed to make the most of a sustained spell of pressure, the Stan punished them by adding their second goal on 18 minutes. Once again, a Dan Stephenson free kick from deep caused mischief, pinballed around the box with Pontefract having to make several clearances, but they could only watch when Alex Payne surged into the area to seize upon a loose ball. One touch to control, another to rifle it low into the bottom corner.

Having been thumped 7-1 earlier in the week, Pontefract will have been keen to avoid a repeat and rallied to get a grip on the game before half time. Alex Metcalfe pulled them back into the contest just after the half hour mark, on the receiving end of a knockdown following a short cross from the right, finishing with a powerful swerving lash.

The Stan went in search of a goal to restore their lead before half time, with Alex Payne looking to double his tally for the day after receiving the ball 25 yards out from a flick-on, getting to the edge of the box and driving a low shot just past the far post.

With just one minute of the half remaining, Dan Stephenson had a free kick from the edge of the area brilliantly pushed against the post by the Pontefract goalkeeper, but Jay Errington was on hand at the back post to tuck in the rebound for his first goal of the season.

Pontefract piled on the pressure and having seen efforts saved by Gordon and blocked by Stan defenders, they cut their deficit in half on 52 minutes when a free kick from out wide was flicked into the area by a Stan head, giving Jack Greenhough a free header to plant past the keeper.

And by the 77th minute, Pontefract had drawn level, albeit in controversial circumstances. After a Stan attack broke down, they countered quickly and sent three blue shirts forward against four in yellow. A through ball evaded the Stan back line, appearing to be headed for a player in an offside position, and although he was running towards the ball, he allowed it to run across him and into Harry Spratt to his left who arrived from behind the defensive line to get a shot off, blocked, but then followed in on the rebound.

A tough one to take, having looked good for three points for long spells in the game, but it capped an unbeaten September, with one league win, two cup wins and two league draws.

Liam Milburn

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