Pontefract Collieries ready for big week ahead with play-offs and County Cup final

They completed their home campaign in midweek with a 3-0 success against Belper Town, who finished one place outside the play-offs – Adam Haw, Connor Smythe and Jack Boyle scoring.

And in their final game they fought back from behind to earn a point with a 2-2 draw at seventh-placed Newton Aycliffe.

Despite having already confirmed their play-off position, Colls produced a committed display with Bailey Thompson’s deflected effort five minutes from time earning a share of the spoils.

Smythe had put Ponte ahead in the first half only for Danny Burns to be controversially sent-off and for the hosts to hit back twice after the break.

It meant Craig Rouse’s men finished in fourth place in the table and they now head to Dunston, who pipped them for third, for a play-off semi-final.

The game is due to take place in the north east tomorrow night (Tuesday) and manager Rouse believes his side is showing the kind of form that can see them succeed in their promotion aim.

He said: “To finish the season with 16 points out of a possible 18, five wins and a draw with 10 men, shows that we are in good form and the play-off are coming at a good time for us.

"But there’s four really good teams in there who all have the same opinion and it’s up to us to make sure we impose our style and impose what we can do onto the play-offs.

"We’ve got such an exciting week coming up, play-off semi-final coming up on Tuesday, the potential of another game on Saturday if we come through that and then the County Cup final on Monday.

"It couldn’t be a better week – this is what we play football for. Ten months of hard work from pre-season all comes down to one week.

"These are the games we want to play in, we’re excited and we’ll see where it takes us.”