Pontefract Collieries' winning run ends against 10-man Stocksbridge Park Steels

Craig Rouse’s men were made to pay for not putting the game to bed as they were undone by an injury-time strike from distance by Ben Partridge who curled the ball over a stranded Lloyd Allinson after the keeper had failed to deal with a long ball downfield.

It gave Stocksbridge a 1-0 win and left Colls wondering how they had not taken anything from the game.

They had chances to have won, the best being when Joe Lumsden headed just wide, but lacked some of the clinical finishing that had seen them turn round their fortunes so spectacularly after they had dropped into relegation danger.

They also missed the opportunity given them when the visitors were reduced to 10 men just after the hour as Luke Mangham was red-carded for kicking out at a Ponte player.

Despite piling forward in the closing stages Steels held out and came up with their late winner that came after they had been under the pump.

Colls still had time to create two more chances, but one shot was well saved and a huge goalmouth scramble from a corner saw the ball cleared off the line twice.

Despite the defeat Pontefract remain in 11th place in the table ahead of their next game, which is a rearranged fixture this Saturday at home to a Worksop Town side managed by former Colls boss Craig Parry.

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