Copmanthorpe 2

LANE RENTAL SERVICES sponsored Pocklington lost for the first time in the league this season after a pulsating end to end game of football last Sunday played in snowy and slushy conditions.

With both teams contributing to an excellent match, Town could not be faulted for attitude and desire on a day when the Copmanthorpe goal keeper ensured that his team got the win with a string of top drawer saves.

Despite the cold conditions, both teams played the game in the right spirit and Bond saw an early chance on two minutes blocked for a corner.

Copmanthorpe replied with a goal a minute later when Town failed to clear an inswinging corner and despite players trying to block the shot, a drilled finish from eight yards opened the scoring for the visitors.

Town countered quickly when Ash Newton broke down the right and set up a cross that was parried out to Craig Hargreaves who was unable to keep his shot down from 12 yards. But Pock squandered a lifeline when Dan Boneham was felled on his way into the area. The normally reliable Charlie Bond saw the keeper guess correctly and grab his penalty to deny Town the leveller.

But the miss was forgotten a minute later when Town did manage to draw level.

A smooth passing move from left to right saw Pock create pressure on the Copmanthorpe back line and when Hargreaves set up Rich Stabler 22 yards out, his intended chip into the area beat defenders and keeper to slip into the bottom corner.

Alex Downey made a run from left back and played a neat one-two to set up a shot as Pock finished the half strongly without managing to create further chances.

But they started the second half where they left off and plenty of good passing set up shots from distance that were well gathered by the Copmanthorpe keeper.

Downey then headed a corner wide as Pock continued to threaten but it was the visitors who scored the next goal on 53 minutes when a quick break caught Town square and a deflection from Rob Gibson saw the attempted shot loop over a helpless Adam Thomas.

This led to Town turning up the pressure and creating several chances that brought the best out of the visiting keeper.

Newton had a mazy run in from the byline that saw his shot cleared off the line while a Boneham shot from 18 yards was spilled only for the keeper to make a quick recovery and parry Hargreaves' effort for a corner. Kalum Horne, Neil Watt and Wayne Johnson all came on to add fresh legs and all three contributed by bringing the keeper into action. Horne hit a post from a loose ball following a corner and Johnson and Watt brought saves with long range efforts as Town pressed hard.

Boneham had a late shot that the keeper saved for a corner and when the ball was played across the face of goal at pace Hargreaves brought a brave block out of the keeper to make a brave block at the foot of the post to preserve the three points.