A second half hat-trick from striker Niall Davie saw Nottingham club Carlton Town achieve a first ever victory in five meetings over Brighouse Town.
It was Davie’s day for he went on to collect the club’s man of the match award and then scoop the club’s weekly 200 club draw!
All in front of two local sporting icons in Test Match umpire and former Nottinghamshire CCC quickie David Mills, who had been their lunchtime guest speaker, and former Forest player Ian Storey-Moore.
Brighouse were the sharper of the two sides in the opening exchanges and new signing Cameron Bedford should have opened the scoring inside 10 minutes after clipping the crossbar when in the six yard box! A good five minutes later and with a strong-ish wind at their backs, Jack Normaton had the beating of home keeper Alex Annan from 20 yards out but his shot went a foot wide of the post.
There were other chances ahead of the break before the home side grew more into the game. Town keeper Jamie Hassall in fact just before the break made two good saves, one a palm away and the the a strong deflection away for a corner.
The players returned with the scoreline still 0-0 and Vill Powell’s men once more in the opening five minutes could have scored twice but failed to find the target with the home defence rocked back on their heels.
Unfortunately, that was then end of any dominance and Carlton, via Davie opened their and his account in the 53rd minute with a shot at Hassall’s near post from in side the box which went in the back of the net. Eight minutes later and he converted a penalty to make it 2-0 and 10 minutes later Niall Hylton hit the crossbar with a pile driver as Town struggled to pull back a goal going into the last 15 minutes to hopefully set up a grandstand finish.
Ashley Butterworth and Jordan Helliwell had battled well for anything in the air but there were slim pickings for Normanton, Myron Gibbons and Sam Drake in that second half.
Davie wrapped up the three points and his hat-trick in the 89th minute to ensure the visitors were well and truly beaten.
Town had once more been without their leading goalscorer Mo Qasim (calf), influential vice captain Curtis Peters (ill), centre-half Jack Dando who was playing on a dual registration arrangement with Campion against Thackley to gain match fitness on the last weekend of his three match suspension and also captain Josh Grant also serving the last game of his three-match ban.
Midfielder Jack Crook did make his first appearance in six weeks from the 56th minute for Bedford after his leg injury.
On Saturday, Town entertain the new East Division league leaders Stockton Town (3pm) who beat the previous week’s leaders Belper Town 7-1 last Saturday.
Last Monday’s West Riding County Cup Senior Cup second round home tie with Campion was postponed with the pitch waterlogged and some would having blown on to the playing area in the afternoon. It has now been re-arranged for Tuesday, December 19th (7.45).
Bradford City loanee centre-back Sam Bentley is currently sidelined with a groin injury after the 2-2 home draw with Cleethorpes Town, midfielder Jack Wilson, who was signed by Town on his release from the Bantams is still recuperating from an ankle injury received in September, while also out from that month is wide player Jayden Major who has been badly missed.
The match on Saturday is being sponsored by Junior coach and committeeman Jason Costello’s five-a-side squad and associate social members.
Official notification of an EGM and Committee meeting to be held next Tuesday, November 28, (6pm) at the clubhouse has been circulated.
The EGM has been called to ratify a change to the current legal structure of the organisation since its formation in 1963 to that of a Company Limited by Guarantee first proposed and agreed in the 2018 AGM but never implemented.
Assistant secretary Julian Prior says this has been accepted by the committee; “but we feel its only appropriate that the membership should also have the chance to endorse the proposal. This includes committee members, managers of senior and junior section teams, interested parents and volunteers. Since the 2023 AGM 200 club participants are not classed as club members.”
