Mixed fortunes for Brighouse Town over the past week following a successful trip to Belper and a home game derby defeat to Ossett United.
Town left for Derbyshire a week this past Tuesday at 4pm not knowing if the already postponed game from the previous Saturday would be on.
Frost had seen off the Saturday game and it was heavy rain and gale force winds that was a problem for the Tuesday fixture. However the Brighouse Travel coach was pulled out of the garage at 3.15pm and the first collection was complete ready for pick up two at Ossett when the news came through the local qualified referee had telephoned the match referee in Sheffield that he was happy to give the game the go-ahead. Town’s players were buffeted about down the M1 but they arrived safely and skipper Josh Grant won the toss and elected to play against the wind and what a masterstroke that was.
It was a lively Town who took the play to Belper, a market town on the banks of the river Derwent some seven miles from Derby, and they were rewarded with a goal on 15 minutes when left wingback Brandon Webster whipped in a great ball and when challenged by Kevin Ceesay, home defender Brodie Lichfield could only turn the ball into his own goal to the despair of his keeper Daniel Moore..
Town, with Curtis Peters, Cameron Bedford, Mohammed Qasim and Webster all pushing forward, as the rain swirled down, looked good for another few goals but the finishing was not clinical enough.
Belper, third in the table on the night, were shocked and they gave Town keeper Jamie Hassall very little to do and the visiting players were the happier bunch as they returned to the dressing room.
Into the second half and the rain stopped but the wind increased and it prevented custodian Moore getting the ball out of his half as it ballooned back and kept putting Town back on the attack.
Town had more chances to increase their lead but they saw shots blocked or go over the crossbar.
However, with ball at their feet, home players Kevin Bastos and Oliver Brownhill started to cause problems with direct running at the Town midfield and defence but they couldn’t find the target until the 70th minute when Karl Demidh levelled matters.
However, following the substitution of Jack Normanton by Darius Smith, the wing back had a field day up the Town right and he had Town back in the lead on 77 minutes with a tremendous finish, giving Moore no chance.
He could have had two more in the next ten minutes to put the game to bed but he just missed guiding one in by the angle iron and the other was a tame effort, but on 92 minutes he made it 3-1 with a super finish and was mobbed by his teammates.
The players were given a tremendous reception by the travelling support as they left the field.
Town coach Leon Wainman commented after the game that the final scoreline could have easily been in the 9-3 region to Town with steadier finishing.
Town, in front of a healthy derby crowd of 311, for the return game with Ossett, were once again guilty of not finding that vital last touch of the ball and also having the opposition defence block many a goalbound effort.
Ossett got the vital goal to win the game in the 51st minute 1-0 when ex-Doncaster Rovers and Scarborough Athletic striker Alex Peterson got his head to a ball from the left and he beat keeper Jamie Hassall who was off his line.
Manager Vill Powell said he couldn’t blame anyone for the defeat, it was just one of those frustrating days when chances were created but not put away.
In one period some 10 minutes into the game Town were camped in the Ossett penalty box but just couldn’t find the back of the net. Ashley Butterworth had two chances, Mohammed Qasim, Sam Drake and Darius Smith all had chances but to no avail.
Ossett were bolstered by the return of centre-back Harry Coates after a long injury absence and it countered in their favour as the game wore on.
Town lost striker Qasim with a groin injury on 67 minutes and he was replaced by Myron Gibbons, back after a six week absence with a hamstring injury. It was not before Qasim was denied twice by keeper Matt Bancroft and it also saw Jack Crook, on for Cameron Bedford, miscue a great chance in the six yard box with the keeper at the other side of his goal.
Jack Normanton had come on for Smith and he worked his socks with skipper Josh Grant but they just could not steer the ball in to the net. Centre back Josh Dacre headed wide when it would have been easier to score and he knew it and Gibbons was inches off converting a cross from the once more hardworking Brandon Webster.
Town go again this Saturday at home to Stocksbridge Park Steels (3pm) when they will try to avenge a 3-0 defeat back in September at Jamie Vardy’s old club.
Sponsoring the game is Chris PIckles, managing director of CHRIS-tal Clear who backs the club annually and will have sixteen guests. His father-in-law Trevor Priestley is a valuable member of the club’s voluntary ground maintenance team.
There was no place in the squad for centre back Jamie Allsop last Saturday and he has returned to his dual registration agreement with Albion Sports who ground share at the Horsfall Stadium with Bradford Park Avenue.
