Brighouse Town’s away game at fourth-placed Hebburn Town last Saturday was called off for waterlogging after a 9am inspection by the match referee. This was the second time the fixture had been postponed at the North Drive ground in Newcastle, following the December 2 postponement for two inches of snow on a hard surface that day.
This time the pitch hadn’t seen any snow in the week but just incessant rain from the Thursday and well into Friday. Ahead of their home scheduled derby game this past Tuesday night with Dunston, also on 44 points and in third place, Hebburn secretary David Thomas revealed that the Saturday, March 9 date left clear by the NPL management for a rash of February postponements, had already been taken up to host Sheffield FC.
Town’s manager Vill Powell has given them Tuesday, March 12 to consider inside the 31 days allowed by the League to fix up a re-arranged game.
Town will be hopefully on the road this coming Saturday as they head north to Newton Aycliffe who are doing well in their first season in the East Division. They are currently nineth on 40 points after their 2-1 away win at bottom club Winterton Rangers on Saturday. Based between Darlington and Bishop Auckland, the newcomers were beaten 2-1 by Town at the Heffernan Utilities Stadium back in September with Jack Normanton and Mo Qasim getting the all important goals.
Centre-back Matty Nebard would have been unavailable for the Hebburn game with still being in Italy with his school on a skiing holiday, but he comes back into contention after just missing the Stocksbridge Park Steels game where newly signed Jorge Sikora covered his absence.
On the subject of Sikora, Bradford Park Avenue have made their interest known for his services, but it appears the former Bradford City and Guiseley defender who was signed from now defunct Marske United in the last week of January, is staying put with a club he enjoyed a loan spell earlier in the season before being recalled by the Markse club ahead of their financial woes. Park Avenue are 13 points adrift at the foot of the NPL Premier Division despite winning their last two games.
The extra week without a game but with a full training schedule has eased winger Jack Wilson back into contention for Saturday following his four months of playing inactivity through a serious ankle injury. The 20-year-old, who impressed last season on loan from Bradford City, joined Town on a free transfer and was really getting into the swing of things in September when the injury struck.
Vice-captain Curtis Peters who was injured in the Ossett United game two weeks ago is fit to be considered once more for the game on Saturday.
