ANXIOUS MOMENTS and excitement aplenty for Brighouse Town fans in their last two league and cup games over the past, weekend.
In front of their largest league crowd of the season-517-last Saturday at home to Tadcaster Albion they, needed an equaliser in the fourth minute of added time to draw the game. Then on Monday night back at the Yorkshire Payments Stadium against Knaresborough Town they had to go to penalties to progress to round two of the West Riding County FA Senior Challenge Cup-however they had played with ten men since the third minute.
Tadcaster shaded the first half and took the lead in the 29th minute after former Town player Eddie Church flicked on a low cross which home keeper Brett Souter managed to get his hands to but Des Amponsah converted at the far post unopposed.
Town, who had debutante ex-Mansfield Town centre back Aiden Walker in their ranks, were the dominant players in the second 45 minutes in which they rattled up a match-total 13 corners, but struggled to get the ball past visiting custodian Ally Hughes. In the 94th minute Jack Boyle put in a superb cross to which leading goalscorer Laurence Sorhaindo scissor-kicked beyond Hughes from 12 metres out. The ground erupted and the action hadn’t finished there. Seconds after the kick off Albion’s fullback Freddie Sass was walking to the dressing rooms for a second yellow for another foul on the lively Shiraz Khan who had taunted him that second half.
In the tie with Northern Counties East Premier League side Knaresborough Town it was Brighouse who lost midfielder Alex O’Connor for an early bath after three minutes for an alleged two-footed tackle. It certainly disrupted them and the visitors took a hold on the game and capped it with a goal on 16 minutes from striker Craig Ramplin
As the game wore on towards the break Town, with six regulars in the line up, did find their feet and had several chances to equalise but wayward finishing and good keeping from Jamie Hassell kept them scoreless.
Eleven minutes into the second half they were level after Javelle Clarke danced his way through the Knaresborough ranks and then played a great ball for Zeph Thomas to cleverly collect and then give Hassell no chance.
Knaresborough did have their chances including a sitter midway through the half but the game ended tied at 1-1 thanks to some great keeping once more from Hassell.
Referee Stephen Rushworth took the game to penalties with Thomas taking Town’s first for 1-0 and then it was tit-for-tat as first Josh Grant scored Town’s second and the visitor’s equalised and then Boyle made it 3-2, Massimo Cicarelli 4-3 and then Marshall Getty 5-4 before Knaresborough hit the post with their fifth attempt and Brighouse were through to entertain Thackley in the next round.
Alex O’Connor has now left the club since the tie and joined former teammate Jack Tinker at Stocksbridge Park Steels.
Today (Thursday) Town’s unbeaten Academy team entertain Ossett United at 12 noon with free admission and the clubhouse will be open.
On Saturday Town travel to Lincoln to take on Lincoln United 3pm and there is a coach leaving the Old Pond On St Giles Road at 11am.
Sam Wilkinson’s United, who are three paces below Town, had a very good 1-0 home win last Saturday over Worksop Town.
