EIGHT GOALS in 48 hours finally got Brighouse Town’s NPL East Division season off and running.
They won 5-3 at Grimsby Borough on the Saturday and then 3-0 at home to Tadcaster Albion on Bank Holiday Monday.
The Lincolnshire side, like Town, were without a win in the league and cup ahead of the game, but for the first 25 minutes they created plenty and the Town goal had a few anxious moments.
However, it was Town who opened the scoring on 32 minutes when Jack Boyle blasted home a penalty after Laurence Sorhaindo had been brought down in the box by a high boot to the side of his head. Referee Alistair Wilson pointed to the spot immediately but regular taker Sorhaindo was still down receiving treatment when Boyle lined up the ball on the spot.
After treatment the big man was good to continue and this was where the game really opened up. Centre-back Jack Beeden powerfully sidefooted in a corner from Boyle and three minutes later fellow centre-back Aiden Walker had the ball over the line after Sam Drake’s initial strike in the six yard box was just cleared.
It looked as though Town would go in for the break three-nil up but on the stroke of half-time Luis Adlard pulled one back for Borough.
Play was pretty even in the first 20 minutes of the second half before the home side was awarded a free kick some 20 yards out and to the delight of the home crowd Reece York beat Michael Roxburgh with a superb strike to make it 3-2 and game on.
However, this ignited Town once more and they made it 4-2 seven minutes later when Drake superbly headed in from a corner out on the right. Boyle was substituted by Jack Normanton some three minutes later and with his first touch of the ball just inside the box he beat experienced keeper Ryan Musselwhite with a powerful shot to once more restore the three-goal cushion and this is how it stayed until the 90th min when Tom Charlesworth grabbed a late consolation goal for Borough.
Manager Vill Powell was obviously delighted with the win but not too happy with his defence leaking three goals.
On the Monday, with squad rotation in mind and some changes owing to defensive errors, he made six changes and threw away the old sporting cliche of changing a winning side.
Tadcaster manager John Deacey over the summer has been busy in the transfer market but is looking for goals and he came to the Yorkshire Payments Stadium on the back of a 0-0 home draw with Grantham Town.
Early exchanges had the visitors ahead on points but Town had hit a post inside the first ten minutes, and at the other end Huddersfield Town keeper Michael Roxburgh was looking confident and assertive to keep Albion in check.
It remained 0-0 at the break and midway into the seond period the away fans were reckoning on witnessing another 0-0 epic as former Barnsley stalwart and ex-Bridlington Town player-manager Brett Agnew and Jordan Deacey were being kept in check by Beeden, a superb Matty Nebard, Sam Reed and Aiden Walker who was covering some ground.
On 60 minutes Powell made two changes that completely changed the game along with pacy and skillful Javelle Clarke being brought in to the game more down the left. On came Boyle for Myron Gibbons and Mohammad Qasim, who had run Grimsby ragged on the Saturday, for Normanton.
There was a big scare for Town shortly after as Sorhaindo collided heavily with a post and needed treatment to his rib cage.
Town took the lead in the 78th minute as Jack Johnson put through his own goal after trying to ward off a rasping low cross into the box by Qasim.
The Town fans wanted more and they got it in the 82nd minute as Clarke beat three defenders and then squared to Sorhaindo who made no mistake. The strong striker bagged a brace in the 89th minute to make it 3-0 after Boyle had been uppended in the box.
Town, with stand-in skipper Corey Gregory calling the shots, rode out the game and posted another valuable three points.
Holmfirth crimper and Town skipper Tom Haigh, who has been with the club since his teenage days, is currently on holiday but could be back in contention for Saturday’s re-arranghed home game with Nottingham side Carlton Town (3.0). The game should have been next Monday night but has been brought forward with both clubs out of the Emirates FA Cup.
Town’s first choice keeper Brett Souter had a setback from his knee operation when fluid covered the joint, but he is now on the mend, while keeper Charlie English (ex-Leeds Utd) is playing with FC Halifax Town’s academy and Jamie Hassall, signed from Knaresborough Town, has been injured on a building site.
