BRIGHOUSE Town had their NPL Division One East home game with Pontefract Collieries abandoned after 11 minutes on Tuesday night. Visiting goalkeeper Lloyd Allinson was badly injured to the head when going down to make a save from the advancing Town centre forward Elliot Harrison.

His physio was soon on the pitch, and she was joined by Town’s Emily Harnden and they treated the wound and at the same time made sure he wasn’t moved and covered in medical foil and jackets from the bench to keep him warm. An ambulance was called as he was in a concussed state, and he was later taken to the Calderdale Royal Hospital in Halifax.

Referee Joe Moss, son of former Premier League referee Jon Moss and now Head of Referees with the FA, consulted his two assistants and both managers and said there was only one thing he could do after a 45-minute delay and that was to abandon the game.

Some of the visiting supporters took a refund but the Town committee thought quickly on their feet and the re-arranged game will be free entry to all those who want to attend.

Town went into the game without experienced centre forward Zeph Thomas who collected an Achiles injury at North Shields. Elliot Harrison was recalled from his dual registration with Eccleshill United and may well be involved at Bridlington on Saturday.

Today (Thursday) manager-coach Harry Birro makes his managerial debut as his Town Academy side welcome Mossley (12.00) to the Yorkshire Payments Stadium. Admission is free but the clubhouse will be open for beverages.

Town came back from north of the Tyne with a valuable point from a 0-0 draw with North Shields.

Watched by The Robins club president Malcolm `Supermac’ McDonald, the ex-England and Newcastle United star striker, Town had to defend in the first half against a very strong wind and spirited home attack on the cliff tops above the North Sea and then, guess what, the wind subsided considerable for the next 45 minutes.

In a world wind five minutes into the game the Town goal survived with good blocks and some astute keeping from Michael Roxburgh.

It took Town around 20 minutes to start imposing themselves on their hosts and when they did there were some narrow escapes for the home side with Jack Normanton really stinging the fingers of keeper Finlay Hodgson as he turned a goal bound shot over the bar.

Skipper Tom Haigh and Corey Gregory worked hard in midfield against the wind to provide widemen Normanton and Javelle Clarke with some ammunition to break the deadlock. However, despite the home side also having chances at the other end it remained goalless on the break.

Again, in the second period there were chances for both sides and manager Vill Powell also brought on fresh legs to try and get the all-important winner via Myron Gibbons, Callum Charlton and Sam Drake but to no avail despite hairaising moments in the home defence.

In added on time, the hearts of the away supporters almost stopped as Liam Doyle whipped in a cross across the six-yard box, but Brad Hird could not get his head to it, and they all breathed again as the ball went for a corner.

Assistant manager Stacy Reed said he was well pleased with the draw from a feisty game in the conditions, and in which seven players were cautioned.

Town have been drawn away to Doncaster club Armthorpe Welfare in the first round of the West Riding County Cup and hope to play the game on Tuesday, October 25 (7.45). The Northern Counties East Division One Club, currently fourth from bottom, have said they don’t want to compete, but WRCFA official Lee Ashforth has told them its mandatory. Town officials await the outcome of the impasse later this week.

On Saturday, Town have a trip to the seaside as they visit Bridlington Town (3.0) who have started the season far better than they did last term. They follow this up on the Tuesday, October 11 (7.45) with a trip to the oldest club in the FA, Sheffield FC.

On Saturday, October 15 they return home to the Yorkshire Payments Stadium with a game against Grantham Town who were relegated at the end of last season from the NPL Premier Division.

*Please note that if you purchased a Golden Goal ticket or a Half-Time Draw ticket, the tickets will be honoured at the replayed game with Pontefract Collieries so please hang on to them……..and bring them with you to the game.

A reminder from the PA announcement, the Town committee have decreed that it will be free entry for the game when it is replayed.

We wish the Pontefract goalkeeper Lloyd Allinson all the very best and will update the Twitter and website accounts as soon as we have up to date information.

We are delighted to hear that Pontefract Collieries goalkeeper Lloyd Allinson is recovering well and the injury first sustained is not as serious as first thought. We hope he’s back on the pitch in the near future.

We’d like to give a special mention to Emily Harnden, the club physio, and Pontefract’s physio for their speedy reactions to the situation and supporting Lloyd whilst he waited for the ambulance to arrive. 

With last night’s game being abandoned after 11 minutes of play, we have decided that the rearranged fixture will be a FREE of charge entrance for all supporters.

Please note that if you purchased a Golden Goal ticket or a Half-Time Draw ticket, the tickets will be honoured so please bring them to the replayed game.

We will update supporters of the rearranged date on social media and the website as and when it has been finalised.

James Howard/Charlie Tolley – Chairman and Vice Chairman

Brighouse Town were soon out of the starting blocks on the way to beating visitors Shildon 3-0 and also registering their fourth NPL East Division One game on the trot and averaging four goals a game into the bargain.

After good work down the left from player of the match Javelle Clarke in the third minute, captain Tom Haigh struck home from the edge of the area.

Town kept up the pressure on their visitors from Durham and eight minutes later Jack Normanton fired home after more good play down the left had seen the ball played to him to the right of Matthew Bateman’s goal. Normanton’s scuffed shot went under the body of Bateman, but they all count, and it was 2-0 on 11 minutes.

Town were delighting their supporters with the quality of football on a carpet of a pitch, and it was only the under-pressure Bateman who prevented two more goals being scored shortly afterwards. The scoreline remained 2-0 at the break and manager Vill Powell said afterwards he would have liked more of the chances to have been taken.

Shildon in the second half proved a more competitive outfit and they twice in the last quarter went close to scoring through substitute Dean Thexton and Michael Sweet, but Town keeper Mikey Roxburgh took one for the team on his head-treatment needed- and then a post saved the day.

The home faithful wanted another goal or two, but they had to wait until the 92nd minute for one to make the scoreline 3-0. Full-back Mohammed Ibrahim came down the right and then put a superb ball in to the path of Jack Boyle who fired across Bateman from just inside the box and into the net.

On this performance by teenager Javelle Clarke he is going places, but his manager wants more consistency out of him. There was also a quality performance from skipper Tom Haigh, who later gave way in the 74th minute to Sam Drake, and vice-captain Corey Gregory put in a tenacious ninety plus minutes.

The defence of Ibrahim, Sam Reed, Harrison Beeden and Aiden Walker were completely on top of their job.

Manager Powell has allowed centre-back Harry Wilkinson to temporarily leave the squad to concentrate on work with his elder brother Joe, while utility player Elliot Harrison will for a month after benching in the last two games head for Eccleshill United on a dual registration to get some game time.

Experienced goalkeeper Brett Souter was back on the field ahead of the game with Shildon having a light workout with his Huddersfield Town loanee stand-in Roxburgh. The manager wants him to now have a four week `pre-season’ for fitness and then present himself for selection.

On Saturday, fifth-placed Town head to new territory when they travel to North Shields (3.0) who are currently in 10th place after seven games.

The Tynesiders were promoted as champions from the EBAC Northern League Division One back in April. So far, they have won two, drawn two and lost three while settling into life at the semi-professional step 4 level.

On Tuesday, October 4 (7.45), Town will entertain Pontefract Collieries, a re-arranged game from September 17 when the visitors were involved in FA Cup action at Chester.

Town’s normal midweek home night is a Monday, but the manager wanted an extra 24 hours for the players to recover from the longest journey of the season to North Shields. There is a coach leaving for North Shields at 10.45 from the Old Pond.

Once against Town will be running their annual Football Bingo which will commence on January 1 and for a prize of £1,000, and this will be launched at the home game with Grantham Town on Saturday, October 15.

The annual Jimmy Heffernan charity match in aid of Overgate Hospice will take place on Friday night, November 4 (7.30). His son Luke, MD of LJ Heffernan Utilities of Halifax, feels he will be inundated with player requests for the game which is played in memory of his late father James, as, in his words, the holiday season is over.

Brighouse Town maybe out of both cups-FA and FA Trophy- but their longest serving player Tom Haigh is hoping his side picks up where they left off two weeks ago in the league with three wins in seven days and twelve goals in the back of the net.

With the visitors having a difficult start to their league campaign , they also found themselves out of the Emirates FA Cup second qualifying round last Saturday suffering a 5-0 at home defeat by South Shields.

Haigh says he, and his teammates, will not be reading anything in to that as last term the Railwaymen proved a real bogey side for Town in the FA Cup and league.

Defenders Callum Charlton and Harry Wilkinson didn’t feature in the cup tie with Worksop Town and could be back in contention on Saturday which begins a five game spell in 18 days. Town make their longest trip of the season to North Shields on Saturday, October 1 and then follow that up with a re-arranged home game on the Tuesday night with Pontefract Collieries (7.45), are away to Bridlington Town on Saturday, October 8 and then travel to The Home of Football Stadium, Sheffield FC on Tuesday, October 11.

“We are going to need a fit squad to cover those games,” added Haigh.

Striker Laurence Sorhaindo is set to miss up to 6 weeks as a scan, has shown he has a slight tear of the miniscus and thankfully will not require an operation.

“He will now rest it and hopefully he will be back with us ahead of Christmas,” added the boss.

“Matty Nebard’s plaster cast will come off his broken scaphoid on October 15 and then we will look at seeing what the League allow for protection so he can commence playing immediately,” added his manager.

Town’s coach John Francis has left the club after three seasons with the best wishes of his colleagues and the club’s management. The Low Moor-based former Sheffield United and Burnley striker has taken over as manager at Ilkley Town who are members of the North West Counties League’s Division One. He has been assisting them with their junior sides and is a fully qualified FA coach working fulltime in the game.

“We wish John all the very best and thank him for his dedicated service in his time with us and he is welcome back at the club anytime,”said Director of football Charlie Tolley.”

The club’s U18 side `caught a cold’ at Pontefract Collieries last Wednesday night in the Second round qualifying of the FA Youth Cup when beaten 8-2.

Not the best of weeks for Brighouse Town with the loss of strong and talented utility forward Mohammad Qasim to Guiseley, Bradford City loanee Bobby Pointon on his recall sent to National League North club Farsley Celtic, defender Matty Nebard out for six weeks with a broken scaphoid and the club out of the FA Trophy at the first hurdle.

After a great previous week with three wins and twelve goals, Lady Luck has deserted the club and it looks as though another idle Saturday this weekend has come at the right time as manager Vill Powell needs assess the injury situation and strengthen his squad ahead of very busy looking October.

There was no way in the current climate that Town could keep Qasim with cash-rich Guiseley offering him an enhanced contract and he made his debut on Tuesday night at home to Marske United in the ISUZU FA Trophy first qualifying round.

Powell moved quickly to cover the loss of Painton by signing on loan until January 3 his Bradford City U-19 teammate and centre forward Dylan Youmbi who was a second half substitute in the 2-0 home defeat on Monday night to Worksop Town in their FA Trophy tie.

Nebard revealed he played 85 minutes in the 4-1 home win over Carlton Town with his injury which was a clean break and will not need an operation to pin it.

Mohammed Ibrahim came back from injury himself to replace him against Workskop who were a big, strong side containing three former EFL players and three from the National League and others from National League North.

The Nottinghamshire side in the tie moved to Monday from Saturday after the FA asked clubs to stand down from weekend fixtures following the death of Her Majesty The Queen, took the lead after six minutes when Liam Hughes beat Michael Roxburgh with a powerful header inside his near post. Worksop looked good value for this lead in the first ten minutes before the young home side found their feet with Sam Reed and Javelle Clarke giving them plenty to think about as Corey Gregory, Tom Haigh, Elliot Harrison and Jack Normanton also strove to get their side moving forward.

Despite Worksop hitting the crossbar and shaving an upright, the scoreline remained 1-0 at the break.

Following a James Hanson penalty in the 58th minute to make it 2-0, on came Youmbi and he had some nice touches to his game and he swung in one great cross and an outswinging corner that gave the visitors grief.

However, Town could not get a break to force a goal that might have led to a frantic last few minutes and they bowed of the competition.

With the tie moving to Monday night the NPL East Division league game at Sheffield FC scheduled for Tuesday had to be postponed and last night (Wednesday) Sheffield were playing their tie at the City of Liverpool.

Town have re-arranged one oustanding fixture from August 22 when FA Cup ties took preference and they should have entertained Shildon from Durham, and that will now take place on Saturday, September 24 at the Yorkshire Payments Stadium. Tuesday, October 4 is earmarked for the outstanding Pontefract Collieries home game but there is no confirmation from the NPL at the time of going to print.

Experienced goalkeeper Brett Souter will commence running work next Monday after his summer operation on a troublesome knee and it is hoped he is back in contention by the end of the month despite Huddersfield Town loanee Roxburgh good form.

Former professional striker Zeph Thomas is having calf problems and he is not fit for selection and, of course, fellow striker Laurence Sorhaindo is out with a knee injury it is hoped does not need surgery.

Already Powell has moved for cover and awaits permission to talk with the players concerned.

The club’s U-18 side lost 8-2 away to a strong Pontefract Collieries team in the FA Youth Cup first round qualifying on Wednesday night.

The club can confirm that Mohammad Qasim has reached an agreement with NPL Premier Division Guiseley to join with immediate effect.

Mo Qas joined the club from NCEL side Yorkshire Amateur and was previously at Silsden.

In his time at the club, Mohammad made 6 appearances scoring 2 goals.

We wish Mo all the best for the future and thank him for his services in his short spell at the club.