A WATERLOGGED pitch last Saturday ruled out Brighouse Town entertaining second in the table Marske United.
After snow on Thursday and again Friday, followed by a thaw and then rain, the pitch was riddled with puddles when Huddersfield senior referee Steve Rushworth came to inspect at 9.15.
General manager Darren Laycock said it was a costly exercise calling it off but in the end it was the right decision as when he left the ground at lunchtime after more rain a lot of the pitch was under an inch of water. Town have asked Marske to travel for a vacant date they both have in the fixtures on Saturday, March 5
Town, after two weekend signings that manager Vill Powell hinted he was after, head for Stocksbridge Park Steels on Saturday (3.0) who held third-placed Shildon to a 2-2 draw last Saturday on their travels. Stocksbridge are two places below 12th-paced Town so a tight game is expected.
In contention for places will be centre forward Redmond Lee who hasn’t played competitive football for two years since he left National League North Guiseley and diminutive wide player Ferdinand Moke who has returned to Brighouse after last playing under the managership of Paul Quinn some six years ago. Moke, 31, has been playing of late with Leeds-based Yorkshire Amateur who crossed him off their register in December.
Manager Powell said Lee, 26, showed up extremely well in a game behind closed doors last week and has exceptional pace. At the time of going to press the manager said he hadn’t completed any signings on the four players he had put the regulatory FA seven days notice on last week. He also had co-assistant manager John Francis at Monday night’s Bradford PA v Gateshead National League North game which the Tynesiders won 4-2.
Town will be without midfielder Cory Gregory who will start his three match ban for being sent off in the Liversedge festive derby, but he will be allowed to play in Monday night’s home West Riding County FA quarter-final game with Steeton (7.45). Under the rather irksome new ruling, the tie will not count as a game to be deducted but yet he can play while banned from league games or FA Trophy or FA Cup games if Town were still involved!
He will also have to sit out the Shildon home game on Saturday week and then the away game at Worksop Town on January 29.
Steeton are in 10th place after 24 games in the North West Counties League Division One, a division headed by Bury AFC on 54 points and Brighouse Town’s neighbours Golcar United also on 54 points.
Admission for Monday’s tie, which hopefully takes Town into the semi-finals, will be £6 and £4.
