It was a frustrated and dejected Brighouse Town team and their supporters that returned from their trip to the East coast last Saturday.
Bridlington Town scored the wining goal in the first minute of added time in the second half after Town had played 73 minutes with 10 men after vice-captain Corey Gregory was sent off for allegedly elbowing the home centre forward Andy Norfolk after a conrer had been awarded.
A despondent Gregory claimed he had been held and pushed by three defenders on the edge of the box and was just trying to get them off him.
Town players and officials claimed the Middlesbrough referee and his nearest assistant had not seen the incident. Norfolk went to the ground after contact to the stomach and in the next minute a red card was produced.
To the neutral spectator in the 284 crowd you would not have thought Brighouse were a man down as they more than showed why they were in fourth place going into the game and a point or three would have seen them go into third place after the day’s results.
Skipper Tom Haigh, a solitary figure in midfield and at times up front, ran his blood to water and his teammates really put a shift in. In the second half Vill Powell’s men almost scored from a speculative shot from 40 yards out on the right flank from Mohammed Ibrahim which was just tipped over the bar at the last minute.
Two Jack Boyle free kicks came to nothing and at the other end the post saved his side when Jake Martindale headed against it from a corner. Then five minutes later it was Martindale who put a ball through to Norfolk after it had been poorly cleared by Town, now with tiring limbs, and he put the ball at an angle to Michael Roxburgh’s far post and grabbed the winner.
Gregory, who played at Sheffield on Tuesday night, will now miss three games, against Grantham Town at home on Saturday (3.0), the following week at Dunston and then on the following Saturday, October 29 to current league leaders Stockton Town.
It is hoped in that period defender Matty Nebard will be back from his broken wrist, and goalkeeper Brett Souter is fit to be selcted after his knee operation in the closed- season.
There was another defeat for Town at Sheffield FC on Tuesday night, with the locals losing 1-0 to a goal in the 16th minute from Nathan Modest.
The home side were out of the traps much faster than Town and deserved their lead but the shock of going behind did wake up Powell’s charges.
Sam Reed was effective on the left with Callum Charlton and Sheffield had to work overtime to stop them paving the way for an equaliser.
While throughout the game striker Jack Boyle,Thomas Haigh, Mohammed Ibrahim and Aiden Walker put in tremendous shifts, they just couldn’t find a way of testing the home keeper Jordan Pierrepont.
In the second half when Town also came up against some inept referreing from Daniel Tracey, they lacked the clinical edge to find the net. Apart from two chances when Boyle curved a tremendous shot from just inside the box and it was glanced away just ahead of the line and Elliot Harrison was inches away from toeing in a ball from the left as he stretched every sinue and tissue to try and reach it.
Manager Vill Powell, who has seen six points go down the proverbial drain in the past two games, said his side could not be faltered for effort and are missing some clinical finishing after chances have been created.
“We are missing Laurence-striker Laurence Sorhaindo-to just give us that edge and I’ll be glad when he sets foot on the pitch again after his long knee injury.”
Town’s academy side lost their opening game last Thursday to Mossley, 7-4, despite opening the scoring. Manager-coach Harry Birro said he was pleased wth the performance and it was just a fitness issue towards the end of the game that caused a problem.
“Tired legs led to mistakes and then the goals came for the visitors to take the points and not really give a true reflection on the game,” he added.
Today (Thursday) the team travel to Cheshire to take on Witton Albion’s academy team (12.0).
