Brighouse Town’s tale of woe continued with two defeats over the Easter holiday including a 5-1 reverse at home to the bottom club Winterton Rangers.
Town have only had two wins in 2024 against Liversedge on January 1 and away to Belper Town on January 23 and with only three draws they have been well and truly sucked into the relegation battle at the foot of the Northern Premier League East Division.
Only Ossett United stand between Town and the bottom two clubs, Grantham Town and Winterton Town, and five points is the difference between staying up right now and being one of the two clubs who go down.
Town were without their captain Josh Grant over the two games, vice captain Curtis Peters also failed a fitness test for both games and on the Monday game wing-back Darius Smith also pulled out.
On the Saturday game away to second-placed Dunston, played on the 4G pitch at Consett as the Newcastle side are having huge drainage problems, Town played some good football and were in the game until the 68th minute when central defender Josh Dacre allowed Jack Maskell to score from a low David Richardson cross.
Within four minutes Town were level as Jack Wilson weaved his way into central field and then delivered a good pass to Mo Qasim who had just come on for Kieron Ceesay and he picked his spot to make it 1-1.
A valuable point looked to be on the cards until with seven minutes to go Jordan Lamb beat Smith to the ball on the touchline and he took play right up the touchline and into the box before he squared for Dale Pearson to beat Jamie Hassall and make it 2-1.
Town did come back strong through Qasim, Wilson and Brandon Webster but the game was put to bed in the 89th minute when Robinson in an offside position chipped a hesitant Hassall and the ball landed in the net to make it 3-1.
The scoreline was not a true reflection of the effort put in by the Town players.
All the travelling support could talk about on the way back was the 2-1 win Grantham Town had had over fellow strugglers Ossett United and the fact the Gingerbread Men had come within five points now of Town who had a massive home game on the Monday with Winterton who had lost 2-0 at home to Cleethorpes Town.
Town’s crowd had been swelled by FC Halifax Town fans who had seen their home game with York City called off at 11am for waterlogging and some York fans who had come to Halifax early and were then looking for a game. The Minstermen also boosted the Town coffers as they spent on a variety of items in the club shop.
They, and the Town faithful, witnessed the first goal after nine minutes when Winterton full back Clay Bryant hit the target to put his side a goal to the good. Two minutes later and the north Lincolnshire side were back in the Town box and centre half Henry Moore made it 2-0 and the home fans were in a state of shock.
Three minutes later and things only got worse as lively winger Russell Berko hit the first of his three goals to make it 3-0.
That is how it stayed until half-time with Town coming up against a very good keeper in Nathan Popple who made three very good saves.
Town did pull a goal back in the 56th minute through Jack Normanton who was put clear down the middle and he did have the beating of Popple on this occasion to make it 3-1.
Town then went looking an important second goal and both Qasim and Normanton were denied. It was the away side who got the all important match-winning fourth goal when Berko got his second on 75 minutes.
In the third minute of added time Rangers made it 5-1 as Berko completed his hat-trick with a strong drive to beat Hassall.
Emley with a 5-0 away win at Goole on Saturday were crowned NCEL Premier champions and with the 700-plus crowds they have been getting this season would be a welcome addition to the East Division fixtures next term but Town first off have to make sure they hold on to their place.
In the meantime Doncaster-based midfielder Jack Crook has been allowed to sign on dual registration forms for Retford Town possibly to help them if they make the play-offs in the NCEL Division One. However, he will stay with Town until the end of their season which now sees them with just two home games against Pontefract Collieries on Saturday, April 13 and Carlton Town on Saturday, April 27 left. They have challenging away games on top of the Cleethorpes game at Consett on Tuesday week, April 16 and then on the Saturday at possible champions-elect Stockton Town.
There is a coach on Saturday to Cleethorpes which will leave the Dusty Miller at 11.15am
