Brighouse Town’s promising start to the season has imploded with a fourth straight defeat coming at Heaton Stannington in the city of Newcastle last Saturday afternoon.They went down 2-0 after a promising start and also finished up playing the last 30 minutes with 10 men after their best player on the day, Isaac Acquah, the former Huddersfield Town youngster, had been sent off.
Two goals in three first half minutes did for Town after they had looked the more likely to score. A Kane Evans cross across the box was directed into the path of Kailem Beattie and he rifled home unchallenged. Three minutes later and Town gave away a penalty just inside the box after initially the referee was going to blow for a foul just inside Town’s half but he then allowed play to go on and the home side took advantage then from the spot kick. Louis Anderson just beat the diving Paul Cooper and it was 2-0 and after 21 minutes the signal for manager Grant Black to make two changes. Off went veteran Craig Nelthorpe and new signing Ethen Vaughan to be replaced by Cole Wildin and Darius Smith respectively.
Coming up to half-time Town looked assertive, like they had done earlier in the game, but they just didn’t have a striker on board to put the ball into the back of the net.
Acquah was causing problems for the home side as they could not knock him off the ball but he had little support across midfield. He went in to the referee’s book for a soft foul and minutes later he was flashed a yellow card again on the 60th minute and then the red.
In defence Town had Matty Nebard and Curtis Senior playing well and with keeper Cooper assured in goal. Senior provided some good balls and crosses but Town had nobody there to take advantage. Cooper in a frantic goalmouth scramble kept the score at two-nil and that is how it stayed even with Town down to 10 men.
Town are back up in the north east this Saturday when they travel to Newton Aycliffe (3pm) and with a coach leaving the Dusty Miller at 11.30.
Black has put seven day notices on three players he is after to bolster the squad but has been handed grim news on striker Danny Edwards following his visit to Chapel Allerton hospital last Friday. He has lateral knee ligament damage and needs a scan and that is scheduled for four weeks time.
Skipper Josh Grant was handed the statutory three match ban for his dismissal at home to Grimsby Borough last week and will miss this Saturday and the away game with Belper on Tuesday night (7.45). Acquah will miss this Saturday’s game.
There could be a recall for keeper Kyle Trenerry out since being injured at Emley on August 29. As part of his road back to fitness he played as a striker for the U-23 team in a fixture last week and scored a hat-trick in a 6-1 win!
Last season he played for a Bradford Sunday League side a striker and scored 30 goals!
The manager will also be hoping striker Myron Gibbons is fit for selection on Saturday when he also hope for one or two new faces as well.