Dave Parker
TWO FIRST half goals were enough to defeat Wakefield last Saturday in Brighouse Town’s second and final group game and qualify them for last night’s (Wednesday’s) home semi-final with Liversedge.
Jack Boyle was the first on the score sheet midway through the first half after rangy Mikey Starkey won a high ball played forward by Sam Reed and placed it right into the path of the former Huddersfield Town and Clyde player who then, one of one, easily beat the home keeper.
Then, right on half-time, veteran striker Zeph Thomas scored the second and final goal after once more being played into a good position to go one on with the keeper.
In the second half Town’s manager Vill Powell made some changes to get more game time into his players with two more important games coming up, while his opposite manager Adam Lockwood, the former Doncaster Rovers and Yeovil centre half, got the best out of his young players in front of a crowd approaching 700 at the Millennium Stadium, Featherstone.
Golcar United and Penistone Church qualified for the other semi-final, with Golcar registering a 5-2 win over the Nostell side and they played Penistone Church last night (Wednesday).
The winning two sides from the `semis’ will play in Saturday’s final at the Yorkshire Payments Stadium at 3pm and the losing semi-finalists will kick off at the same venue at 11.30am.
All details for the competing sides in those matches will be on the Brighouse Town website and Twitter site from today.
The clubhouse and kitchen will be open from 11am and the day will be extended with TV coverage of the European Champions Final.
Town’s manager will be hoping that experienced Danny Racchi will be definitely fit for a game at the weekend and diminutive striker Mohammed Ibrahim as both missed the Wakefield game with leg strains.
Keeper Brett Souter, who collided in the first half with his own central defender Matty Nebard and left the field with a head wound, was hoping to be fit last night against Liversedge, but his stand-in Declan Lambton, signed from Guiseley, came on to have a very good game.
The Town committee expect a maximum attendance under the current road map covid rules of 675 on Saturday and say it will be: “first come, first served” and the turnstiles will have to be shut after that figure is reached.
There will be a souvenir programme for the two finals, Golden Goals for both and a half-time draw for the final itself.
For the first time ever since the club’s Academy was formed three years ago, Town have two players in the Divisional Team of the Year as youngsters James Tetley and Sam Brearley have made it into the ESPFA North Division TOTY. James, from Leeds, is an energetic full-back who’s known for his relentless work-rate, one-on-one defensive capabilities, and his fantastic personality, has been Town’s most consistent player this year with high performance levels every week.
Manager Simon Ward says his personality rewarded him as first year captain, and he has been promoted to next year’s vice-captain as well.
” Sam, from Brighouse, is a local lad, and has been a leader within the team this year having become our vice captain and promoted to become next year’s captain. Sam is a fast, ball playing centre-back who loves a tackle as well. Both are constantly learning and improving and we hope to invite them into first team pre-season training later in the summer as a reward for their outstanding performances and attitudes.”
