Brighouse Town have received a huge blow in their battle to stave off relegation by having three points deducted by the NPL.
The deduction and fine originates from the Carlton Town home game on November 30 when Town were actual 4-1 winners, but an administrative error saw them play Josh Waldram when he was actually due to serve a one match ban for five cautions. Town officials thought he had served that earlier when having racked up four league cards and one for an FA Cup tie booking.
It has gone through the FA and then the NPL and the sad outcome is that Town when sitting just outside the relegation zone of four clubs to be relegated this season are now in the bottom four of the East Division with the three below them, Liversedge, Sherwood Colliery and Sheffield FC already relegated.
Town have three games left to stave off leaving step 4 and the first begins at Bishop Auckland on Saturday (3pm) when it is hoped they play as well as they have done in the last two games but have only secured draws when victories were deserved.
Town were leading 2-1 at home to Bradford Park Avenue on Saturday when in added on time the visitors equalised to huge sighs from the 402 crowd.
Park Avenue had gone ahead against the run of play with a controversial goal by Iyrwah Gooden who looked to have handled the ball to help control it before beating Shea Callister.
Their lead last only seven minutes before a fluke goal saw Town equalise through a wind-assisted kick from keeper Callister that went fully 65 yards to bounce over the head of Park Avenue keeper Cameron Mason and into his net. Danny Edwards was backing up and made sure he escorted it over the line.
Edwards was on the scoresheet eight minutes into the second half when he followed up a shot that Mason could only parry into his path and he made no mistake to put his side 2-1 up. Town could and should have added two more through Rhys Plater and then Romario Dunne, who went on-on-one with Mason but his chance was snuffed.
With two minutes remaining of added time Brendon Daniels equalised for Park Avenue with a speculative shot that just crept in at the foot of Callister’s post.
Town’s future in this division is now in their hands as they battle for points as watch for the results of Heaton Stannington, Bridlington Town, Ashington, Ossett United, Consett and Pontefract Collieries.
A coach will leave the Dusty Miller on Saturday at 11.15 for Bishop Auckland and Town are appealing for a good turnout on Monday for the Garforth Town game.
BRIGHOUSe
TOWN AFC
