Brighouse with another draw at home with the goals coming from Tom Haigh and Pontefractʼs Redford.
Brighouse with high press attacking football early on in the game they always are like this as the manager insists
this is the style of play Brighouse should playing. The first corner for Pontefract saw Ben Gordon put a shot over
the bar.From Souters goal kick Brighouse were able to attack and at the end there was a corner ball for Brighouse,
it went to Nebard and he air kicked it a very stereotypical shot from a defender. So far the game was 50/50 and
Brighouse gave away a free kick to Pontefract there was a glanced header but the keeper collected it well and tried
to set off another Brighouse counter attack. Pontefract had an attack and got a corner they tried putting the ball
across the floor to the outside of the box to the free man but the player for Pontefract put it over the bar.
Boyle fouled a Pontefract player and the ref came over and gave him a warning and also told him to calm down as
the game was becoming scrappy. Pontefract had another corner and Brighouse tried to catch them out with a
counter attack but Boyle was fouled. Brighouse had a free kick but it went straight to the keeper and it was still
0-0.Jack Boyle for Brighouse Town had a chance but it was a comfortable height for the keeper to save.Tom Haigh
was fouled in the box but it was given the other way to a Pontefract free kick.The Pontefract player Dunn went
down from a foul and the physio was brought onto the field but he returned onto the pitch and was okay to carry
on.

A lot of arguments and handbags between the two teams over the foul between Clarke and a Pontefract player. The
foul went in Pontefractʼs favour and they took their time to take it too but after all that time wasting it amounted to
nothing. Brighouse had a free kick and Brett Souter quickly took it but it amounted to nothing.Clarke tries to get into
the box and tries to have a shot but the Pontefract player took the ball of Clarke before he could do anything.
Clarke went down from a foul and the physio has been brought on he went off then quickly came on and carried on
playing the last minutes of the first half. At the same time the Pontefract player Vann was also down on the other
end of the pitch he was in some discomfort but carried on playing.then the game resumed and the whistle was
blown for half time.

Dunn from Pontefract came off and Fabian Bailey came on. Brighouse started the second half strong with a goal in
the 50th minute coming from a Jack Boyle cross and Tom Haigh with a header and it was 1-0 to Brighouse Town.
Haigh was given a yellow card because of a feisty challenge on a Pontefract player. Brighouse with a chance to
make it 2-0 Haigh with a heavy touch the keeper collects after he spilt the ball. Sorhaindo with confidence tried a
shot from outside of the box looking for the top corner but it just went wide.Free kick to brighouse but it was too
high and too deep.
Sadly Brighouse conceded a goal from the Pontefract player Redford to make it 1-1.Racchi was fouled and the
physio had to come on but he was okay to carry on. Racchi was caught with a bad challenge and they gave yellow
card to him.There was some fighting going on after the tackle and Williams got a straight red after grabbing
Racchiʼs hair, play carried on with musslewhite with a free kick.
A free kick went in Brighouseʼs favour but it was cleared well. Two subs for Brighouse Thomas came on and Racchi
came off. Another sub later on in the game was Clarke off and khan came on.Thomas had a chance but it went over
the bar.Khan had a snapped shot from outside of the box and it went over the bar.Another free kick was for
Brighouse but again it was cleared away by the Pontefract defence. Brighouse had an attack a cross came in by
Starkey TJ with a header but he was under the ball and put it over the bar. Pontefract had a corner in the last minute
of the game and it was well cleared by the orange army. Brighouse went on the break and smith did a heavy pass to
TJ what sadly ended the attack.And the full whistle was blown for the game to end at 1-1 and another draw for the
Orange Army.

Brighouse with their first win of the 2021-22 campaign with two goals from Clarke.

At the start of the game there was a foul early on for Brighouse Town but they couldnʼt capitalise as the ball went
into the box but it was cleared well by the Ossett defence. Ossett broke on the counter attack and Brighouse gave
away a foul, the free kick was taken and it went straight over the bar. Throughout the game Brighouse was playing
the same high intensity football Ossett were trying to match this intensity but failed to do so. Later on it not the first half Ossett had to do an enforced change as their number 5 was helped of the field and the number 16 was replacing him.Play did start again but the corner was deflected over the bar and Brighouse had another corner but the keeper punches it out. The first yellow card of the game went to the number 11 of Ossett United on a cheeky challenge on Smith. Brighouse had another chance at goal this time it was Tom Haigh with a chance from outside the box it was curling to the top right corner but the keeper caught the ball with a diving effort. This was the best chance of the game so far.

Brighouse had another corner but nothing seemed to be happening in front of goal but by pressuring the way they
were doing they would score very soon. Ossett had a chance to go in front Souter came out well but was caught in
no mans land but thankfully the shot went way wide of the open goal. In the 45th minute of the first half Brighouse
struck first with a goal by Clarke it was assisted by Smith on the overlap he cut the ball back across the face of goal
and Clarke was there to poke it in the near post.

The start to the second half Brighouse were still playing the high press attacking football they usually play. This led
them to have an attack and get a free kick it was whipped into the box, Sorhaindo with a header but it was straight
at the goalkeeper. Another Brighouse attack this time the ball fell for Harrison he had a shot on goal but the keeper
covered it well. The first sub for Brighouse was number 17 khan on Boyle off. Harrison with another chance on goal this time it was a looping header but the keeper put it over the bar. Brighouse had a corner to try seal this home victory and they converted the corner in the 57th minute there was a scramble in the box the ball fell for the Brighouse number 11 for him to slot it in the back of the net and make it 2-0 to Brighouse. Ossett made two subs straight after the goal the number 7 went off and 12 came on and their last sub was the number 11 who came off and number 15 came on Ossett were making the last two subs to try change the game for them.

But Brighouse still having the bulk of the possession only saw Ossett attacking by set pieces and not in open play.
After another Brighouse attack Ossett gave away a silly free kick to Brighouse Town Racchi with a curled effort but
the keeper always had it covered. Brighouse made their second sub in the 74th minute with the goal scorer Clarke
who went off and TJ came on. Luke Hogg for Ossett United got a yellow card for a late tackle on a Brighouse player. Later on in the game Brighouse gave a way a silly free kick to Ossett the ball was in the back of the net but it was disallowed as there was a foul on the Brighouse goalkeeper Brett Souter. It was still 2-0 to the orange army. In the 83rd minute Brighouse did another sub this time it was Thomas who made his way onto the field and the player who came off was Elliot Harrison. In the last minute of the game TJ was booked for a tackle on an Ossett player.

The play resumed only for the full time whistle to be blown and the orange army have won their first game and keep
the unbeaten home form with 2 draws and a win.

Brighouse Town v Sheffield FC Full time score: 2-2
Starting XI

Brighouse Town: Souter, smith, reed, Racchi (c), Beeden, Nebard, Boyle, Haigh, Sorhaindo, Hurtley, Clarke
Subs: OʼConnor, Wilkinson, Starkey, Harrison, Khan

Sheffield FC: Hedge, Whelan, Magee, Prior, Cooksey (c) Molokwu, walker, Mitchell,Newsham, Hall, Walshaw
Subs: Yates, Etia, Thwaites, Roney

Brighouse Town with some late drama and a well deserved draw against Sheffield FC to see them be unbeaten at home with two consecutive draws.
Brighouse started off really slow and this was shown when Sheffield went 1-0 up in the 2nd minute the goal scorer being Sheffieldʼs number 9 Newsham what was assisted by the speedy winger Hall. A free kick went in favour to Brighouse Town but sadly nothing happened and the keeper collected the ball comfortably.

In the first half Sheffield were dominating possession in the midfield area. Later on into the first half Brighouse turned the screw and were slowly trying to get back into the game with a few counter attacks led by Javelle Clarke on the wing. But with these counter attacks nothing hit the back of the net and it was still 1-0 to Sheffield. After the goal nothing influential had happened only the counter attacks by Brighouse but that still wasnʼt enough to get the game level. The Game was slow as the ball was going out of play very often, Brighouse with the last kick of the first half had a counter attack and had the ball in the back of the net but it was deemed to be offside,and going into half time Sheffield was in the lead.

Brighouse came into the second half with the high press attacking football what we saw at Frickley.Brighouse had a corner but it could only find the side netting another great chance missed by the orange army. The first sub of the evening was for Brighouse Town, Khan came on and Hurtley came off.this was a very positive change from the Manger. Sheffield followed suit and the number 12 came on and the number 7 walker went off. Racchi had a shot at the edge of the area but was an easy save for the goal keeper. Brighouse were still playing this high press and attacking football. But a penalty was given when Souter came of his line to collect the ball from a 1v1 but caught the player, Nesham stepped up and Souter saved but wasnʼt quick enough to save the rebound what was scored by number 11 Walshaw, 2-0 to Sheffield FC.
But only a few minutes later Brighouse had a set piece and Sorhaindo scored to make it 2-1 to the orange army, this was great retaliation from the Brighouse team as they were losing 2-0. To try enforce another goal Brighouse made a double sub in the 76th minute, number 3 Reed came off and Starkey came on, then Tom Haigh off and Harrison on. In the last 10 minutes of normal time Racchi got a yellow card in the 83rd minute for fouling Sheffieldʼs number 10 Hall. The number 11 for Sheffield pulled up with a hamstring injury and went off the pitch and Etia came on to replace him on the 87th minute still 2-1 to Sheffield.

In the 90th minute Whelan for Sheffield got a yellow card for pulling the shirt of a Brighouse Town player. There were 4 minutes of added time, 4 minutes of Brighouse still attacking to get that second goal and make the game a draw,Sheffield try to time waste with making a sub in the last 30 second of the game but it wasnʼt effective as brighouse had a set piece what was put right into the box there was a bit of a scramble but it made it was way to Khan with a low hard drive at the near post it beat the goalkeeper and made the game 2-2 the ball was placed on the center circle and the full time whistle was sounded and Brighouse Town with some late drama to get a well deserved point.

By James Bushnell

Brighouse Town sadly lost to Shildon by a penalty and a free kick and the FA Cup was sadly over. In the first half Brighouse Town were applying the pressure to great effect, with having chances early on for example a missed chance by Harrison what went just over the bar after the keeper spilt the ball from a shot by Racchi. Later on their was a set piece for Shildon but they didnʼt take advantage of it. Shildon had taken the free kick but it was well defended by the Brighouse defence. The next attack went in Brighouseʼs favour as the ball gets chipped over the keeper by Mackey but it just went over the bar another missed opportunity.Boyle for Brighouse Town had a snatched shot from outside the box what went over the bar,Boyle was always looking for a goal as he was wanting to get one before the game kicked off. Shildon had another attack but this time it was a 1v1 with Souter and the Shildon number 9 but it was just wide of the post. Another attack occurred for Shildon and the ball was about to cross the line from a header but the captain for Brighouse Daniel Racchi cleared the ball of the line what kept the game at 0-0. Brighouse town looked deadly on the attack when Sorhaindo had a chance but it was at the goalkeeper. Shildon had another chance but the keeper saved it and threw it out quickly so Brighouse could break, Boyle had a chance on goal in the box but it was a scuffed shot what went wide Boyle still looking for that illusive goal, and on the 43rd minute he found the back of the net a really nice placed shot in the bottom left corner to see the orange army got ahead and make it 1-0 to the visitors in this cup tie.At the start of the second half Mike Starkey went off and Clarke came on to change the game and seal the win what was 45mins away. Harrison gets a yellow card a late challenge on a Shildon midfielder. Shildon come on the attack and Souter came out in a daring charge for the ball but cleared his lines well.

Tom Haigh for Brighouse Town was shown a yellow card after a feisty tackle while defending a Shildon attack. The first sub of the game for Shildon was the number 11 Will McCamley came off and their number 16 Dean Thexton came on. The second card of the game was shown to Shildonʼs David Palmer for a tug of the shirt on Racchi. Later on in the game another sub for Shildon number 6 David Atkinson came off and number 15 Craig Moody came on. Shildon had a clear chance to make it 1-1 but didnʼt.Brighouse had another attack by Boyle what went over the bar again. Brighouseʼs second sub was Tom Haigh off and Tom Hurtly on in the 73rd minute it was still 1-0 to Brighouse Town. The final sub for Shildon was number 12 Daniel Craggs on and Kurt Matthews off. The final sub for Brighouse came at the same time number 15 Mossimo Ciccarelli on and number 7 Jack Boyle off.Clarke for Brighouse town was Booked for time wasting after an offside decision what went Shildonʼs way.5 minutes later a scramble in the Brighouse box from a corner ended up a penalty for Shildon and it ends up being 1-1 souter went the right way but didnʼt get his glove to the ball. In the last 10 minutes of the game tinker for Brighouse Town got a straight red for a nasty tackle on a Shildon player but 5 minutes earlier the number 15 for brighouse was caught by a similar tackle and the Shildon player didnʼt get a card only a warning.Then a second yellow for Shildons David Palmer and both teams were down to 10 men coming into the last 5 minutes of the game. Then in the last seconds of the game Shildon get a free kick and score to make it 2-1 and Brighouse townʼs FA Cup run was sadly over.

By James Bushnell

The weather was overcast and mild perfect playing conditions for the game at hand, Brighouse came out swinging in the first 15-20 mins of the game with the high press and they were looking for the first goal to break the deadlock early on in the game. Brighouse had a chance early on with a free kick in a dangerous area where a ball could be whipped into the box, the ball came in but it was well defended by the Frickley defence and they were quickly on the counter attack but the shot went wide this was a huge let off for the Brighouse defence as they left themselves to wide open at the back and not compact enough to stop the run from Frickleyʼs number 10 Kieran Wells. What came to follow after the counter attacks by Frickley were a flurry of free kicks for Brighouse town but sadly with all the opportunities they had with these free kicks they didn’t seem to find the end product. Then the inevitable happened and Brighouse were 1-0 down, this was a goal scored by Kieran Wells this was all down to the Brighouse defence not being compact enough to stop the runs down the middle of the pitch, but this did not stop Brighouse from playing their game and playing high intensity and attacking football and this rewarded them with a goal not long after Frickley scored. It came from an in swinging corner and to head it home was the Brighouse number 9 Sorhaindo this is what he needed to bring his confidence levels up.

As the saying goes ‘once your opponent scores that’s when their defence is the most vulnerable and this was the case from the header by the number 9. In the last 5-10 mins of the first half Frickley were slowly getting
into the game with one chance what saw Wells try chip it over the keeper but the keeper did enough to put him off and it went over the bar. And to bring some momentum into half time Starkey had a shot but it was over the cross bar, with being this attacking minded I wasn’t sure if Brighouse would be the same in the second half. But before the whistle was blown for half time Frickley had a corner straight from the training ground what makes the hosts go 2-1 in front but still Brighouse weren’t backing down from the challenge what was in front of them. The half time whistle blew this was the best time for Brighouse to regroup and pick themselves up and keep playing their game.

SECOND HALF
In the second half Brighouse dominated the game with how they were playing and they kept up with the high intensity this show how the manager has improved their fitness so they can play like this, the ball was still in the Frickley half 10 mins into the second it shows how Frickley were playing Brighouse’s game, in the 51st minute Clarke for Brighouse cut inside onto his right foot and just put the ball inches wide of the bar and post, also how Brighouse were switching the play was great this gave Brighouse another dimension with how they were attacking and how they were in control of the midfield. There were numerous attacks by Brighouse but nobody could covert it into a goal and make it 2-2 for the visitors, but with this game and playing this high intensity attacking football its going to be a learning curve for the players with how they defend and attack. In the latter stages of the match Brighouse and Frickley made some subs Ciccarelli came on and Clarke came off this was a straight swap winger off winger on this helped Brighouse with having that extra energy in attack, Haigh had another chance but couldn’t put his foot through the ball to get it past the keeper but through out the second half Brighouse were the dominant side and were always finding ways to get that goal what they really deserved to get. In the 67th minute another change for Brighouse number 14 Tinker on and the number 4 Smith goes off smith was a stand put player as he coped with the attacks Frickley were trying to create on the wing and Smith was always there to make sure they couldnʼt capitalise on anything.

At the same time Frickley made a sub Harrison on and the goal scorer Kieran Wells off. More waves of Brighouse attacks followed as Thomas Haigh went down in some discomfort in the 79th minute the physio came on and took him off the field then he jogged back on but 30 seconds later he went down and was helped off the pitch with a limp this could but the knock he got in pre season resurfacing with Haigh going off number 15 Reed comes on for Brighouse and makes an immediate impact with helping Brighouse get a corner and another attacking opportunity but it sadly came to nothing as the Frickley keeper collected
the ball comfortably. With a break in the play Frickley decide to do another sub and bring on barks and the number 6
Everington goes off. And coming to the 90th minute Brighouse were still trying to find that illusive goal that they 100% deserved, a header by Boyle goes over the bar. And another Frickley sub josh burns on and Woolford goes off, but with these subs Frickley were making it didnʼt stop the orange army to attack and keep that high intensity through out Reed a sub what came on earlier for the orange army does a drilled shot along the floor what bobbles in front of the goalkeeper but the keeper reacted well to save the shot. The full time score was Frickley AFC 2-1 Brighouse Town this score line doesnʼt reflect on how well the Brighouse players played and they deserved to get a point out of that game hopefully the next game can be a win for the Orange army.

Town’s first match in the 2021/22 season is tomorrow when we play host to Dunston UTS in which the last game played against the opponents was a 4-3 thriller with Brighouse being on the wrong end of the result. We sat down with Vill Powell to preview tomorrow’s game.

“Competitive football back at the Yorkshire Payments Stadium is long overdue and although tomorrow we are against a team that will be right up there we are all looking forward to start the season. The players are looking good we have unfortunately we have a long short term injury list. Harrison Beedon misses out with a stitch, hopefully back Tuesday ,Zeph thomas (ligaments ) Tom Haigh (away) James Hurtley had a set back from his hamstring injury he did in May but is only a couple of weeks out and Shiraz Khan (suspended). I always say pre season is not a gauge to judge your season by it’s a process to get players fit and prepared and I feel we have done that I felt the same last season but we probably went into last season a little too confident based on pre season results. This season that isn’t the case we are all aware of the work needed to get results and all the staff and players are ready for that. Dunston I believe will be right up there this season they had a strong squad last year and have added to that strength so it will be a challenge but we will cause them problems too so it should make good viewing. The club has massively improved over the last 5 years since I’ve been at the football club.  There is some great work on and off the pitch and it is great to be part and have a driving influence in the progression of the club. The game tomorrow should be an entertaining one, if you’re planning on coming down to support the lads, bring your singing voices and cheer the boys on to help get a good result”