Former Huddersfield Town and Clyde striker Jack Boyle in his fourth season with Brighouse Town has been voted the `Fans Player of The Season’.

He beat off stiff competition from fullback and centre back Sam Reed, and at the Presentation Evening at the Clubhouse on Saturday week, May 13 (7.0) he will also receive the Golden Boot award having bagged 13 goals this time and provided numerous assists.

The other major awards will be unveiled on the evening, but the `Fans Goal of the Season award has gone to Josh Grant for his strike at Ossett United on Easter Monday just two minutes into the second half. Town had gone in leading 1-0 from a Corey Gregory shot after Javelle Clarke had opened up the home defence and then provided a superb ball for his midfielder. From the kick-off on the resumption of the second half the ball was played down the right and it then proceeded to be played around at speed amongst seven players before being squared to Grant some 20 yards out from goal who made no mistake.

In third place for the goal of the season was Boyle whose free-kick in the first half at Tadcaster Albion was out of the `Bend it like Beckham’ text book!

Talking of awards and Town, despite finishing the season with a 3-0 defeat at Long Eaton United, took the April Form team award beating off champions Worksop Town, runners-up Stockton Town who lost in the play-off final to Long Eaton, who Town also pipped, but now go into the NPL Premier Division.

Shildon, Tadcaster Albion and Lincoln United have been relegated to Step 5 but Nottingham club Carlton were saved from a play-off game as North Shields after one season are out owing to ground grading rules. The club, with Malcolm McDonald as president, raised £50,000 but notified the NPL and FA a week too late of the March 31 deadline. They appealed but were rejected and must now return to the Northern League Divsion One.

Lincoln United lost 2-1 in their home play-off tie with Greater Manchester Step 5 club Avro and Glossop United in their play-off game lost 3-0 at home to Ashington from Northumbria, the birthplace and junior club of the famous Charlton brothers, the late Jack and Bobby. Despite Shildon dropping out Town will still also have to travel to a club in that area of Durham, Newton Aycliffe, champions of the EBAC Northern League Division One, and, of course, Ashington, north of Newcastle.

In the Division One West, Ramsbottom United, Colne, Glossop and Skelmersdale United are also relegated. With `Skem’ not meeting round grading requirements it prevented Widnes going into the play-offs with a Step 5 club.

Toolstation Northern Counties East League Division One Champions Campion from Manningham, Bradford and managed by former Brighouse Town player-assistant coach Lee Ashforth, won the West Riding County FA Cup Final on Friday night at reigning champions Liversedge 2-1 in front of 1,381 crowd.

Brighouse Town Girls U14 Orange team are champions of the West Riding County FA Girls League Division one and celebrated taking the title with a 3-1 victory over Rothwell.

Brighouse Town’s five game unbeaten run, which propelled them from sixteenth to eighth in the NPL East Division table, came to an end at Long Eaton last Saturday as they lost 3-0.

United were on the board after two minutes when centre forward Alex Marshall headed home from a corner out on the left.

Town then quickly took charge of the game and played some lovely football up to half-time but could not get the ball in the net. Jack Boyle saw a 25 yard shot on the angle tipped over by home keeper Ross Durrant just as it was dipping to go into the net and five minutes later a free kick into the six yard box should have been tapped home.

Town were lacking the services of potent finisher Mohammad Qasim and it cost them dearly.

Town went in at the break 1-0 down but the travelling support felt they had a more than a chance in the second half with skipper Tom Haigh and Corey Gregory bossing the show on 45 minutes and having great support from the talented duo Sam Reed and Javelle Clarke.

However the home side scored a second, a weak effort in a goalmouth scramble just five minutes into the half from interval substitute Tom Cursons, so it was always going to be an uphill struggle after that.

Matty Nebard came on for his first game in five matches after 67 minutes and was only on the field for five minutes when United got their third and ensured they would be travelling to Hebburn on Tuesday night in the play-offs.

A high ball into box and Jamie Walker beat Town keeper Jamie Hassall to the ball and it was 3-0, game over.

A disappointing end to the campaign but the main thing was that Town in seventeen days ahead of the game had made sure they were not looking over their shoulders at a possible relegation play-off game.

On Tuesday evening’s play-offs in the NPL East Division Stockton Town and Long Eaton United made it through to Saturday’s final
Stockton drew 2-2 with Stocksbridge and then won 4-2 on penalties while Hebburn Town also drew 2-2 with Long Eaton but then lost 3-2 on penalties
The winners will be promoted to the Premier Division with champions Worksop Town.
Liversedge after one season in the Premier Division have been relegated.

The Calderdale Schools finals will be played at the Yorkshire Payments Stadium home of Brighouse Town on Wednesday and Thursday May 10 and 11 from 3.30 each afternoon
There will be three finals on the first day and two on the second from Year 7to Year 11.

Goals from leading scorer Jack Boyle and Josh Grant in either half against Consett saw Town win their fifth game in six.

Swelled by the sponsorship of the game by former Brighouse Town old boys, friends and relatives of the late player Pete Gill, Town, in front of the 427 crowd, played some tidy football in the early stages but also found Consett, fighting to stay out of the relegation play-off places, also attack the home goal.

From one of their attacks keeper Jamie Hassall punted the ball well up field on the right and Boyle was well brought down by Boyle who in turn fired low and hard through the legs of the experienced Durham club’s goalkeeper Mark Foden and into the net on 16 minutes to the delight of the crowd.

On 21 minutes Joshua Baggs was sent clean through on goal for Consett but fortunately for Hassall and Town he is a fullback rather than a striker and he calmly shot straight at the custodian.

At the other end moments later Mo Qasim, who was, along with man of the match Javelle Clarke, giving the visitors some grief, had a close range header saved by Foden on 33 minutes. Town’s midfielders Corey Gregory and skipper Tom Haigh were busy organising their front runners and supplying good balls and defenders Sam Reed, Josh Grant and Aiden Walker were up for the challenge of the second 45 minutes.

The versatile Mohammed Ibrahim was just wide of the mark early in the second half as Town looked for another goal or two to `kill off’ the game and land their second double in a week.

Town got the all import second goal with 23 minutes left on the clock as Grant, some 25 yards out on the left, sent in an unstoppable screamer which Foden could only watch go into his net as he grasped fresh air!

Town then introduced substitutes Cole Roberts, Reon Benjamin-Potts and later Sam Drake, with Roberts going nearest to adding a third, with Foden just tipping his shot wide.

Two goals in five minutes in the second half at Cleethorpes on Tuesday night saw Brighouse Town continue their winning run.
The six consecutive wins has certainly spiraled them up the table and put them into eighth place but just two late for the play-offs.
On a cold and blustery night on the Lincolnshire coast, Town played against the elements in the first half and defensively did well to keep the Owls at bay.
Keeper Jaimie Hassall was in great form throughout for Town and kept yet another clean sheet-his fourth in succession..
His attacking force against the wind only really had one good chance when Jack Boyle dribbled into the box from the left after 10 minutes but his angled shot was just a foot wide of the target. Town defender Josh Grant led the defence exceptionally well, aided by Corey Gregory, Aiden Walker and Josh Dacre.
Commencing the second half, Town, with the wind at their backs, started to pressure the home side and after 55 minutes Boyle found himself in space some 22 yards out in front of goal and hammered home beyond the reach of James McKeown.
In the 60th minute and Mohammad Qasim trapped an aerial ball to him with style and then delivered a fine shot across the goal to beat the keeper.
Town then really managed the game well with skipper Tom Haigh and Javelle Clarke outstanding and they left the field to rapturous applause from the travelling supporters.

On Saturday, Town play their final game of the season at Long Eaton United in north Derbyshire (3.0).

They are running a coach that will leave the Dusty Miller at 11.15am

Manager Vill Powell has just one injury concern, utility player Mohammed Ibrahim who missed the game at Cleethorpes with an ankle injury.

The club’s presentation night will be held in the clubhouse on Saturday, May 13.

Gilly’s game was sponsored by Brighouse Town Old Boys, ex-teammates and friends and family of Club legend Pete Gill, and were presented to the crowd before the game against Consett AFC on Saturday.

A big thank you to Brighouse Town & District Inner Wheel & Tesco Brighouse for their support of the Junior section here at the Yorkshire Payments Stadium.

During March, the Junior section was the beneficiary of the store’s Community Bookshelf initiative which raised £481.88.

Sam Edmondson, Tesco Community Champion, along with Inner Wheel members Janet, Martine, Anne, Trudy, Alison, Judy, Eileen and Linda were at Brighouse Town’s fixture against Consett AFC on Saturday to present the juniors represented by players Annie and Lewis with the fabulous cheque.

After mastering the gusty wind and tacky condition of the pitch at Ossett on Monday, Town played some superb football to take their second three point haul of the weekend with a 4-0 win.

After a two hour downpour across lunchtime, the sun came out just ahead of kick-off but Town found themselves playing up the slight slope and against the wind. It took them almost to the half hour mark to get a grip of the conditions and then start troubling the Ossett United keeper Paul Cooper. First Mohammed Ibrahim went close and then Mohammad Qasim missed as he sent a shot the other side of the post.

However, Town were now pressing Ossett and the all important opening goal came in the 43rd minute as Tom Haigh flicked the ball over the United defensive wall and fellow midfielder Corey Gregory was through and easily beat the keeper to make it 1-0.

United had chances in that first half and they did have the ball in the back of the net inside the first 10 minutes but the assistant referee’s flag went up for offside, and then Town keeper Jamie Hassall tipped a good shot over his crossbar.

Josh Grant, Sam Reed, Aiden Walker and Josh Dacre had all working flat out in defence to make sure the wind-assisted home side didn’t breach their defenses.

The second half was only two minutes old when Town did register their second goal through Grant who was on the end of some brilliant football that had Haigh, Boyle and Qasim involved.

Town really got on top and Qasim made it 3-0 in the 57th minute as he weaved his way into the box from the left and then sent in a superb shot to beat Cooper.

Apart from a couple of forays into the Town box United were kept well at bay as Javelle Clarke and Reed ensured there were no attacks coming down the flanks and the central defenders mopped up the rest.

Haigh was rested on 68 minutes and Sam Drake came on ahead of fellow substitutes Reon Benjamin-Potts for an injured Qasim and then Cole Roberts for Ibrahim over the next eight minutes.

They all put themselves about and Roberts virtually ensured the fourth goal on 88 minutes when he charged down a Cooper clearance just short of the halfway line and the ball in the wind was heading to the empty United goal. Roberts was about to tap it in when Cooper rugby tackled him and referee Anthony Tankard pointed straight to the spot and then showed a red card to Cooper.

Benjamin-Potts stepped up to take the spot kick and easily beat stand in keeper Danny South.

Skipper Haigh was delighted with his side’s performance which ensures Town are safe currently in 11th position of the 20 clubs in the East Division with three games to go.

“I thought we played some lovely football in that second half and took our chances well and snuffed out anything they had to offer, “added Haigh.

Town entertain Consett on Saturday (3.0pm) when the game will be sponsored by the friends and family of the late and popular former Town player Peter Gill who passed away at the end of 2022.

Next Tuesday Town travel to Cleethorpes (7.45) for a re-arranged game that was called off on Saturday, April 1 for a waterlogged pitch.

Town went along way to securing their lace in the NPL East Division for the 2023-24 season on Saturday with a 2-0 home win over ninth-placed Grimsby Borough.

Goals in either half from Josh Dacre and Jack Boyle ensured a second victory in five days following the 2-1 away win at Shildon on the Tuesday.

In the 11th minute, Boyle, out on the right, cut inside in the box and sent in a hard shot on target which visiting keeper Liam Higton spilled into the path of centre-back Joshua Dacre to hammer home for his second vital goal in two games.

The game developed very much into a frenetic end-to-end battle and the Lincolnshire visitors were unlucky not to score in the 25th minute when they had a shot saved by Jamie Hassall and from the clearance in came a shot which Javelle Clarke headed off the line and Matty Nebard then saw the danger was cleared.

Town had chances at the other end to add to their scoreline via Mohammad Qasim, Sam Reed and Boyle but the defensive shutters were down.

Play continued in the second half as it had in the first half and both sides went close until Qasim, coming in from the left in the 68th minute, was going round the Grimsby captain Jack Debnam who brought him down inside the box and referee Umar Ahmed pointed to the spot.

Boyle struck his penalty very sweetly, giving Higton no chance, and Town were 2-0 to the good.

Town then, with the introduction of skipper Tom Haigh after his three match ban, game managed the remaining 20 minutes plus three minutes of added time very well. Fellow substitutes Cole Roberts and Reon Benjamin-Potts with fresh legs chased everything to help the cause and ensure the three points were kept in the bag.

Assistant coach Stacy Reed commented: “Whilst Grimsby had quality in their side and a huge defensive unit in Jaz Goundry, it was the persistence and desire that won us the match.”

Town’s teenage reserve keeper Charlie English on the bench for this game had, on Good Friday been at The Shay where he is on their Academy staff and been helping the Shaymen’s keeper Sam Johnson warm up for the game with Wrexham as Town’s No2 Tom Scott is out on loan.

“Great experience for the lad and in front of nigh on 8,000 spectators,” added Reed.

English has since Good Friday learned he will be in the FC Halifax Town squad for the game at Wembley and will be treading the hallowed turf.