ALL ROADS led to Hove Edge on Friday evening as Brighouse Town hosted near neighbours Liversedge in the West Riding County FA Senior Cup Final (7.45).

For the past three weeks director of football and vice chairman Charlie Tolley and his colleagues have been planning for what will be a truly momentous game to go into the history books of both clubs.

Town have also been keeping their fingers crossed over the weather as they are hoping to park the majority of the cars on the adjoining pitches to the main pitch and want the firm surface to remain. When Liversedge came for the December 27 festive derby there was a crowd inside the Yorkshire Payments Stadium of 827 and it was a game Town lost 2-1 in added time.

On Friday, officials are planning for a crowd in the region of 1400 following the visitors taking the Pitching-In East Division championship title and when they entertained Town on Easter Monday the attendance was 1,235 in their Clayborn ground to see the 1-1 draw.

In the end with the rain on Friday night the attendance was 1,087 but still excellent.

Town, who have finished seventh in the table, have been training intensively over the past ten days since their 3-1 setback to Stockton Town who themselves lost out in the East Division play-off final 2-1 to Marske last Saturday.

Town had three experienced players missing that day through injury after their nine match unbeaten run, but skipper and midfielder Tom Haigh was back in contention.

Town’s frontline gave Liversedge plenty to think about in both games, more so than their manager Jon Rimmington has experienced all season, apart from their only league defeat to Yorkshire Amateur in mid-season.

On their day the likes of Jack Boyle, Javelle Clarke, leading goalscorer Laurence Sorhaindo, Zeph Thomas and Elliot Harrison are a real handful. Town’s defence has been well led once again by former Rotherham Town youngster Harrison Beedan, and its the rich blend of youth and experience in that department that has shone through in the nine match run. Teenager Harry Wilkinson has come in and done a fine job for the injured Hurtley, while fellow teenager Sam Reed improves with each game. Experienced utility player Mohammed Ibrahim has been a revelation at right back, both defending, and then in a wing back role setting up fine moves and scoring goals in great style, just as he did at Yorkshire Amateur and then Sheffield FC.

Utility player Elliot Harrison, fullback Sam Reed and former Leeds United academy goalkeeper Charlie English have all committed themselves to Town for next season in the past week.

Wide player Shiraz Khan has left the club for pastures new.

On the night, Town lost 3-1 despite taking the lead in the 18th minute through leading goalscorer Laurence Sorhaindo.

Liversedge came back just two minutes later to equalise through Benjamin Atkinson and that is how it remaned until half-time.

In the 66th minute Liversedge took the lead through Nick Walker and added a third eight minutes later.

That is how it stayed until the final whistle.

The Liversedge club were highly delighted that the Brighouse Town team and management gave them a guard of honour as they entered the pitch to congratulate them on winning the East Division title.

BRIGHOUSE TOWN completed their 2021-22 Pitching-In NPL East Division season with a home 3-1 defeat to fourth-placed Stockton Town, thus ending their nine match unbeaten run.

They had gone into the game minus three of their most experienced players in skipper Tom Haigh, Corey Gregory and James Hurtley who were all carrying injuries.

Stockton, supported by over 100 dressed in St George fancy dress in the 505 crowd, had plenty to play for if Cleethorpes Town had slipped up at Hebburn Town, but they won 4-0 and, as a result, Stockton went to the Lincolnshire coast on Tuesday night for their play-off tie.

Town have finished in seventh place, two positions off the play-offs and tied on 54 points-goal tallys the difference- with sixth-placed Dunston and eighth-placed Worksop Town.

A Nathan Mulligan penalty for a foul committed in the box by Sam Reed set the Teesiders on their way after 30 minutes. Two minutes into the second half, Stockton increased their lead when Kevin Hayes put Mikey Roberts through and his sliced shot fell into the path of Nathan Steel to make it 2-0.

Victory was virtually assured for the visitors after 64 minutes when Mulligan put a ball over the top of the Town defence for Hayes to finish past Brett Souter.

Moments later Brighouse’s leading goalscorer Laurence Sorhaindo pulled a goal back after the ball was handled in the box and despite substitutions the home side just could not get another goal to set up a grandstand finish. Stockton’s Roberts hit the crossbar minutes from time.

Vill Powell’s charges are now in training for the West Riding County Senior Cup final with East Division champions Liversedge on Friday week, May 6 (7.45) when a 1,000 plus crowd is expected at the Yorkshire Payments Stadium.

Haigh and Hurtley are expected to be fit, but Gregory, injured at Liversedge on East Monday, is doubtful following his badly sprained ankle.

Leeds-based Yorkshire Amateur, who have Halifax-based and former Town player Nathan Cartman as their assistant player-manager-coach, have been relegated owing to their ground not meeting grading standards. At the moment they join Pickering Town and Frickley Athletic.

Town have already agreed a home pre-season friendly with Huddersfield Town for Saturday, July 2 (3.0)

Stockton Town will now play Marske on Saturday in the East Division play-off final following Tuesday night’s semi-finals.

Stockton beat Cleethorpes 2-1 and Marske defeat Shildon in extra time 2-1.

By Dave Parker
BRIGHOUSE TOWN, now unbeaten in nine games and the NPL form team for the past two months, gave the League leaders and East Division champions Liversedge, a real fright on Easter Monday before the final whistle went on a 1-1 draw.

The majority in a bumper holiday crowd of 1,235 were baying for goals and hadn’t planned in their minds for the opposition taking the lead after 25 minutes after a frantic end-to-end opening period.

Just after Liversedge blew a golden oppotunity to take the lead, Town struck on the counter as Jack Boyle advanced and then sent a superb ball out to Javelle Clarke on the left and he went round his man, Alfie Raw, and then put a ball across the box and coming in on the right, wideman Darius Smith latched on to it from 15 yards out, and finished with a great hooked shot that easily beat Town’s former goalkeeper Jordan Porter.

This silenced the crowd and Town, playing some good football, were giving centre back Kevy Tarangadzo and former Town skipper Kurt Harris plenty to think about.

Town’s defence, with Mohammed Ibrahim, Josh Grant, Harrison Beeden anbd Harry Wilkinson in battling mood, saw to it Liversedge’s hopes for an equaliser were falling well short.

Town’s players left for the half-time break to huge applause and cheers.

Liversedge, who were keeping an eye on Marske’s game, wanted nothing less than a point to take the title on the day if the Teesiders were kept to a draw, and they did look to get the ball forward and stretch the Town defence, even to the point ahead of the game widening the pitch, two foot either side.

Town’s keeper Brett Souter was far more busier in this half and there was the feeling a goal might come and it did in the 61st minute when substitute Oliver Fearon, nephew of ex-Halifax Panthers RL player Danny, struck to the left of Souter and found the net.

Two minutes later and Shiraz Khan came on for Smith to add experience and skill up front as Town looked to counter and take the lead again.

Sam Reed came on for Grant in the 74th minute and Elliot Harrison three minutes later replaced striker Laurence Sorhaindo to add to strength into midfield.

Both skipper Tom Haigh and Clarke had chances just blocked and saved respectively ahead of Town going down to 10 men with nine minutes left. Corey Gregory was carried from the field and was later taken to hospital with a suspected serious ankle injury. However his colleagues with all the substitutes used up had to battle frantically to save the point they had more than deserved against a side that had only lost one game all season.

On Saturday, Town entertain play-off side Stockton Town (3.0) who are bringing upwards of 200 with them, many in fancy dress as secretary Rob Sexton says this is what they always do for the last game of the season.

Town have two excellent sponsors in Rastrick Constitutional Club and Andrew Nunns Joinery, Brighouse, and his snooker colleagues from Thornhill Briggs WMC.

THE BRIGHOUSE Town end-of-season run continued at the oldest home of English football, Shefffield FC, as they won 2-1 with a late goal by runaway leading goalscorer Laurence Sorhaindo.

Town now take their eight match unbeaten run to the Clayborn Stadium, Liversedge, on Easter Monday (3.0) to take on the leaders of the Pitching In NPL East Division. Liversedge, who will be Town’s West Riding County FA Senior Cup opponents at the Yorkshire Payments Stadium on Friday, May 6, have a tough encounter on Saturday away to Marske United who are level on points but behind on goal difference. Whereas Town have a Saturday off and more time to recover from what was a tough game at Dronfield last Saturday. In front of a 539 crowd, which included former successful player and manager Ronnie Moore, the home side threw everything at Town who took time to settle on a bumpy pitch, dryng out by the minute in the sun and strong northerly wind.

It was 0-0 at the half-time break with home keeper Ryan Musselwhite tipping a Sorhaindo header over and Town’s Brett Souter denying James Baxendale and Nathan Modest, while Sam Greenhouse blew a great chance with a weak effort when one-on-one with the visiting custodian.

Town had the wind behind their backs for the second half but it was Sheffield who went ahead in the 59th minute when Town’s midfielder Corey Gregory brought down Modest in the box. Skipper Marc Newsham made no mistake from the spot to beat Souter and put his side a goal up as they battled for their lives at the foot of the table.

Town had already brought on Zander Edwards for Darius Smith and the next substitution in the 67th minute proved a turning point as the experience and strength of Zeph Thomas, on for Javelle Clarke, really aided Sorhaindo to get into the game and shake off his markers. Five minutes later and Town were level thanks to right wing-back Mohammed Ibrahim who received a ball some 20 yards out headed back to him from the dead ball line by Edwards and he moved forward and then unleashed a shot across goal to beat Musselwhite which sent Town’s large following into raptures.

Three minutes later and Ibrahim, who has been a revelation in his new position since coming back from a long term groin injury, sent another 20-yarder just over the crossbar.

Manager Vill Powell wasn’t finished with the changes and on came Shiraz Khan after 77 minutes following three weeks on the sidelines injured, and in the 84th minute he came in from the left, beat his man and then sent a precision cross into the six yard box and a diving Sorhaindo met the ball beautifully and left Musselwhile no chance of defending his net and Town were 2-1 up.

That is how it stayed despite the home side trying their utmost to salvage a point as they slipped to second from bottom, with Pickering Town propping them up and just above them Lincoln United and Bridlington Town.