BRIGHOUSE TOWN came back from 1-0 down last Saturday against Yorkshire Amateur to equalise in the 89th minute only to lose the game two minutes into added on time.

The game was being replayed after the original November 27 fixture on the day Storm Arwen was blowing across the country and there was a floolight failure in the 61st minute with Town 3-0 in the lead.

Yorkshire Amateur were quick out of the traps and Town keeper Brett Souter was soon in action. In fact the Ammies were in control for a good majority of the first half and it was no surprise when Halifax-based former Town player Nathan Cartman, their new assistant player-manager curled an unstoppable shot from just inside the box into the net from a perfect cross from Marko Basic.

The nearest Town had come to a goal was Ammies keeper Max Culverwell spilling a cross from Elliot Murray almost into his own net.

It was a different Town in the second half and they almost scored in the 57th minute when central defender Harrison Beeden beat four men and and then sent a rasping shot in from 30 yards out only to see his effort rebound off the crossbar.

Zeph Thomas and Shiraz Khan went close, only the width of a post and a block preventing the ball going in the back of the net. Later in the game substitute Javelle Clarke took the wrong option when coming in from the left on goal and Culverhouse smothered the chance.

The home fans could sense a goal was coming and skipper Tom Haigh scored a superb goal in the 89th minute as he weaved his way through a clutch of defenders and then slid the ball beyond the reach of Culverhouse.

All the terrace talk was of a deserved point before another former Town player, Roy Fogarty was left unmarked just inside the box and placed his shot well wide of Souter for the winner.

The match finally cleared Corey Gregory’s three match ban that he commenced serving on January 8 and the skillful midfielder will be available for selection on Saturday at Bridlington Town (3.0). Town beat the Seasiders 1-0 on September 13, who hadn’t collected a single point by then, but since that date they have improved and now sit just one place behind Town with 23 points as against their visitors on Saturday who have 28.

Bridlington were winning 2-0 last Saturday against the league leaders Liversedge who just came back in the fifth minute of added time to grab an equaliser.

Town’s coach will leave the Old Pond on Saturday morning at 10.45.

Town’s utility player Josh Grant has been for an x-ray on his ankle injured at Worksop on January 29 as there was no improvement ten days down the line and central defender Matty Nebard could be out for the season with his ankle injury picked up at Worksop.

Town make a one-off switch next week for a home midweek game from the usual Monday to Tuesday. They will now entertain Cleethorpes Town on February 22 (7.45), the game having been postponed by Sheffield referee Will Cavanagh a week last Saturday owing to waterlogging. Cleethorpes have no game this weekend and their manager had allowed players a mini break and six are not due back until Monday morning so Town agreed to move the game back a day.

As the Echo went to print Town were still trying to sort out a date to replay the away game at Tadcaster that was brought to an abrupt end last Tuesday when the floodlights failed..

HEAVY RAIN from around 11.15am on Saturday morning caused the postponement of the Brighouse Town home game with promotion chasing Cleethorpes Town.

From being deemed fit for play at 10.30am when the Lincolnshire club were preparing to travel, the condition of the pitch went downhill and when Sheffield referee Will Cavanagh stepped on it at 1.40pm he felt it was both waterlogged and dangerous.

The Cleethorpes club took it well after their 75 mile trip and both players and committeemen climbed back aboard their team coach.

By not playing the game it robbed stand-in manager Stacy Reed-manager Vill Powell remains in Jamaica with his sick father-of clearing midfielder Corey Gregory’s final game of a three match ban.

Gregory in the week leading up to the game had been subject of intense interest from Sheffield FC and Ossett United. He informed Reed he wanted to stay with Town and was not interested in talking to them. His final game would have cleared with Tuesday night’s visit to Tadcaster Albion and he would have been in the squad for Saturday’s re-arranged home game with Yorkshire Albion (3.00), but for the game at the Brewery Fields being abandoned through a floodlight failure (see below). The original game on Saturday, November 27 was abandoned in the 61st minute through a floodlight failure when Town were leading 3-0 through two Javelle Clarke goals and one from Zeph Thomas.

One player definitely not in the squad is centre-back Matty Nebard who suffered ankle ligament damage at Worksop and Reed in midweek said it was not good news on him and he could possibly be out for over two months. Ex-Guiseley striker Redmond Lee, who has yet to make his debut after pulling up with an ankle problem in the warm up ahead of the Shildon game on Janaury 22, is now working with physio Emily Harnden and could be in consideration for the Bridlington away game on Saturday week,

Town have arranged their West Riding County FA Cup semi-final away to Farsley Celtic for Tuesday, March 15 (7.45).

The club will hold a collection on Saturday in aid of the fire fund at Ash Green Primary and Infants School, Mixenden which saw one of its major buildings raised to the ground last week in an arson attack. Rastrick-based headmaster Mungo Sheppard is a Town supporter and a friend of many of the committee members.

Long serving diminutive striker Mohammed Ibrahim was all set for a place on the bench for the Cleethorpes game after his nagging hip injury and was then informed he would be in the squad at Tadcaster which was good news for all concerned at Town.

TOWN’S Tuesday evening game at Tadcaster was abandoned after 35 minutes owing to a floodlight failure. At the time Town were drawing 1-1.

Referee Ian Johnston took the players off and waited for the lights to be switched off and then switched on again, but while they did reignite to some degree, there was insufficient light to continue the game.

Tadcaster had taken the lead in the 18th minute through Jack Carr and two minutes later Town had equalised when Fernando Moke played the ball to the feet of Laurence Sorhaindo and he provided the pass for Zeph Thomas to latch on to and fire beyond the reach of Alex Hughes.

The pitch had survived a lunchtime inspection at which referee Ian Johnston had found and asked for two rabbit holes to be filled in! Town gave a debut to new fullback signing Liam Childes who comes from the Hallam FC U-21 side and has been coached in his career by Stacy Reed.

BRIGHOUSE TOWN ahead of three games in a seven day spell took the spoils at a blustery Worksop Town last Saturday thanks to an 82nd minute prod home by Shiraz Khan.

Leading goalscorer Laurence Sorhaindo denied in the first half by a superb Seb Malkowski save, denied what looked like a penalty when brought down, and then his strike on goal in the 82nd minute saw him beat Malkowski for possibly his fourteenth goal, but Daniel Burns kicked off the line before Khan six yards out trapped the ball and just picked his spot.

Town faced the strong wind in the first half on the 4G pitch in front of a 411 crowd and their goalkeeper Brett Souter played a blinder facing it with all the tricky balls that came his way. In a much quieter second half for him he still showed what a competent custodian he is.

James Hurtley, skipper Tom Haigh and debuntant Fernando Moke throughout the game were in superb form for Town and then in the second half when teenager Sam Reed took over from injured Joshua Grant (ankle), he was in tremendous nick. He defended his flank well, dsitributed well and took all the second half corners as Brighouse piled on the pressure which eventually brought them reward.

Centre backs Harrison Beeden and Matthew Nebard, especially in the first half, also defended superbly well.

Assistant manager Stacy Reed, who will take charge of Saturday’s home game with Cleethorpes Town and next Tuesday at Tadcaster Albion (7.45) commented:” This was an excvellent win in the circumstances. “After playing well in previous games and not getting a result, this was a great result.

“We had to work hard against a side who in the midweek had scored six goals against Sheffield, and we got the win, a pleasing win. The atmosphere in the dressing room was electric.”

Reed takes the reins from manager Vill Powell who has flown to Jamaica to visit his father in hospital and will not be returning until late next week but in time for the home game with Yorkshire Amateur on Febriary 12.

The affable Reed said that both he and co-assistant manager John Francis were looking at injuries this week before they would be able to name a side against third-placed Cleethorpes.

“From Saturday’s game we have Josh Grant, Matty Nebard and Tom Haigh all with ankle knocks and James Hurtley with a reoccurrence of a hamstring injury he aggravated at Hebburn in October. Fullback Darius Smith (ankle) has been out all January but is now back in training and it is looking a long job for centre-back Aiden Walker who has a folded cartilage, often referred to as a nipped cartilage. Could be six to eight weeks for him after the operation and I have no update on striker Mohammed Ibrahim’s hip injury.”

Town are on the lookout for a goalkeeping coach following Ben Taylor standing down owing to family and commuting problems.

BRIGHOUSE TOWN suffered an agonising 1-0 home defeat to Durham club Shildon last Saturday, their controversial winning goal coming in the 87th minute.

Despite plenty of goalmouth action, of which Town had the largest share against their fifth-placed opponents, the game looked to be heading for a goalless draw, when Josh Grant took the wrong option and Shildon whipped the ball into the six yard box. Substitute Dean Thexton went up to meet it, but, as on both club’s filmed coverage it showed the player handling the ball into the net!

Everyone of Town’s players raced to the assistant on the bottom side of the pitch who had given the referee the nod to give the goal. Referee Ashley Royston pointed to the centre circle and went to speak with his assistant and then reaffirmed his decision.

The Town players and their supporters were left speechless.

Town could have been at least three goals up in the first half and were denied two more golden chances in the second half by Shildon keeper Shaun Newbrook who dived across his goal line to keep out a Laurence Sorhaindo shot and then he denied the club’s leading goalscorer another goal with a tremendous save from a thumping 15 yarder, tipping the ball over the bar.

In the opening minutes of the first half skipper Tom Haigh just fired over the crossbar from 25 yards out, Sorhaindo minutes later from 12 yards was denied by a post and from the rebound Javelle Clarke just fired wide and remonstrated with himself for missing the target.

Assistant manager Stacy Reed commented:” It just wasn’t our day. Their keeper had a blinder, which shows who had the most shots on target and then they win it with the help of a hand.”

Town had to rule out debutant striker Redmond Lee ahead of the game when he suffered a leg injury in the warm up and Zeph Thomas came back from injury possibly a week early to take his shirt. Talented wide player Shiraz Khan also stood down with illness, which was not covid related.

There was a very good debut from right full-back and Leeds University student Elliot Bennett who has had trials with Derbyshire club Mickleover Sports. He was very commanding and his distribution was good.

For Saturday’s away trip to Worksop Town (3.0), who suffered a 2-1 reverse to Stocksbridge PS last Saturday after a good run taking them to sixth place, four places above Town, full-back Darius Smith could be back in action after an ankle injury has kept him sidelined for the past four weeks. It is doubtful if striker Jack Boyle will be back after an eye operation last week.

Tom Haigh has spent this week skiing with family in Zermatt but will be back in time to take his place in the line up.

Town’s academy side entertain Skelmersdale this lunchtime (Thursday) 12.00 noon, with admission free.

There will be two charity matches of 60 minutes each on Sunday at the Yorkshire Payments Stadium in aid of the Marie Curie Cancer Trust.

The first game will kick off at 2pm and the sides will be made up of actors from soaps Emmerdale and and Hollyoaks along with former professional footballers, boxers and World No11 darts player Joe Cullen. Admission is £5 with U16s free and all the proceeds along with a raffle and auction will go to the charity. The licensed clubhouse will also be open for hot food and drinks.

Emmerdale Stars James Hooton, Jay Kontzle, Joe Warren Plant

Hollyoaks Owen Warner, Billy Price and Jacob Roberts

Darts world number 11 Joe Cullen

Pro boxer Nathan Kirk

Ex pro Footballer Luke O’Brien, Kevin Sanasy, Scott Kerr

There’s 2 x 60 minute matches which kick off at 2pm and 3pm

Raffles, auction, drinks and food available

Plus many more tba

£5 adults – under 16s are free.

All monies raised are going to Marie curie

BRIGHOUSE TOWN are the first club through to the semi-finals of the West Riding County FA Senior Cup following their 2-1 home quarter-final win over Steeton on Monday night.

Campion were playing Farsley last night, Albion had their tie with Guiseley postponed on Tuesday night as the National League North club were playing at Stourbridge in the FA Trophy fourth round proper after Saturday’s game was frozen off and FC Halifax Town travel to Claybourn on Tuesday, February 1 to play NPL East League leaders Liversedge.

It was a rather controversial win for Town in a frenetic end-to-end tie to delight the fans. They were awarded a penalty on the edge of the box in the 54th minute when Alex King was in a tussle with Steeton’s Toby Jeffrey. Town fans were expecting a free kick to be awarded to the visitors but Holmfirth referee Jamie Waters pointed to the spot. When the Steeton complaints had died down and two players had been booked, Shiraz Khan stepped up and cleverly beat tidy keeper Stuart Cross with a deft chip spot kick,

This restored Town’s lead to 2-1 after the sides had gone in at the break drawing 1-1. The deadlock was broken in the 42nd minute when the hard working Elliot Harrison had fired home on the tightest of angles.

Three minutes later and just ahead of the half-time whistle Steeton had equalised when Alistair Morgan rose above the Town defenders from some 16 yards out following a superb ball to loop a header over the despairing hands of Town custodian Brett Souter.

Town had had several chances in the first half to have been going in comfortably in the lead and they had chances in the second half but it was one of those games. The Town defence also found they had a handful in speedy Steeton striker and leading goaklicker Kayle Price and he was unlucky not to be on the scoresheet.

In added on time Town lost their skipper Thomas Haigh who was cautioned for a second time and then shown a red card.

In the first half they lost winger Javelle Clarke who was taken ill and substituted by Sam Reed.

Both Haigh and hopefully Clarke will be available for Saturday’s home game with fifth-placed Shildon who in two meetings so far at their ground near Darlington have beaten Town 2-1 in the FA Cup and 3-1 in the League

Striker Jack Boyle couldn’t play against Steeton after having lazer treatment on an eye, but could be available along with leading goalscorer Laurence Sorhaindo who has been out with a thigh quad injury since the away game at Dunston on December 18. The 13-goal talisman is set for a fitness test at training tonight (Thursday).

Saturday’s game will be first time this season Town have run a promotion day-they are allowed three a season- and this will see Huddersfield Town away at Reading,, FC Halifax Town away at Maidenhead,, Bradford City away at Rochdale and Shildon season ticket holders offered entry for £5.

Town’s league game away to Stocksbridge Park Steels last Saturday fell foul of a frozen pitch at a 10am inspection. The game has to be re-arranged and no date has been put forward yet.