For the second match running Brighouse Town ended up drawing in the final few minutes of their Northern Premier League Division One East game. The week before Pontefract Collieries levelled in the 89th minute and then last Saturday visitors Cleethorpes Town drew level in the second minute of added time.

After early lively exchanges, Town opened the scoring in the 19th minute through Jack Normanton after Ashley Butterworth had squared the ball to him from the left. Butterworth, who had received the ball from Brandon Webster, was leading the line with the club’s leading goalscorer Mo Qasim sidelined with a calf injury received in training on the Thursday night. The Butterworth-Normanton partnership linked up very well throughout the match and with steadier finishing the game could have been put to bed.

At the back acting captain Darius Smith, Matty Nebard, Sam Bentley and Sam Drake kept the visitors checked in the first 45 minutes and for 18 minutes into the second period before they equalised through Harry Lewis who beat Jamie Hassall at his near post.

Cleethorpes were only on level terms for two minutes before Town went ahead again through new boy Cameron Bedford after substitute Curtis Peters had worked the ball forward for another new kid on the block, Jordan Helliwell whose shot was parried out by James McKeon and there to prod home was Bedford.

Town, with the extra steadying influence of Peters, the former Bradford City player, looked to be managing the game out despite some late pressure from the visitors and the long throws of AJ Adelekan, when referee Mark Reeves gave them a free kick out on the right some eight metres from the corner flag and with two minutes of added time left. The ball was whipped in and striker Josh Walker headed in to beat Hassall.

Town travel on Saturday to Nottingham to take on an improved Carlton Town, but in saying that they lost 4-0 at Ashington last Saturday. It will be the last game for both Josh Grant and Jack Dando to serve of their three match suspensions and then they could be selected for next Tuesday night’s re-arranged away game at Ossett Town (7.45).

Another player in contention for the next two games is strong midfielder Jack Crook (leg) who has been sidelined for the past five weeks.

Centre-back Jamie Allsop has gone out on dual registration to Albion Sports after spending the last few games as an unused substitute.

Vill Powell reckons leading goalscorer Mo Qasim could be around 10 days before he is fit from his calf injury and could miss those games.

Elland-based midfielder Will Calligan has left the club after a month to search for pastures new.

@ Brighouse Town Women’s team won 4-0 on the Sunday away to Ilkley Town Reserves. However player-manager Cara Mahoney said the hosts made it very difficult for her team in what was a good game. Casey Hadwin scored all four goals for Town.
This coming Sunday Town Women entertain Leeds Hyde Park first team in the County Cup (2pm). “They are near the top of the First Division so it will be a hard game for us,” added Mahoney.

This is official notification of an EGM and Committee meeting to be held on Tuesday the 28th Nov, 6pm at the Clubhouse.

The EGM has been called to ratify a change to the current legal structure of the organisation since its formation in 1963 to that of a Company Limited by Guarantee first proposed and agreed in the 2018 AGM but never implemented This has been accepted by the committee but we feel its only appropriate that the membership should also have the chance to endorse the proposal. This includes committee members, managers of senior and junior section teams, interested parents and volunteers. Since the 2023 AGM 200 Club participants are not classed as club members

The meeting will commence with the EGM followed by the committee meeting, The committee meeting will take place, if necessary, in the hospitality section for Committee members only.

Controversial decisions from the match officials led to Brighouse Town losing 2-0 at home to NPL East Division League leaders Belper Town.

Town did take some time to get into the game against the much more experienced Derbyshire team, well led at the back by the imposing Danny South, apart from Myron Gibbons’ great chance to give them the lead inside 10 minutes when he was clear on goal but he fired too early on the angle and former FC Halifax Town goalkeeper Jonathan Hedge dealt with the shot.

Town were growing into the game when they suffered a major setback on the half-hour when Belper’s right winger Kevin Bastos went down in the penalty box in front of Town full-back Brandon Webster. Durham referee Sam Ross in full view waved away the claims for a penalty but his assistant Louie Parker was waving his flag for a foul on Bastos. After a chat with his official Mr Ross changed his mind and awarded a penalty which Bastos converted.

The home fans were incensed and also some 12 minutes later when Bastos went down injured just in front of Town keeper Jamie Hassall after colliding with centre-back Alex Phillipson from a corner and needed the physio. Mr Ross at first just appeared to be looking at an indirect free kick with his arm raised and then he pulled out Phillipson, booked him and pointed to the spot.

Bastos was up now and took his second penalty and made it 2-0. Controversy raged again as he did not leave the field after treatment and there was no signal for a head injury!

Town went in 2-0 down and didn’t deserve to be in that position of having to battle back.

In the second period Town played ever so well but didn’t have the luck to find the back of the net despite two shots on target from Josh Grant and Gibbons. They also should have had a penalty when Smith was brought down just in the box and this time the assistant was waving his flag for Town to be awarded a spot kick but Mr Ross waved play on!

Just before added on time Brighouse’s manager Vill Powell and his assistant Louis Axcell were cautioned by the referee and into the extra minutes Phillipson collected a second yellow and was then shown the red card to the crowd’s anger.

He now joins Grant and Jack Dando as being unavailable for Saturday’s away game at Pontefract Colieries (3pm). Grant and Dando have picked up three match bans from their dismissals at Bridlington Town.

Vice-captain and former Bradford City fullback Curtis Peters will be back in action after almost two months on the sidelines and his manager was looking to boost the squad in the early part of this week.

Loanee centre-back Jorge Sikora has opted to stay with Marske United where he returned two weeks ago after the Ashton Utd FA Trophy game in which he excelled.

Brighouse Town Women’s team played well and caused top the table Eccleshill Utd plenty of problems despite losing the game 3-0. Manager Cara Mahoney was pleased with her sides performance despite the scoreline as the visitors scored two of their goals from the penalty spot, along with a long range effort, and were a match for their opponents for long periods of the game.

The resulting heavy and continuous rain from storm Babet caused the postponement of Brighouse Town’s away derby game with Ossett United last Friday evening. The clubs didn’t waste time in coming up with another date once the referee called if off at 11.30am and will hope Tuesday, November 21 (7.45pm) will be significantly better weatherwise.

Town manager Vill Powell then looked to this past Tuesday evening’s re-arranged away game at Bridlington Town who had a very good 3-2 away win at Carlton Town in the city of Nottingham.

It doesn’t look good for him and the squad over Markse United loanee centre-back Jorge Sikora who was pulled back by the North East club after Town’s FA Trophy game at Ashton United and since then they have pulled off the bottom of the Pitching In Northern Premier League Premier Division table with two successive wins including an impressive 4-1 away win last Saturday at Atherton Collieries.

He does have defender Curtis Peters and midfielder Jack Crook almost ready for a return to action after lengthy leg injuries and Matty Nebard was in good form against Consett back in his familiar centre-back role.

Newly promoted north Lincolnshire club Winterton Rangers have placed a statutory seven day notice on Doncaster-based striker Myron Gibbons who is certainly finding the net this season and is showing opposition defenders he has pace to burn. Powell was set to talk to the player this week and let him know where he stands for a future with Brighouse

On Saturday, Town entertain league leaders Belper Town (3.00pm) and hope their gate will be increased not only by the good following of the Derbyshire Club who have been averaging over 550 attendances but also owing to the fact Leeds United and Huddersfield Town will have completed their lunchtime derby at Elland Road and FC Halifax Town are playing at York City with a 5.30 kick-off.

Belper chairman Ian Woodward was interviewed on the BBC TV News bulletins on Saturday with the Raygar Stadium in the background under floodwater. They have been mopping up over the early part of the week with the water having got to all parts of the ground.

Town have drawn Bradford club Campion in the second round of the West Riding County FA Senior Cup and will host the Northern Counties East Premier Division side who knocked them out last season and then went on to win the trophy on Monday, November 13 (7.45).

Town Women had another big win this past Sunday when defeating Harrogate Town Reserves 11-0 at the Heffernan Utilities Stadium.

They led 6-0 at the break and their goals came from prolific new signing Hannah Burgess (5), Casey Hadwin (2), player-manager Cara Mahoney, Summer Hadwin, Maddie Read and Daniella Brearley. On Sunday they entertain Eccleshill United (2.00pm).

Former Rastrick dual sportsman and Town supporter Mungo Sheppard was celebrating another milestone on Sunday for his nephew by marriage, Jack Welsby, the St Helens RL full-back. Mungo, who played cricket for Rastrick CC and Badger Hill CC and local Sunday League football and for Brighouse Town, saw Welsby captain England to a 22-18 win over Tonga in the first of three Test Matches. He is also the headmaster of Halifax school Ash Green Community Primary in the village of Mixenden.

Tuesday’s visit to Bridlington turned out to be a catastrophic one as Town, having `settled’ 2-0 down after 21 minutes could have had at least five goals in the net but for the goalkeeping of James Hitchcock.

Myron Gibbons was denied twice with diving tip overs, Mo Qasim was denied and there were two other instances in six yard goal scrambles where the keeper just got down to bury the ball on the line.

Apart from their two goals, Bridlington only had one other chance but Harry Garman parried the ball across the box.

On the whistle for half-time, Malton referee McCauley Gibson issued a red card to Town centre-back Jack Dando and then sent for Town’s captain Josh Grant to come out from the dressing rooms and he then showed him a red card. This followed a skirmish between the two players after the added on time.

Town resumed the second half with nine men and less striker Jack Normanton who was subbed by defender Samuel Bentley.

The players left to battle on did very well and only saw one more goal go in the net to make it 3-0. Plus they nearly had two of their own as substitute Ashley Butterworth just couldn’t guide a shot and then a header into the net. He had a very good second forty minutes and impressed all the spectators in the ground.