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Brighouse Echo Sport – Town News by Dave Parker

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.

Stars to turn out for Charity Match at Yorkshire Payments Stadium on Sunday 30th Jan.KO 2pm.



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 Echo Sport – Town News by Dave Parker

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.

Brighouse Town U19 v Carlton U19

by Simon Ward (Manager)
TOWN’S academy team returned to action with a bang on Thursday afternoon in the League Cup against Nottingham outfit Carlton Town. The cup is a league competition regionalised where teams play each other once and then the top four advance to a quarter finals.
Town started brightly, opening the scoring after just minutes through year 11 student Amir Smith, who is coming to our programme in September 2022. The lead was doubled when local Brighouse lad Bobby Hamer assisted top scorer Paul Ikoe who finished smartly. To everybody’s surprise Town conceded shortly after from a set play, which woke Town up again and they hit back through the goal of the game as Ethan Donkersley hit a screamer into the top corner from 25 yards.
The game then became a scrappy affair with both teams struggling to get hold of possession. Town looked leggy after a month off from competitive fixtures, and three weeks before that as well, so there were a lot of sliced clearances and passes. Nonetheless Town finished the job around the 70th minute mark with Ikoe taking his tally to 7 in eight games with a well placed header from Donkersley’s corner.
Town finished the game 4-1 winners, albeit with six or seven good chances in the final 15 minutes for the hosts which could have enhanced the scoreline.

“I was particularly pleased with the three year 11 students that took part including Amir who scored and was a threat all game, Tim Ndanaka, who covered every blade of grass, and Callum Manton who was the smallest player on the pitch. He battled and scrapped whilst being mature and was quality in possession while also unlucky to not get on the scoresheet late on, hitting the post with a 20 yard effort.”
Town have league leaders Runcorn away on Thursday. The Merseysiders haven’t lost a game yet and look extremely strong, comfortably brushing aside every single team they face. Town will be hoping to go there and cause an upset to get their league campaign back on track after only one point from six last term.

BRIGHOUSE TOWN U13s SEEK COACH

With an increase in interest within this age group and also already having an ongoing waiting list Brighouse Town Under 13s are proud to announce their intention to field two teams from next season (2022/23). We do also have a few additional spaces to complete both teams.

With this in mind we are looking for an enthusiastic coach who has a minimum Level 1 Coaching qualification to join the current team and run the second team.

Anyone interested in the role or looking for further information please contact Andrew Houlihan on 07469259972.

Brighouse Echo Sport – Town News by Dave Parker

A WATERLOGGED pitch last Saturday ruled out Brighouse Town entertaining second in the table Marske United.

After snow on Thursday and again Friday, followed by a thaw and then rain, the pitch was riddled with puddles when Huddersfield senior referee Steve Rushworth came to inspect at 9.15.

General manager Darren Laycock said it was a costly exercise calling it off but in the end it was the right decision as when he left the ground at lunchtime after more rain a lot of the pitch was under an inch of water. Town have asked Marske to travel for a vacant date they both have in the fixtures on Saturday, March 5

Town, after two weekend signings that manager Vill Powell hinted he was after, head for Stocksbridge Park Steels on Saturday (3.0) who held third-placed Shildon to a 2-2 draw last Saturday on their travels. Stocksbridge are two places below 12th-paced Town so a tight game is expected.

In contention for places will be centre forward Redmond Lee who hasn’t played competitive football for two years since he left National League North Guiseley and diminutive wide player Ferdinand Moke who has returned to Brighouse after last playing under the managership of Paul Quinn some six years ago. Moke, 31, has been playing of late with Leeds-based Yorkshire Amateur who crossed him off their register in December.

Manager Powell said Lee, 26, showed up extremely well in a game behind closed doors last week and has exceptional pace. At the time of going to press the manager said he hadn’t completed any signings on the four players he had put the regulatory FA seven days notice on last week. He also had co-assistant manager John Francis at Monday night’s Bradford PA v Gateshead National League North game which the Tynesiders won 4-2.

Town will be without midfielder Cory Gregory who will start his three match ban for being sent off in the Liversedge festive derby, but he will be allowed to play in Monday night’s home West Riding County FA quarter-final game with Steeton (7.45). Under the rather irksome new ruling, the tie will not count as a game to be deducted but yet he can play while banned from league games or FA Trophy or FA Cup games if Town were still involved!

He will also have to sit out the Shildon home game on Saturday week and then the away game at Worksop Town on January 29.

Steeton are in 10th place after 24 games in the North West Counties League Division One, a division headed by Bury AFC on 54 points and Brighouse Town’s neighbours Golcar United also on 54 points.

Admission for Monday’s tie, which hopefully takes Town into the semi-finals, will be £6 and £4.

PLAYER NEWS | DANNY RACCHI ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT

Due to ongoing injuries Danny Racchi has decided to retire to focus on his family and new business.

Danny has been absolutely top drawer since he’s been in the club. He’s bought into how we do things, the ethos and mentality of the club. A player of Danny’s quality and experience has been missed and it’s a shame we didn’t get the absolute best out of danny due to injury, which in the end has cut his time with Brighouse Town short.

From all the players and staff and everyone associated with Brighouse Town we would like to thank Danny and wish him and his family the very best.