Leaders too strong for Brighouse

Brighouse Town beat the weather yesterday but found Evo-Stik NPL Division One North leaders South Shields a different proposition and lost 5-1 at home.
Brighouse Town v South Shields

pic 1 Adam fieldBrighouse Town v South Shields

pic 1 Adam field
Brighouse Town v South Shields pic 1 Adam field

Town deployed covers at the Yorkshire Payments Stadium in an effort to ensure that potentially their most lucrative fixture of the season went ahead.

They were rewarded with a crowd of 409 and a better showing from Vill Powell’s side than the final score suggests.

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Brighouse started with a new goalkeeper, Laurence Bilboe, on loan for a month from Rotherham.

He was first picking the ball out of the back of the net on 23 minutes after Carl Finnegan’s effort.

The classy visitors, who had won this season’s first meeting in the north east by 5-0 in mid-August, added a second through Louis Storey in first half stoppage time.

A composed finish from Gabriel Johnson on 66 minutes, after Aaron Martin’s overhead assist, made it 1-2 and gave the home fans hope.

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However, Brighouse’s comeback bid was dashed by the dismissal of Adam Field on 74 minutes, Barrie Smith scoring from the penalty spot.

South Shields added two more late on through Graeme Armstrong and Alex Nicholson.

Brighouse were completing a disappointing first half to their league programme. Their much-changed side has picked up only 17 points from 21 games and Town lie third from bottom.

They have a chance to give their points tally a significant boost during four games in 10 days.

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They head to Skelmersdale next Saturday before home games against Ossett Town on December 26 and bottom club Goole on December 30. A trip to Tadcaster Albion on New Year’s Day completes the busy festive programme.

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