Match Reports

Brighouse U15 5 v 0 Battyeford B U15 18/10/09

Johnson Unstoppable as Brighouse remain unbeaten at the top.

Brighouse out played Battyeford at Broad Oak and kept up their 100% record for the season with Ashley Johnson bagging 4 goals. It was all Brighouse attack from the start, with strikers Johnson and Jordon Naylor coming close in the early stages. It took a superb James Lumb defence splitting pass for Johnson to claim his first.

Man of the Match Lumb got the second when he drove in low and hard and the ball went in off a defender. Matty Young was unbeatable in a strong Brighouse back 4 and turned provider with a sublime pass off the outside of his boot to Aaron Sykes who played it first time for Johnson to pick his spot for his second and a 3-0 lead. Max Lister drove down the right and drew the keeper before pulling the ball back for a queue of Brighouse attackers who somehow missed an open net. The busy Jack Molloy mesmerised the defence and won a penalty for Johnson to claim his hat trick. Johnson had the final word as the visitors struggled with his strength and speed to run onto another fantastic Lumb ball and coolly slip it passed the keeper.

Uppermill U15 1 v 3 Brighouse Juniors U15 11/10/09

“Out of Sorts Brighouse still get the points”

Brighouse never really got going in this Huddersfield Junior League fixture against Uppermill, Oldham in the mist and the wet. Brighouse got off to a great start when Josh Mitchell hit the post from a dangerous cross and Max Lister controlled the rebound to put the visitors one up. Dominic Moore was magnificent in defence on more than one occasion, whilst at the other end, Uppermill managed to clear off their own line after the ever-busy Ashley Johnson and Jordon Naylor combined well.

In the second half Johnson was denied by a magnificent save, running onto a Jack Malloy 40 yard pass after some powerful defence from Haydn Bennett on the left. Uppermill looked like levelling the scores until goalkeeper Luke Richardson at full stretch, kept the visitors’ lead. Johnson was finally repaid for all his hard running when the goalie handled outside the box but released the ball following Johnson’s appeal, Johnson reacted quickest and drove the ball home for a 0-2 lead. Brighouse made it 0-3 when hardworking man of the match Lister chipped over the defence for Naylor to finish decisively. In the final seconds Uppermill claimed a consolation after Brighouse failed to clear. Brighouse remain top of the table.

Marsden U15 2 v 3 Brighouse Juniors U15 27/09/09

Brighouse Under 15s travelled to a misty Marsden in the Huddersfield and District league and won a tense and quarrelsome 3 points.

Brighouse scored on their first attack with the as-ever-busy captain, James Lumb landing an unstoppable, 20-yard looping volley. Dominic Moore cleared off his line before Marsden shot over the bar from a dangerous free kick. Marsden pressed again and missed the chance to equalize when one on one with the Brighouse keeper, Luke Richardson. An appeal for a penalty for a hand ball in the Marsden box was waved away by the referee and added further to the on field quarrels. From the next corner Max Lister headed just wide, before Ashley Johnson was put through with some excellent Brighouse passing down the right. A further left footed strike from Johnson was dragged wide before Man of the Match Richardson saved superbly from a strong strike to keep the visitors in the lead.

Brighouse were made to pay for defensive indecision in their box, when a Marsden corner ended with an easy tap in to level the scores at 1-1. Moments later Brighouse re-claimed the lead with an in swinging corner, from the hard working Jack Malloy that found itself in the back of the net off a Marsden player. In the second half it was all Brighouse attack but they could not find the back of the net, Joe Denford heading just over and Moore blasting into the Marsden keepers midriff before Aaron Sykes just missed with a left foot drive. A Brighouse defensive error lead to the home side levelling 2-2 to set up a tense final 10 minutes. Marsden came out stronger with Brighouse not managing to control their frustrations and narrowly missed taking the lead when shooting wide when one on one with keeper Richardson. Then, a superb 40-yard ball from Denford to Sykes and some fancy footwork lead to a classy pull back for Johnson to pull the trigger for a 3-2 lead. Some strong defensive from Matthew Young and some last gasp defending by Andrew Brown were needed before the final word was Richardson’s when he stopped a certain equaliser moments from the end. If Brighouse are to keep up their 100% record in this league they are going to have to learn to concentrate on their individual games rather than get distracted by needless questioning of the referee.