Brighouse Town FC

Football: Brighouse thwarted...And boss is fuming

TWO goals in the last four minutes from Ryan Hibbard capped an eght-goal thriller at St Giles Road and denied Brighouse Town their first home win of the season.
And it left home boss Mark Brier fuming as his side were unable to close out a game they looked like winning having twice come from behind to lead 4-2.

"The game was won," he said. "We had done all the hard work.

The first half was very frustrating because we did not seem to gel.

"But we lifted it in the second half and it looked like a completely different game of football.

"We scored straight from the kick off and to say we dominated would be an understatement.

"When we conceded a third goal with about five minutes to go I told the defence to focus, but we conceded another with some schoolboy defending."

Lee Everitt scored the only goal of the first half from the penalty spot to give Appleby Frodingham the interval lead.

Brian Matthews levelled within a minute of the restart only for Chris Burnham to restore the visitors' advantage just before the hour.

John Booth made it 2-2 in the 65th minute and Karl Amos fired Town into the lead for the first time five minutes later.

When Booth bagged his second of the game - and third of the season - with five minutes remaining it looked like Brighouse would go on and win.

But Hibbard reduced the arrears within a minute and bagged his second to snatch a share of the spoils little more than a minute before the end of normal time.

While hugely disappointed, Brier admitted four points from the opening three league games is a decent return.

"If I had been offered four points at this stage I probably would have taken it," he said.

"But although we drew on Saturday it felt like a defeat to me and the players felt the same."

Brier strengthened his squad ahead of Saturday's game with the signing of former Bradford Park Avenue, North Ferriby Utd and Mossley wing back Danny Ryan who made his debut as a first half substitute.

The full article contains 372 words and appears in Evening Courier newspaper.Page 1 of 1

Last Updated: 18 August 2008 8:46 AM
Source: Evening Courier
Location: Halifax