WITH A lack of firepower over the last three games and resulting in three disappointing defeats, Brighouse Town manager has wasted no time in drafting in a centre forward on loan from Vanarama National League club Chesterfield.
Nineteen-year-old Luke Rawson has been getting some non-league experience with Matlock Town and then Sheffield FC following a prolific goalscoring campaign with the Spirerites academy side. He is likely to make his debut on Saturday away to Tadcaster Albion in the Preliminary round of the Buildbase FA Trophy (3.0). Town had to wait until 9.45 pm on Tuesday night to see who they would be facing after a postponement and then a 1-1 draw between Albion and the City of Liverpool. In last night's tie Tadcaster won out 6-1 and are having an impressive season.
Tadcaster are a side bang in form and with good prize money at stake, Powell is keen the club should progress. Their manager is Curtis Woodhouse, the former Sheffield Utd player and ex-professional boxer.
Town have more cup action next Tuesday at home to Jamie Vardy's old club Stocksbridge Park Steels in the first round of the Integro League Cup, a game put back since September 16 with cup involvement by the south Yorkshire club. The game is moving to Tuesday from Town's normal Monday night owing to Pickering Town, in the first instance,wanting through their local police playing their FA Trophy game on the Sunday instead of Saturday because of a big local gala. However, looking at the fixture list for Saturday it looks now as though they are playing on that day..
Town's manager is also looking at taking a full time professional from the Championship on loan and is hopeful once more of completing that deal before the weekend.
The league, with Town and Prescot Cables having no games scheduled for October 19 have pulled the home game forward to that date from March 23. Town were only over at Prescot two weeks ago and lost narrowly 2-1.
Saturday, October 26 will be the first qualifying round of the FA Trophy and should Town progress on Saturday they will fill the fixture void, but defeat will probably see the league re-organise one of their three games now outstanding, Dunston, Runcorn Linnets or Pontefract Collieries.
On Tuesday night at Harrogate Railway Athletic, Town won 7-0 and despite playing the last 24 minutes of the West Riding County FA first round tie without wide player Shiraz Khan who had to leave the field with concussion after Powell had used his three substitutes.
Town were on the board after 15 minutes on a foul night, with persistent rain, through Jack Lazenby in off the post following a neat ball from Khan. Ten minutes later and the lively Ousman Cham beat two men and then sent in a perfect cross for Ton Haigh to find the target. In the 35th minute Town were awarded a penalty when Lazenby was sent flying in the box, but Carl Stewart fired against a post and the ball was cleared. Cham ensured it was 3-0 however at the half time break as he lined up Alhassane Keita for his first of two goals, the second coming four minutes into the second half to make it 4-0.
Tom Robinson and Iwan Heeley came off the bench shortly afterwards for Haigh and Cham. After more attacking play and some exquisite football from Robinson, Powell introduced Eddie Church in time to see Robinson make it 5-0.At this point Khan left the field of play and Town happily soldiered on wth 10 men. With 15 minutes left Church got on the scoresheet after a good ball from Robinson and with five minutes left Iwan Heeley thundered a ball into the net to make it 7-0.