Brighouse Town 1 v Hemsworth MW 1

Club News | Sat 1st Nov 08
Posted by Ray McLaughlin
Town earned a well deserved point from this game to stretch their unbeaten run to four games. In a very tight match, Town tried to get the ball down and get their passing game going whereas Hemsworth tried to play to their strengths of using a more physical approach and knocking longer balls into their big centre forward. This resulted in a very scrappy opening 20 mins with neither sides tactics allowing them to get the upper hand and very little happened in the way of goalmouth action.
After 34 mins Hemsworth had their first real chance of the game, but Chris Wdowczik did brilliantly to clear off the line following a corner. Hemsworth didn't let Town off the hook 4 mins later when, not for the first time this season, the Town defence were caught standing too far up the pitch appealing for offside instead of pressurising the man with the ball and tracking runners, and so allowed Graham Phillips to have a clear run at goal to confidently give Hemsworth the lead. Town's only real response came on the stroke of half-time when Mark Brady's free-kick was narrowly headed wide by Jordon Maltas.
Mark Brier and Darren Attwood must have said the right things during the half time interval because again, as has been a feature of the season so far, Town came out for the second half a far better side than they were in the first. Danny Ryan forced the first real save from the Hemsworth keeper with a crisp low shot, but he had to just stand and watch 3 mins later when Ryan hit a stunning 25 yard free-kick into the top right hand corner of the net to give Town the equaliser. Town were dominating and playing some neat football, typified by a great move between Brady, Maltas, Bentley and back to Maltas who shot inches wide. Town's defence which had looked confortable in the second half, lost Wdowczik to injury, being replaced by Dave Phelps and Sam Frankland replaced Wayne Crossley in a double substitution on 77 mins.
Frankland nearly made the perfect introduction when he shot inches over the top after another good Town move and on 82 mins Town were desperately unlucky not to be awarded a penalty when a Hemsworth defender handled a Jamie Fradgley cross, but the Referee claimed it was unintentional. Neat footwork by Frankland gave himself the opportunity to get a shot in at goal but he pulled it wide. After all this Town pressure, Hemsworth nearly stole all three points when their attacker was clean through on goal but Paul Brown made a fantastic save to deny them an injury time winner.