BRIGHOUSE Under 17s moved into second place in Division III following their 3-2 victory over Kirkburton.
But it was Kirkburton who set the tone of the game with a superb opening goal after just five minutes of a pulsating clash at Brighouse’s Broad Oak ground.
Adam Dyson collected a clearance and ran a full 40 yards, hustling, twisting and turning past no fewer than five would-be tacklers before prodding the ball under the body of the onrushing keeper to give Kirkbuton the lead.
Brighouse were quick to retaliate, however, and although shots from Jake Streeting and Sam O’Brien were unsuccessful, they were back on level terms after 15 minutes when keeper Dave Tunstall was unable to hold a dipping shot under the bar and Robert Barnes was on hand to stab home the loose ball.
End-to-end football was now on show to entertain the crowd, and the visitors almost regained the lead when Matty Sykes turned on an Elliot Gledhill left-wing cross, but the midfielder’s snap shot flew just wide of the target.
Then, on the counter attack, Kyle Broadbent supplied a cross which found Robert Barnes, but this time the Brighouse striker missed the target.
Alex Yates, Jacob Kaye and Jordan Lewis were now beginning to take control for the home side but Connor Storey will still be wondering how he didn’t score as, first, his searing volley skimmed the outside of a post before he stepped up to take a free-kick from 20 yards.
His powerful effort struck the bar with such force that it rebounded back to the same place it had come from, giving Storey a second chance, but his equally powerful first-time volley smashed against an upright before being cleared.
Brighouse’s pressure finally brought its reward when Kirkburton were unable to clear a corner and O’Brien hit the net through a crowded penalty area to give the home side a deserved 2-1 lead.
The home side might have increased their advantage just before the break but Storey was again unlucky to see another goalbound shot well saved by keeper Tunstall.
And the keeper was again needed to pull off a superb point blank save at the feet of O’Brien in the opening minutes of the second half.
Jack North, Elliot Gledhill and Shoaib Sattar worked hard to keep Kirkburton in the game, but they were caught out by a quick move on the left which resulted in a whipped cross from O’Brien, allowing Jacob Kane to volley home to give the home side the comfort of a two-goal advanatage at 3-1.
Kirkburton were not out of it, though, and although Aaron Beaumont produced a fine save to deny Dyson, the ball rebounded to Matty Sykes who placed the ball into the top corner to reduce the deficit.
O’Brien had another chance to restore Brighouse’s two-goal cushion but, having skipped past two defenders, the striker was unable to hit the target.
The last half hour belonged to Kirkburton who piled everything forward in the hope of salvaging something from a game they didn’t deserve to lose.
Eddie Preston’s pass to Dyson almost produced an equaliser, but the dangerous striker’s fiercely dipping shot skimmed to top of the bar.
Tom Shepherd, Lewis and Streeting were now enduring a torrid time defending the Brighouse goal as Mikey Vickerman, Dyson and North piled on the pressure but, despite a number of near misses, the home side held out for victory.
