AFC EMLEY were beaten on many fronts as they went down 3-0 away at leaders Brighouse Town.

Title-chasing Emley were out-muscled in all areas of the field and didn’t take their chances in the first half against a Brighouse side who registered their ninth consecutive victory as they have raced to the top of the Northern Counties League First Division.

But more importantly for Emley was their inability to adapt their play for the quagmire of a pitch at the Dual Seal Stadium.

Emley almost made the perfect start when striker Steve Kenworthy took the ball around the keeper and had his shot cleared off the line with less than 10 seconds on the clock.

The remainder of the opening quarter was a cagey affair with both sides attempting to come to grips with a heavy pitch that was cutting up badly.

Micky Amos had a weak shot easily saved following good work and a squared ball from Kenworthy.

Emley captain Kenworthy also provided a shooting opportunity for Mark Stuart, but his shot went wide of the left hand upright.

Nathan Cartman brought Emley’s Mick Clarke into his first action of the game on 19 minutes – the keeper did well to tip the ball over from the winger’s 35 yard shot.

Emley lost the influential Lee Hill on 20 minutes with what appeared to be a recurrence of the injury sustained at Leeds in their last outing.

Wayne Shooter came onto replace him, Emley instantly lost the height in the attacking third that Hill provides, though both Kenworthy and Townsend had shots on goal soon after.

Town responded and following a long kick from keeper Richardson, Brighouse’s Matty Howgate shot wide of the goal when in a good position. The ball fell kindly for him sticking firmly in the mud with the Emley defenders anticipating a bounce that never game.

A minute from half-time Emley conceded a poor goal. The ball broke to the left wing and as Sean Hazelden failed to clear the ball, Howgate pounced on the mistake and played a lovely cross onto the head of Danny Toronczk who sent the ball in the bottom right corner of the goal.

Emley created little in the second half, the best effort coming from Josh Ingham whose shot on the volley zipped over the bar.

Brighouse in contrast were winning all of the challenges and the visitors lost their discipline resulting in a rash of yellow cards.

Clarke was much the busier of the keepers, making an excellent save at the feet of Lee Burgess.

The second goal arrived on 68 minutes when Emley failed to deal with a Howgate corner, the ball went right across the face of goal and Cartman scored with a stooping header at the back post.

Darryl Leach extended the lead with another header, with no defender within yards of him from a right corner.

Into the last five minutes Emley keeper Clarke prevented the score looking really ugly with two further excellent saves.

AFC Emley: Clarke, Joice, S Wright, Ingham, Leech, Hazelden, Amos, Townsend, Kenworthy, Stuart, Hill. Subs : Shooter, Garside, Lavery.