BRIGHOUSE moved into fourth place in the Under 12 Division IVB after beating Marsden 5-2 in the RCD Huddersfield Junior League.
Marsden struggled at the bottom of the league last season but a marked improvement in form has seen them move into promotion contention, having picked up maximum points from six of their first 10 games.
But, with Brighouse sitting just three points behind them before the start of play, Marsden knew they were in for a tough game on a sunny Sunday lunchtime at St Andrews School, Brighouse.
With both sides fully committed to attack it was no surprise the deadlock was broken within five minutes when Logan Massey turned an Andrew Hopkins right-wing cross into the bottom corner to give the home side an early lead.
Brighouse doubled their advantage five minutes later when Massey was allowed to run unchallenged from the half way line to fire past onrushing keeper Max Corscadden.
And Marsden were fortunate not to conceded a third when a lofted Kyle MacLean cross dipped onto the bar.
At the other end, keeper Harvey Holmes finger-tipped a Josh Heeley shot onto a post and safety and, moments later, Harry Woor’s free-kick was cleared in a goalline scramble.
But Woor wasn’t to be denied when another free-kick was awarded on the left corner of the penalty area, firing an unstoppable shot into the far corner to give the visitors new hope at 2-1.
Marsden seemed to be back in the game but Alex Keenan, Aman Javed and Sam Sunderland blocked their way to goal.
And their chase for the equaliser left space at the back which Andrew Hopkins and Logan Massey were happy to exploit and they soon restored the home side’s two-goal advantage when Hopkins, now playing on the left, fired in a cross to give Massey a tap-in at the far post just before the break (3-1).
And things didn’t get any better for Marsden as, within a minute of the re-start, their vulnerability to crosses was highlighted yet again when Louie Elwin volleyed home a Regan Metcalfe right-wing cross.
Marsden were determined to get something out of the game and Ethan Rouse was unlucky when his goalbound shot curled just wide of the right post, but the Colne Valley side found the target minutes later when, from the edge of the area, Kyle Morelli-Eastwood placed a perfect lob over the head of keeper Holmes, who could only watch as it floated into the goal and the scoreline read 4-2.
Eric Bamforth and Ashley Atkinson worked hard get Marsden back into the game, but they were unable to resist an in-form Brighouse side and any hope for the visitors was ended when Lewis Mallinson’s piledriver from 15 yards was parried by keeper Corscadden, only for the non-stop Andrew Hopkins to drive the rebound into the net.
The win moves Brighouse onto level points with Marsden and, on this form, both sides will be in contention this term.
