Brighouse Town 4 Garforth 0

Garforth suffered their first defeat in five as a much-changed side went down 4-0 to Evo-Stik League opponents Brighouse.

The home side created the first opening as early as three minutes when Zephaniah Thomas put a low shot wide when supplied on the edge of the box by Finn Donovan. Five minutes later Curtly Martin-Wyatt's downward header from Sanchez Payne's corner kick was claimed by Brighouse keeper Jordan Porter. The chances soon resumed down the other end of the park, with the Town defence keeping out goal-bound efforts from both Donovan and former Town defender Jack Lazenby. The pressure told on 16 mins however when a dubiously awarded free-kick was delivered by Iwan Heeley to Thomas at the back post who side-footed into the net. Another set piece almost brought a second goal when Toby Wells turned around the post Gabriel Johnson's header from a Heeley corner kick. It was two on 19 mins though when a corner was played out to Thomas in space who fired into the top corner. The celebrations were put on hold after furious protests of offside from the Town players led to discussion between referee Michael Coles and his assistant, but the goal stood.

The second had arguably knocked the stuffing out of Rob Hunter's men, but with most of the ensuing Brighouse chances well off-target, they were to have the better of the remaining first half minutes. Sanchez Payne had a shot saved after beating a couple of men on the right wing, before forcing another stop from Porter at his near post with a twenty-yard free-kick. Some good play between Payne and Mark Ferguson ended in the latter shooting narrowly wide, then there was nearly a first club goal for Alex Low from a Jonathan Andrew free-kick, the captain for the night firing inches over the bar from a narrow angle.

The events of the second half roughly followed those of the first, with a dangerous spell of Brighouse pressure ending in two further goals. Donovan volleyed over the bar Adam Dennison's left wing cross, before Marley Grant too fired over after a good run in from the left on 54 mins. The hosts duly booked their place in the next round on 61 mins when a dangerous move down the right was finished off by Rhys Jenkinson. Thomas was denied a hattrick by a good stop from Wells on 63 mins after Town had given the ball away 30 yards from goal, before Wells spared Chris Howard's blushes by turning around the post a goalbound clearance. From the resulting corner it was 4-0 when Heeley's delivery was only half-cleared to Johnson on the edge of the box who steered the ball through a crowd of players and into the net.

Shortly after, Wells denied Johnson after a dangerous run through the middle. Town showed spirit to once more end the half the better side, but they were denied a consolation by a string of good saves from Porter. Martin-Wyatt put a header just wide from Daniel Omosebi's free-kick on 75 mins, then an excellent one-two between the striker and substitute Albert Ibrahimi saw the latter shoot inches off target. Fellow substitute Michael Thompson tried his luck with a 25 yard effort which Porter tipped over the bar, before the keeper dealt with at the second attempt Javen Benjamin's drive from the edge of the box. Ferguson will have been disappointed not to have scored his third Town goal when he raced clear of the defence with only the keeper to beat, but could only smash wide. A powerful drive from Martin-Wyatt was tipped over the bar, and from the resulting corner Howard came close with a thumping header which Porter kept out.

For a third year running it wasn't to be for The Miners in this competition, and we now look towards further progress in the FA Vase this Saturday when we visit Prestwich Heys (kick-off 3pm).

Rob Hunter's thoughts on the game can be found on the Bootiful Game.