Brighouse secure draw in ‘gritty’ Cowra derby

Barnstoneworth C grade side Brighouse continues to break new ground and add competition points to its Orange and District Football Association 2019 season.

After two successive losses to Kinross Wolaroi School and club mates United, both 2-0 affairs, Brighouse brought their A game to Sir Jack Brabham Park on Sunday with perhaps their best first half of the season.

Fielding four Cowra mid-fielders, Brighouse were up against former B grade side Cowra Eagles, in what shaped up to be something of a Cowra derby.

Cowra only the week before had beaten Kinross 6-0, and so Brighouse were expecting some tough going.

But the green and whites surprised everyone with a goal early in the first half to take a 1-0 lead. Paul Crain cleaned up a corner taken by the versatile Blake Brouff.

A strong back four combined with a defensive-minded mid-field to shut down Cowra and take Brighouse into the break with a 1-0 advantage.

Cowra came out hard in the second stanza and a shot by Caleb Forsyth from the edge of the 18 yard box slipped past the Brighouse keeper to level the scores.

Brighouse, as they have shown in the past, refused to drop their heads and instead continued to frustrate the Cowra attack, which had few shots on goal and was repeatedly forced to come in from the wings as the Brighouse mid-field held firm.

The game ended in a 1-1 draw and a delighted Brighouse team manager, Murray McCloskey, couldn’t have been happier with the side’s performance.

“Our Cowra mid-field led by Kristy Ford really lifted and stopped any attacking runs through the centre of the paddock,” McCloskey said.

“The back four continued to present a tough challenge to any attackers and really shut down Cowra’s raids on our goal.

“The entire squad is starting to gel and the fighting spirit is there for all to see,” McCloskey said.