New kids on the block Brighouse Town are straining at the leash for the season to start so they can get a taste of the non-league scene after stepping up from the amateur ranks.

Two pre-season friendlies so far have not given much indication as to Town’s strength and tomorrow’s home clash with Padiham will provide much more insight as the Lancashire outfit are on the same step of the pyramid.

“Silsden gave us a hell of game and won 4-1 after we were 2-0 down at half-time and had missed two good chances, so it could have been 2-2 at the break,” said Town boss Mark Brier, whose side then logged a 5-1 midweek win over a Guiseley XI.

“Schoey (Silsden manager Paul Schofield) had promised to send a good side and because he did we got exactly what we expected from the game. Silsden underlined what a difference putting your chances away can make and Craig Smith ran the game from midfield, to be honest.

“The Guiseley game was something else. They brought a very inexperienced squad and we had players back from holiday, so our starting line-up was stronger than against Silsden.

“The first half was very one-sided and we raced into a 4-1 lead. We made a lot of changes for the second half and it was more even but we scored again. In terms of an exercise it was rewarding.”

Brier added: “I was delighted that the two lads up front, Karl Amos and Jordan Pettifer, managed to get two goals apiece. There were some positives for us and we will take them, as a first win is confidence-boosting.

“But with Guiseley putting Vince Brockie in charge of their reserves and then appointing Stuart Gray as his assistant only last week, the two of them will obviously have their own agenda.

“They need to look at players quickly to formulate their squad for next season and that didn’t really help us.

“It didn’t give our lads anything to prove but it’s not all about us. We have built a bridge between our two clubs and we hope that link will always be there.”

Briers is looking forward to this weekend’s match against Padiham at St Giles Road as it should be really competitive.

He said: “We played Silsden and they are a division higher in the pyramid and far more established. Then we moved on to face a Guiseley XI and with respect it was their second team and we were far too strong.

“Padiham are, like ourselves, a division below Silsden, so while they are also established it should be a better test for us than our two earlier games. They were more about fitness, whereas this will be a yardstick.”