Evo-Stik League Division One North: Atherton Collieries 4 Brighouse Town 0

BRIGHOUSE Town remain perilously close to the relegation places in Evo-Stik Division One North after suffering a heavy defeat at mid-table Atherton Collieries last night.

Town boss Vill Powell had made another new signing earlier in the day as he snapped up another young Terrier.

Oran Thompson became the latest Huddersfield Town Academy player to join Brighouse on a YTS loan deal and donned the No 5 shirt.

It was not to prove a good debut, however, as Thompson was shown a straight red card half an hour in.

He was deemed to have launched himself into of a two-footed, studs-up challenge on Brad Cooke near the halfway line.

The game was still goalless at the time but the Colls edged in front late on in a tight first half.

The only real chance the home side had created saw Ben Hardcastle lash in a half-volley minutes before the interval.

The second half at the Kensite Stadium went the home side’s way but although the scoreline suggests that it was a landslide victory, it took two late goals to massage the figures in favour of Atherton.

Just before the hour, Vinny Bailey doubled the home side’s lead, netting a neat volley into the bottom corner, but Town’s ten men defended well.

With less than five minutes remaining, Colls substitute James Sigsworth was fouled in the area and Hardcastle slotted in the resulting penalty to make it 3-0.

Sigsworth then provided the assist as the home side made it four in the last minute, his through ball finding Adam Farrell, who rounded Town keeper George Clarke before stroking the ball in.

Powell’s men remain in 19th place, immediately above the drop zone with a four-point cushion.

However, with the fixture countdown already on, Town have played at least one game more than any of their rivals in the bottom seven.