Home tests for Brighouse

First up on Saturday is Parkgate FC (3pm) in the cup’s preliminary round.

The Rotherham side’s season in the Northern Counties East has not got off the best of starts.

Town manager Vill Powell has had them watched and he also had representatives at AFC Emley last night for their midweek league game. Powell will have midfielders Tom Haigh and Adam Jones back in contention. They couldn’t travel to Morpeth due to work commitments. Wideman Jack Normanton and diminutive striker Mohammed Ibrahim may also return but Jack Lazenby has fractured his foot and will likely return to parent club Guiseley.

Aaron Martin, sent off in the 2-1 defeat at Morpeth for two cautions, will be able to play in the cup tie and against Ossett United on Monday (3pm) before missing the trip to Nottinghamshire club Carlton on September 1. Regarding the cup tie, Powell said: “This will be a strong Parkgate side and there is a lot at stake with the much-increased prize money and progression to be made.

“They are coming to us from two leagues down but we must ensure our work rate and application is there.”

Monday sees the return of ex-boss Paul Quinn to the Yorkshire Payments Stadium in his role as assistant manager to Andy Welsh.

Powell hopes Town will provide Ossett’s toughest test yet but is keen to avoid more injuries on Saturday first with Connor Griffin, Callum Hall, Oscar Seth and Lazenby sidelined and Oran Thompson and Isaac Marriott yet to join the club after picking up knocks with Huddersfield Town.

Meanwhile, Town had a nightmare journey home from Morpeth on Tuesday, after they were beaten 2-1. An overturned lorry on the motorway meant they didn’t get home until the middle of the night.

Goals from Liam Henderson and Joseph Walton had put Morpeth ahead before Aaron Martin replied for Town.

Brighouse got off to a winning start on Saturday with a 2-0 home victory over Gresley FC. Tom Robinson put them in front on 16 minutes before Martin struck eight minutes from time to seal the three points.

BRIGHOUSE TOWN Ladies endured a tough start to the season as fellow promotion hopefuls Liverpool Feds took all three points away from the Yorkshire Payments Stadium with a 2-0 win, The visitors always looked comfortable, scoring a goal in each half. This weekend the Ladies face self-professed bogey side Morecambe, where fireworks are expected

A feisty 2-2 draw in Cumbria last season preceded a 2-1 home defeat in a game which saw two red cards for fighting in the box.