Toolstation NCEL Division One
Brigg Town 2-3 Armthorpe Welfare
Manager-less Armthorpe Welfare pulled a stunning victory when they consigned high-flying Brigg Town to their first league defeat of the campaign.
It was a remarkable win away from home at Brigg who are managed by Marcus Newell – the man who guided Cleethorpes Town to Wembley in 2017.
Welfare took the lead with just nine minutes on the clock. Luke Williams won a free-kick on the right of the box and when James Arnold swung the ball in it flew into the top left hand corner giving Brigg goalkeeper Patrick Shaw no chance.
On 21 minutes Lee McFadden out-muscled his marker on the edge of the box to fire in a shot which was tipped over. When the resulting corner was played into the box McFadden rose to head past Shaw into the far corner of the net to put Welfare 2-0 up.
Brigg responded with a couple of quick attacks, both of which saw Trueman make good saves, before Williamson went close for Welfare on 27 minutes but his header from a Brown free-kick flew just wide.
Brigg got back into the game on 54 minutes when they worked the ball in from the left for Alfie Usher to fire past Connor Trueman.
It was now a test of how Welfare responded and, to their credit, they stuck to their task and continued to threaten. Arnold hit the top of the crossbar with another free-kick on 57 minutes.
Brigg were reduced to ten men on 70 minutes when Wayne Graves was sent off after receiving his second yellow card following a bad tackle on Adam Baskerville, who responded in the best possible fashion a minute later by extending Welfare’s lead with a well-taken shot from 20 yards after being set up by Williams.
Unfortunately, Brigg again reduced the arrears to one just four minutes later through Reece Newell which set up a tense last 15 minutes, but with Trueman again making a good save on 82 minutes to push away an angled drive the Welfare defence held firm for a thoroughly deserved three points.
The Team
Armthorpe Welfare: Trueman, Watson, Arnold, Williamson, Garner, Dickinson, Brown (Ball 78), Williams (Bilton 78), Baskerville, McFadden (Foltyn-Brown 55), Sherburn. Subs unused. Lucas, Lee.
Thanks for Steve Pennock for this report.