Brigg Town VS North Ferriby

North Ferriby tasted defeat for the first time in the league, falling 1-0 to promotion rivals Brigg at a fog draped Hawthorns. It was a second half penalty converted by former Villager Scott Phillips that was the difference. 

It was a cagey start with both sides trying to find a foothold in the game. Both sides tried to keep hold of possession, with Brigg testing the Villagers with balls over the top looking for Batty to run in behind. 

Changes where far and few between and it was the Villagers who came closest first when Danny East received the ball on the right side of the penalty area and his effort that was aimed at the closest corner of the goal hit the underside of the bar and Brig cleared the remaining danger.

Brigg started to get a feel for the game and had a couple of chances of their own . A deep cross which looked destined for Scott Phillips fell to Batty who shot and saw his effort saved low by Lewis Exall. Jack Bowskin came close with a long-range effort that hit the side netting. The chance came about from good Brigg play which allowed Bowskin to have space. 

Josh Whiteley went close when he saw himself one on one with the Brigg goalkeeper. Whiteley’s shot was saved by the goalkeepers legs and the ball ran away without any further danger. 

The second half remained a scrappy affair with neither side really taking full advantage of the contest. 

The main talking point and turning point of the game came when Ferriby skipper Niall Tilsley fouled a Brigg attacker in the area. The referee awarded a penalty and up stepped former Villager Scott Phillips. Phillips calmly placed his spot kick to the right of Exall, where the Ferriby stopper dived to his left. 

Ferriby looked to get back into the game and brought on new signing Rich Medcalf, who joined the club from Hall Road just in time to make his debut. 

Danny Emerton was fouled in the area from behind but the referee kept his whistle in his hand and did not adjudge there was enough contact. 

Niall Tilsley came close with a header and a couple of other chances fell the Villagers way but nothing that really tested the Brigg goalkeeper. 

Chris Bolder summed up his thoughts, “The lads have been fantastic all season, credit to each and every one of them. To go 21 games unbeaten in any league is a great achievement. This is our first setback but if you’d have asked me at the start of the season that it would be game 22 in the league that you taste your first defeat, I’d have snatched your hands off at that moment in time”. 

Bolder went on the say, “it was a real scrappy game with limited quality all over. We had enough chances to get something out of the game most certainly but I don’t think we did enough during the game to win it”. 

North Ferriby: 1. Exall 2. Dennett 3. Leyland 4. Tarbotton 5. Tilsley 6. Forrester (14. Jowett) 7. Emerton 8. Kirk 9. Whiteley (16. Medcalf) 10. East 11. Corner (12.Buttle)

Subs not used: 13. Douglas 17. Plummer