The Bacup pitch had a pronounced slope with Brigg having the advantage offered in the first half but then having to give total commitment in the second period.
The home team attacked from the opening whistle with forwards Morris and Hancock combining well to win possession but then being caught offside. Brigg’s immediate response was down the left wing with Ryan Thompson striking a fierce drive from thirty yards out over the top angle of the goal.
Brigg settled down well and started to play some neat football. Declan Bacon had a chance to open the scoring but struck a shot over the crossbar from six yards out after the ball was played into the goal area from the left wing.
Thompson won another corner kick on the right wing but home goalkeeper Walker held on to the high ball played in. At the other end of the pitch, the home team were awarded a free kick on the right close to the edge of the penalty area but this opportunity was wasted.
Thompson and Hutchinson continued to be a major threat for Brigg who deservedly scored the first goal after fourteen minutes when a Luke Mascall corner was cleared to Alfie Usher, whose cross into the crowded goal area was headed home by Scott Hutchinson.
Bacup’s response came after Steve McCarron was penalised for a foul outside the penalty area but Michael Gervin’s strike went wide of the upright.
Alfie Usher and Jack Boswell combined well to win another corner on the left but this was headed clear. Bacup created a couple more openings before the half-hour mark, but Jacob Norburn took command to clear the first from the goal line and Adam Hewitson tipped the next effort over the bar.
Just before the half-time whistle, Brigg scored two goals inside the space of three minutes when Scott Hutchinson seized on to a lovely pass down the left wing before advancing into the penalty area to find the far corner of the net and then completed his hat-trick after running on to a defence-splitting pass from McCarron.
Bacup began the second period with great determination to get back into the contest and they displayed an admirable spirit throughout the whole of the second half.
The weather changed dramatically with a half-hour downpour making ball control even more difficult. Jacob Norburn cleared the first attack made from down the left wing and then a deep cross from the right side was headed over the bar by Hancock.
Continuing to put pressure on Brigg’s defence, Clarke’s shot was saved by Hewitson but as the rain became even heavier on the hour mark, the home team scored two goals within five minutes, both coming from Kyle Siddle’s firm strikes.
Gaining confidence from this success, the home team continued to press and a further attack resulted in two successive clearances from the goal line.
Brigg made effective defensive-minded substitutions and as the rain began to ease they comfortably saw the game out to progress to the next round where they will face Emley AFC at The EC Surfacing Stadium.