Athersley looked determined from the kick-off to put their poor opening result of the season behind them and attacked down the right wing winning a free kick midway into the Brigg half of the pitch. This was cleared but a second free kick was headed over the crossbar of the goal.
Brigg were slow in getting some ball possession in the opening ten minutes but Andy Taylor made a surging run down the right wing with a strike ending just past the upright post. Then Ryan Thompson won a free kick thirty yards from the goal but his cross was well defended.
The first goal was scored after twenty-five minutes coming direct from another free kick awarded thirty yards from goal. Kyle Batchelor’s strike flew past a poor defensive wall and into the back of the net.
Two minutes later, the second goal from Oliver McQuillin came after he won possession on the right wing and his strike at goal beat the Brigg ’keeper from outside the penalty area to strengthen the visitors’ domination of the play so far.
Brigg’s reaction to their setback was good with two goals from Declan Bacon, levelling the score. The first of these came in the 32nd minute after an attack down the right wing with the Brigg striker converting the cross into the penalty area. The second, two-minutes later, came from the penalty spot after the Athersley goalkeeper was penalised for a foul whilst trying to punch away a ball played in from the right wing.
In the last ten minutes of the half, good chances were created for both teams to get ahead before the half-time break with Brigg defending well in a goalmouth scramble for the ball and then being awarded a free kick for an offside decision. An excellent fingertip save by the Brigg goalkeeper completed the first-half action.
The second half began in much the same way as the first with the visitors gaining the initiative with their firm tackling and midfield determination. They took the lead again after fifty-two minutes when McQuillin was the first to react after a cross from the right wing was partially blocked inside the penalty area allowing him to follow up before driving the ball into the back of the net.
Brigg’s response was immediate again with Declan Bacon completing a hat trick on the hour mark after the ball was played right across the penalty area from the right-wing corner of the pitch.
Having got well back into the game, Brigg were unable to consolidate their position and within another four minutes of play they were behind again, after Danilo Mossolo chased after a long ball speculative ball down the left wing before finding the far corner of the net from an acute angle.
In search of something from the game, Brigg were open to counter attacks and two minutes from time they were caught out again when Joshua Berry was presented with the easiest of chances to score a fifth goal for Athersley to celebrate a deserved victory for his team.