After a quiet start to the game, the home team were the first to settle and test out the Brigg defence. Two successive free kicks were played into the penalty area from the right-wing by Keiran Coupe which were cleared. Then Nathan Benger’s shot was saved before Kane Hempshall’s follow-up struck the crossbar with David Birch beaten.
Rainworth continued to press and Josh Smith’s free kick from outside the penalty area was held by David Birch. Curtis Williamson was proving to be the main threat and ran on to a through ball before his strike at goal was blocked. His follow-up went wide of the Brigg goal upright. Another long free kick into the Brigg penalty area was met with a wasted shot well over the crossbar.
Brigg began to get more possession and they settled down into the game with Jack Richardson trying his luck from thirty yards out to win a corner kick, which was cleared. The opening goal came after twenty-two minutes when Tom Johnson got forward to meet a low cross delivered into the penalty area before steering the ball into the back of the net.
Chances were created at both ends of the pitch in the second quarter of the game but without any advantage gained by either team. Rainworth’s Curtis Williamson missed out on the best of these when he received the ball inside the penalty area from the left-wing but struck his attempted shot across the face of the goal.
Brigg began the second half of the game more positively going close to another goal in the opening minutes when Dayle Hutson’s shot went wide of the upright. Then a strike from Jack Bowskin flew over the crossbar from some distance out. David Birch was alert to grab the ball from Curtis Williamson’s aimed pass inside his goal area.
Martin Pembleton replaced Dayle Hutson halfway through the half and Brigg began to take more control of the game, looking solid at the back but relatively subdued up front. Nevertheless, they were successful in completing the match with their narrow single goal lead, securing three more points to keep up their challenge with the league leaders.