Emley AFC continued their excellent away form with a solid 2-0 victory over Bridlington Town, moving up to second in the league. The Pewits struck early, with Nathan Curtis heading home in the fifth minute to give them the lead. Despite facing pressure from the hosts, Emley’s defence stood firm.

The second goal came in the second half when Jack Cowgill powered in a header from a Ross Hardaker corner. Debutant Belchior Rodrigues added to the performance, impressing after coming on and keeping Bridlington’s defence occupied.

Goalkeeper Declan Lambton and Man of the Match defender Adam Clayton were pivotal in securing a clean sheet as Emley managed a professional performance in tough conditions in front of 355 spectators.

Manager Richard Tracey was pleased with the performance and reflected on the challenges Bridlington face as a coastal club, comparing them to Emley’s past experiences.

He said: “The league table doesn't always tell the full picture. They've got a big budget, and after talking to their manager, it’s clear they need that to recruit players and convince them to move to the area.

“It’s a bit like when we went into the North West Counties League, you can only pull from one side of your location. With Brid on the coast, they can only pull inland from one side, whereas we’re lucky. We can get players from the edge of Manchester, Oldham, or through Sheffield. What they’re finding is they’ve got to pay a little bit more to get players in through the door.

“They’ve got some experienced players like Alex Peterson and Derry Robson, and some quality loan players from Worksop Town. They’re a good team.”

Reflecting on the game, Tracey commented: “We got a goal on our first real proper attack, a great header from Nathan Curtis that got us in front. Once we scored, it spurred them on to react. They had a good spell, which we managed to comfortably deal with. In the second half, I felt we actually played better with the ball. The opportunities we conceded were down to our own doing, but thankfully they didn’t result in a goal.

“When Jack Cowgill got the second, that cemented the win for us. It was an effective performance in tough conditions on a difficult pitch, so we were delighted to get the three points without being at our best.”

Tracey praised debutant Belchior Rodrigues by saying: “Belchior came on for his debut and got some minutes. He just has to get into our way of playing, get used to how people play, and build relationships. We’re looking forward to seeing that develop in the coming weeks.”

The manager also highlighted Amir Berchil’s resurgence: “I thought Amir was back to something like his best. He was chasing people down, winning tackles, and his all round play was good. He’s had a tough time recently after a fantastic start to the season. Defenders were finding it easier to phase him out of games, but against Bridlington, he really made himself known. We know he has quality, and if he keeps doing the right things, he’ll score a lot of goals.”

Next up for the Pewits they host Liversedge on Saturday at 3pm in the much anticipated "Kirklees derby" at the Fantastic Media Welfare Ground.

It will be the first league meeting between the sides at Emley since 1981. Historically, the Pewits dominate the fixture, with eight wins in 11 encounters, while Liversedge’s only victory dates back to 1979.

Currently second in the league, Emley come into the game in strong form, with four wins from their last five matches and an unbeaten away record. In contrast, 14th placed Liversedge have struggled for consistency but come off of an impressive 4-0 win last week. Emley will aim to complete a league double after winning 2-0 away at Sedge in September.

Manager Tracey expects a challenging game and noted the changes Liversedge have undergone since their last encounter.

He said: “It’s the first time I think we’ve played a team for the second time in the league this season. We played Newton Aycliffe twice and Dunston twice, but both were in cup competitions. Liversedge have had a change of management since we last played them. They’ve brought in some players, and there’s been a bit of a player turnover. I don’t think we’ll be able to compare much from the first game to this one.”

Tracey is optimistic about a strong showing from both sides: “It’s going to be a tough game, with hopefully a good attendance since it’s such a local derby. We know they’re a good team. They’ve been successful at this level before, and they’ll definitely think they can beat us and move up the table. For us, we need to improve our home record by getting a good win.”

Regarding injuries and squad changes, Tracey added: “There’s no player movements at the moment. Injury wise, we’re looking alright. Tom Haigh is still recovering from his operation, and we’ve unfortunately lost Harry Sheppeard to an injury in training on Thursday. We’re evaluating him at the moment. Joe Kenny is unavailable at the weekend as he’s away, so Alex Metcalfe will come into the side.”