Ossett United with work to do after back to back defeats leave them looking over their shoulders

​Grant Black’s men were heavily beaten 4-0 at home by Brighouse Town on Monday after a 2-0 reverse at Cleethorpes Town last Saturday and could still be in need of points from their remaining two matches to make sure they avoid the drop.

Their impressive 3-2 win at Sheffield the previous week appeared to have eased any lingering fears that Ossett would get dragged into a relegation scrap, but a weekend without further points has left them just four above the drop zone and five ahead of second from bottom Shildon.

With one of the bottom four, Carlton Town, having a game in hand it could make the closing weeks of the season a nervy one for the Ingfield men.

Four points from their last two matches would make United safe no matter what results the teams below them have and realistically one more win will be enough so it is clearly in their own hands.

But with one of those games to come being this Saturday away against champions Worksop Town, who have lost only one league match all season, it is not so straight forward.

Ossett do finish their campaign off at home, however, when they face Grantham Town – who are currently three points and one place below them in the table – on Saturday, April 22.

There was little sign of the final score to come when the first half of the West Yorkshire derby against Brighouse was tight on Monday.

The game remained scoreless until two minutes before half-time when Corey Gregory broke through for the visitors.

A disastrous start to the second half then saw United concede again with Joshua Grant netting within two minute of the restart.

The home team now had a mountain to climb and although Black made changes it got worse for his team with Mohammad Qasim making it 3-0 on 57 minutes.

Goalkeeper Paul Cooper was adjudged to have brought down a Town attacker late on and was sent-off before Reon Benjamin-Potts put away the resulting penalty to compound Ossett’s misery.

Saturday’s game was also a big disappointment for United as they played promisingly enough without being able to find the back of the net and Cleethorpes sealed victory with Jack McMenemy’s 67th minute goal and a late penalty from Alex Flett.