TOWN broke their goal drought to move into the first qualifying round of the FA Cup at the expense of Silsden at Cougar Park.
Having failed to find the net in any of their previous three matches, they scored twice in the first half last night, with Ashley Stott bagging both.
And, after a second half Silsden rally, they secured a trip to Northern League Ryton a week on Saturday with a late Jonathan Smith strike.
Town played well in the first half, carving out enough chances to have put the tie well beyond the home side.
But a goal early in the second half from Daniel Moriarty gave Silsden hope and forced the Shaymen to endure a nervy half hour or so before Smith's goal settled the tie in Jim Vince's side's favour.
It was never going to be a classic - a rutted and heavy pitch saw to that.
But, as they have in the majority of matches this season, Town looked a good side when they passed the ball around.
They also opened brightly with Luke Hinsley, making his first start, to the fore.
He skipped through a couple of tackles on a run from the left only to send a shot drifting wide after three minutes.
And within 60 seconds, following a quickly taken free kick, he crossed from the left for Stott, who sent his header over the bar.
Junior Brown and Jonathan Smith then combined to get the ball to Stott in the area but, after a neat turn, he could only fire straight at the keeper.
Daniel Moriarty caused a moment's panic in the Town defence when he sprang the offside trap, but his deep cross was dealt with well by Steve Payne.
Town returned to the attack with Brown turning well in the box only for his shot to lack power.
But they were ahead after 25 minutes after Peter Moore had done well to win a corner on the right.
Brown's initial delivery was cleared back to him and he picked out Stott with his second, the former Bangor City frontman stooping at the near post to head home.
Brown's flick from a Justin Walker ball was just too strong for Stott moments later and, after Smith's cross forced another corner, Payne headed goalwards from Brown's delivery only for former Shayman Craig Smith to clear off the line.
Town doubled their advantage four minutes before the break from the penalty spot.
Moore's ball down the right found Brown who cut inside and had a shot blocked.
The ball rebounded to Walker whose cross was handled in the area by Danny McNulty and Stott fired low into the bottom right hand corner.
The second half could hardly have begun worse for Town with Silsden halving the arrears within three minutes of the restart.
Craig Smith worked the ball wide for Martin Packer on the left and his cross was met by Moriarty who headed home unmarked from eight yards out.
Town,. who had done so well in the opening period, went right off the boil with some sloppy passes handing the initiative to the home side.
And when Martin Bland got on the end of a Smith free kick it took the knees of Lincoln Adams to clear behind for a corner.
For all their possession, the only time Silsden were able to test Jon Kennedy in the Town goal came in the 76th minute from a Craig Smith free kick.
The former Town man smacked the ball in from an acute angle on the left, but Kennedy was alert to the danger and got both hands to the ball to push it away from danger.
Town slowly got back into the game and were rewarded with seven minutes remaining after a surging run from Jonathan Smith.
He picked out substitute Nigel Jemson on the right and he drove into the area before picking out Brown.
His shot was blocked by a defender, but Smith had continued his run and was on hand to force home the rebound.
Town might have added a fourth in the dying minutes when Jemson played a great ball through for Adam Morning, whose first touch took it too far away from him, allowing Martin Foulger to race off his line and block.
STAR SHAYMANAs one wag pointed out during the game, the Cougar Park pitch is not even that good for rugby league.
And that makes it all the more remarkable that Jonathan Smith was able to shine last night.
The midfielder is the kind of player best suited to a flat surface.
But he drove the Shaymen on in the first half and was still full of running seven minutes before the end when he started the move that eventually led to his first goal for the club.
Striker Ashley Stott has had a lean time in the opening few weeks of the campaign but bagged a first half double to put Town on the way to victory.
His opener was a real predator's strike and he then kept his cool to score from the spot.
Luke Hinsley has had to bide his time for a start and took his chance with both hands.
He was full of energy from the moment the first whistle blew until four minutes from the end when he was eventually substituted.
Smith takes the three points on offer in our season-long competition with Stott claiming two and Hinsley one.
MATCH FACTSSilsden: Foulger, Nettleton, McNulty (Holden 86), Bentham, Bland, Airey, Smith, Moriarty (Tyrell-Nestor 66), Reilly, Thompson, Packer. Subs (not used): Parnham, Hurd, Barker, Chattoe.
Booked: Bland (foul 85)
Sent-off: None
Goal: Moriarty 48
FC Halifax Town: Kennedy, Harban, King, Payne, Adams, Hinsley (C Smith 86), J Smith, Walker (Jemson 72), Stott (Morning 76), Brown, Moore. Subs (not used): Senior, Ross.
Booked: Moore (foul 70)
Sent-off: None
Goals: Jemson 25, 41, J Smith 83
Attendance: 442
PLAYER POINTSJonathan Smith 10, Junior Brown 7, Paul Moore 4, Steve Payne 3, Lincoln Adams 3, Ashley Stott 3, Nigel Jemson 2, Craig Smith 2, Phil Senior 1, Luke Hinsley 1.
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