The Shaymen suffered another setback as they slipped to a 1-0 defeat at home to Woodley Sports on Saturday, a defeat that allowed Colwyn Bay to take over from them in second place in Unibond One North.

Click here to see the Unibond Division One North table on our Halifax Town fixtures and results page

Mark Hotte made his debut in the game, becoming the 43rd player to represent the club in a senior game this season but even the addition of the former York and Scarborough man did not allow Vince to name five substitutes.

"We need to bring players in without a shadow of a doubt and I will be having a chat with the chairman," he said. "There are things we might be able to do.

"You hear people ask why we have not done this or that. We have been very active over the past three or four weeks trying to bring the right players in.

"I know it is frustrating when we don't see any activity and we are getting injuries and losing players.

"We are players short, we know we are. The squad is threadbare.

"All the good players are contracted and because we are Halifax Town clubs want big money for them. Who has the money to do that?

"People think it is a bottomless pit and I have said from the start that it is not.

"I do not have any money to sign players."

Saturday's defeat, courtesy of Russ Headley's 54th minute goal, was a new low in the Shaymen's season.

"It is the worst yet? Result-wise yes, performance-wise probably," said Vince.

"In the first half we were non existent.

"We were 11 individuals, passing responsibility and making excuses.

"We didn't look a shadow of the team that played at Durham seven days earlier.

"There are reasons why, but it doesn't matter. With 11 players on the park we should play to a level and we were nowhere near that level on Saturday.

"There was some disruption - and there has been all week.

"There are certain players you would want in a team who were not available and it seemed to disjoint us.

"In the second half we had opportunities, but they weren't the right opportunities.

"It was always the wrong pass, it was always the wrong delivery into the box, it was always the wrong option.

"If we'd have played a good team on Saturday it would not have been a 1-0 loss it would have been three or four."

Having lost Danny Meadowcroft to Northwich in the build up to the game, Vince then lost Cavell Coo in the warm-up.

"We are not sure what the situation is with him, but he is not right," said Vince.
"We had hoped he would be.

"We also lost Danny, but I am not surprised at the moment because things seem to be going against us."

It was a bad afternoon all round for the Shaymen as all five of the other top six sides won.

Durham City edged past Salford City 2-1 to move three points clear at the top, with in form Colwyn Bay's 4-1 victory at home to Lancaster City lifting them up to second spot.

Skelmersdale closed the gap on Halifax to a couple of points - and they have five games in hand - as they thrashed Clitheroe 6-0 while Newcastle Blue Star were 2-1 winners at Harrogate Railway and are now just four points behind the Shaymen with six games in hand.

Ossett Albion maintained their interest as well, beating Rossendale 4-1 and they are now four points behind Halifax with one game in hand.