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Clitheroe 1 FC Halifax Town 2: Sutton's strike seals it
A WONDER strike from Ritchie Sutton proved to be the difference between the sides as Town returned to winning ways at Shawbridge.
And the goal was a real high spot on an atrocious night of driving rain and a surface that became less and less football friendly as the game went on.
Sutton blasted home from 25 yards nine minutes before the break, at that stage putting the Shaymen into a two-goal lead.
And it could well prove to be a crucial moment in Town's season after back to back defeats had started to set the promotion alarm bells ringing.
Click here to see the Unibond Division One North table on our Halifax Town fixtures and results page
This win was achieved in the old fashioned way, with hard graft and a performance that was a million miles away from the woeful display against Woodley 10 days earlier.
Players had to dig deep just to stand up on occasions as the gale swept from one end of the pitch to the other.
And the only surprise, apart from the sublime nature of Sutton's goal, was that there were not more mistakes.
Town endured a sloppy start to proceedings and the home side looked to catch them cold.
Dave Hankin sliced wide of the target inside the opening couple of minutes, Jon Kennedy saved well from Anthony Johnson, who had latched onto a Craig Sargeson square ball, and Jason Jones fluffed his lines with the goal at his mercy.
Kennedy was called into action again after eight minutes when Ryan Fisher and Rankin had combined to set up Jones on the left.
During that time, Town's best chance came from a Damien Allen cross that only just eluded Nathan Joynes on the edge of the six yard area
But the Shaymen started to impose themselves and when they were able to get the ball to roll on the ground they looked good.
Ashley Stott steered a pass out to the left but Joynes's low cross was deflected over the bar by a defender,
Lincoln Adams had a header from a corner blocked and Stott's shot soon after suffered a similar fate.
Then, in the 19th minute, Town struck.
Sutton swept the ball to the right where Coo raced forward and sent over a low cross which was punched out by keeper Martin Fearon only to hit Liam McManus and bounce into the net.
Clitheroe enjoyed a spell of pressure after the Halifax goal with Sargeson's effort from distance squirming through Kennedy's hands but wide of the target.
Mark Sharple hit a low effort wide of the target and Cavell Coo did superbly to block another Sharple effort when the Clitheroe substitute looked odds on to level.
At the other end, Sutton's header from a Tom Baker free kick caused momentary panic in the home defence.
And Town doubled their advantage six minutes before the break when Sutton blasted the ball into the top corner after Allen's initial effort from the right had struck a defender.
Stott was denied by the keeper who got down well at his near post just before the break after the striker had been found by Mark Peers.
And early in the second half Stott and Peers combined to create an opening for Baker whose effort was blocked.
It was a rare Town attack in the opening 25 minutes of the second half as the home side, with the elements in their favour, looked for a way back.
Conner Kavanagh's free kick from 35 yards out had plenty of power, but lacked direction and Hankin fired wide.
The pressure on the Town defence finally told in the 66th minute when a quick free kick in centre field found Hankin on the right and his drilled cross was turned into his own net by Tony Barras as he slid in.
Johnson headed wide when well placed moments later and Kavanagh forced Kennedy to dive full length to his left to save as it looked like Town might be about to crumble.
But they dug in and started to push the home side back with David Brown having a shot tipped over the bar and fellow substitute Paul Evans hammering a 30-yard free kick inches past the post.
Clitheroe summoned one last effort in the final minutes but were unable to find a way through Town's scrambling defence.
Clarkson fired over when well placed and Coo came to the rescue again to deny Johnson as the Shaymen held on for maximum points.
MATCH FACTS
Clitheroe: Fearon, Hoslowski (Smith 83), Kavanagh, McManus, Flannery Clarkson 46), Fisher, Hankin, Reynolds, Johnson, Sargeson, Jones (Sharple 11). Sub (not used): Perry-Acton.
Booked: Johnson (foul 40).
Sent-off: None
Goal: Barras (og) 66
FC Halifax Town: Kennedy, Adams, Coo, Barras, Riley, Allen (Evans 75), Sutton, Baker, Peers, Stott (Brown 67), Joynes (Barnes 83). Subs (not used): Senior, Villerman.
Booked: Joynes (foul 67)
Sent-off: None
Goals: McManus (og) 19, Sutton 36
Attendance: 488
Referee: I Edwards
STAR SHAYMAN
On a night made for the battlers, Tom Baker stood head and shoulders above anyone else on the pitch.
The former Park Avenue man covered every drop of mud on the Shawbridge pitch, tearing into tackles and using the ball intelligently when he won it.
Nathan Joynes worked tirelessly in his second game back in a Town shirt.
As he had at the weekend, he linked the play up well, bringing his teammates into play down the wings where they could at least run with the ball at their feet.
Ritchie Sutton was back in midfield, where he enjoyed a brief spell at Durham where injury to Danny Meadowcroft forced him back into defence.
And he revelled in the role coming up with a goal that was worthy of winning any game of football, let alone one played in driving rain and on an increasingly unplayable pitch.
Baker takes the three points on offer in our season long competition with Joynes two and Sutton one.
PLAYER POINTS
Junior Brown 32, Tom Baker 35, Ashley Stott 19, Scott Phelan 17, Jonathan Smith 16, Nigel Jemson 11, Paul Gedman 11, Colin Daniel 10, Peter Moore 10, Jon Kennedy 9, Lincoln Adams 8, Cavell Coo 7, Damien Allen 7, Michael Barnes 6, Paul Evans 6, Mark Peers 5, Ritchie Sutton 5, Adam Morning 4, Paul Collins 4, Luke Hinsley 3, Steve Payne 3, Neil Ross 3, Nathan Joynes 3, Craig Smith 2, Justin Walker 2, Craig Ellison 2, Danny Ellis 1, Phil Senior 1.
YOU SAY
Well done Shaymen - crucial 3 points - now lets finish the season
strongly so we are on top form for the play off semi final. (Away) ! Bri
That's more like it Town.Onwards and upwards. MARY J. and ANNA.
Battled well in atrocious conditions. Joynes, Sutton, Coo and Adams
excellent. Sutton's screamer a worthy winner in any game. Up the Town. Ruddy Ric.
keep it going shaymen, play offs here we come. roy and kath
good win lads in awful conditions. Happy andy
town were a pleasure to watch well done jim and the team -we are going up -the taxman
you fought for that one boys on a terrible night please bang more shots in. that was a proud display to a man thankyou - Town fan
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Weather for Halifax
Friday 10 February 2012
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