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FC Halifax town: Juggernaut is on the move
FC Halifax Town 4 - Clitheroe 0 ON the evidence of this display - and the victory in midweek at Bamber Bridge - the Town juggernaut is starting to gain some real momentum. Clitheroe arrived at the Shay having won all seven Unibond North games since their only defeat on the opening day.
But they were simply no match for the Shaymen once they got into their stride with Colin Daniel taking the plaudits for a superb hat-trick.
The loan striker's treble had everything - a stunning volley, strength for his second and a great near post run for the third.
And by the time he left the field to a standing ovation, the points were in the bag.
Clitheroe were delayed by traffic on the M62 but started quite well with skipper Carl Lomax at the centre of their best work.
He was denied by a fine challenge from Nigel Jemson as he tried to get on the end of a long through ball.
And he headed down a Joel Pilkington cross from the right in the 13th minute, only for Jon Kennedy to save at his post.
Within a minute, the Shaymen were ahead following a handball by a Clitheroe defender.
Junior Brown floated the free kick towards the edge of the area and Daniel volleyed home left footed.
Three minutes later Cavell Coo and Tom Baker combined well for Daniel to cross but the visitors cleared and as the ball bounced through for Lomax he attempted to lob Kennedy but he failed to get enough height on his shot and the Town keeper saved comfortably.
Danny Meadowcroft fed the ball wide for Coo soon after, the full back playing in Damien Allen but his shot was straight at the keeper.
And Brown had a chance from an Allen corner just past the half hour, but the midfielder was leaning back and sent his effort over the top.
In between those two efforts, Scott Redhead thumped a 20-yard shot against the bar, but the visitors' challenge was starting to fade.
In fact they were starting to get rattled and the tackles flew in with Pilkington, booked in the 31st minute, fortunate to stay on the field after a lunge at Jemson.
Baker sent a free kick flashing narrowly the wrong side of the post as the Shaymen took a grip on the game and just before the break Daniel got on the end of a Jemson free kick but was unable to hit the target.
Having finished the first half with a miss, Daniel was back on target again two minutes after the break as he latched onto Jemson's long clearance, out-muscled the defence and slid the ball home under the keeper.
Lomax fired over the bar in a rare Clitheroe attack before Town returned to the other end and Daniel crossed from wide on the left for Stott at the far post, the striker's header flashing inches wide.
Clitheroe almost pulled a goal back in freakish circumstances when an Anthony Johnson shot deflected off Meadowcroft and struck the underside of the bar, but the ball bounced down and was cleared.
And within 60 seconds it was game over after great work from Scott Phelan on the right, the ex-Bradford City man crossing low for Daniel to meet perfectly at the near post and complete his hat-trick.
Phelan drilled a shot wide from the edge of the area and a Lincoln Adams run into the Clitheroe box was only ended by a desperate challenge that resulted in a corner.
Clitheroe's problems increased when, having already made their quota of substitutions, they lost Anthony Johnson and Ian Flannery to injuries and were reduced to nine men.
Town tried to exploit the extra space they had and Coo made a great run down the right only for his cross to elude both Stott and Allen as they slid in on the edge of the six yard box.
Stott was also denied by the keeper but he eventually bagged his 10th goal of the season with four minutes remaining after another great Coo run, Stott drilling home from the right side of the area.
There was one final opportunity for the Shaymen, but substitute Danny Ellis's well-struck free kick deflected wide off the wall.
STAR SHAYMAN
Who else but Colin Daniel could possibly be the man of the match?
Not only did he bag a hat-trick, the striker ran the Clitheroe defence ragged, closing down and getting in the challenges as a side that had been unbeaten since opening day subsided.
Junior Brown failed in his bid to score in a fourth successive league game.
But that should not detract from his role in another impressive Town display.
The left sided midfielder showed off all his tricks against a struggling Clitheroe defence, putting players on their backsides more than once with his turns.
Cavell Coo arrived as an attacking defender but is more of a defending attacker in the current line up.
He loves the wing back role and got forward again at every available opportunity
Daniel takes the three points on offer in our season-long competition with Brown moving to the top of the table with two and Coo claiming the final point.
MATCH FACTS
FC Halifax Town: Kennedy, Coo, Brown, Jemson, Meadowcroft, Adams, Allen (Smith 78), Phelan, Baker (Walker 78), Stott, Daniel (Ellis 78). Subs (not used): Ellison, Barras.
Booked: Phelan (foul 45)
Sent-off: None
Goals: Daniel 14, 47, 62, Stott 86
Clitheroe: Fearon, Pilkington, Redhead, Flannery, Smith, Fisher (Sharples 17), Hankin (Edgington 50), Morley, Johnson, Lomax, Sargeson (Ward 59). Subs (not used): Toronczak, Clarke.
Booked: Redhead (foul 30), Pilkington (foul 42)
Sent-off: None
Goals: None
Atendance: 1,228
Referee: A R Tankard
PLAYER POINTS
Junior Brown 14, Jonathan Smith 13, Colin Daniel 10, Peter Moore 10, Paul Gedman 8, Jon Kennedy 6, Scott Phelan 5, Ashley Stott 5, Adam Morning 4, Lincoln Adams 4, Cavell Coo 4, Steve Payne 3, Damien Allen 2, Nigel Jemson 2, Craig Smith 2, Justin Walker 2, Tom Baker 2, Phil Senior 1, Luke Hinsley 1 .
YOU SAY
fantastic win town, like watching champions league, keep it up. Shaymen til i die. The Turnbull
Come down and enjoy the feelgood factor.champions elect. HAPPY SHAY CHAPPY
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Saturday 11 February 2012
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