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Halifax Town 1 Stevenage Borough 2: HEART-STOPPING - Town safe after agonising wait
HALIFAX Town boss Chris Wilder believes it is a major achievement for his side to have escaped relegation from the Blue Square Premier.
The Shaymen, thrust into a battle to beat the drop by the deduction of 10 points for going into administration, went down 2-1 at home to Stevenage on Saturday.
Click here to watch our video from Saturday's game at the Shay, featuring match action and the fans' reaction after the game.
But they survived thanks to Altrincham's failure to win their game at Weymouth. The Manchester side could only manage a 2-2 draw on the south cost.
"There will be cynics out there who say we have nothing to cheer about, but in a certain way we have," said Wilder.
"We have not gone down and we have not gone under.
"We could easily have got the white flag out after the Kidderminster game (a 6-1 defeat) and gone down.
"I said at the outcome that if we finished fifth from bottom on goal difference it would be an achievement."
Wilder, who has been under real pressure to secure Town's league status, added that he never wanted to be involved in a close shave like Saturday's again.
And he said that he felt the impending takeover would ensure that the club was put on a more secure footing in the seasons ahead.
"This club has survived in the league and I don't think it can be this close again," he said.
"I don't see it being this close because I believe things will be sorted out.
"If that happens and the new company comes in and the stand starts to move there is a way forward for this club.
"We had 2,200 fans today and that shows people want a football club.
"The backing we got in the second half showed they want to support a club.
"It is a massively forward moving and forward thinking league, but I don't think we have been forward thinking since the play off final at Leicester.
"Can we say that the club is moved forward?
"People say it is a results business, but nothing has happened off the pitch.
"Full credit to the consortium for keeping it going because the club would have died without their help."
Town dominated the early stages of Saturday's game against Stevenage, only to fall behind to a Steve Morison goal midway through the first half.
And they were in deeper trouble on the stroke of half time when Gavin Grant doubled the visitors' lead.
Jon Shaw pulled one back from the penalty spot in the second half after Morison had handled.
But despite sustained late pressure Town could not find the second goal that would have ensured their survival.
"We were deeply disappointed with the first half performance," said Wilder. "We looked nervous, edgy and tired.
"We had a couple of half chances that we didn't take but saying that, Stevenage did nothing for 25 minutes."
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Weather for Halifax
Saturday 11 February 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: -1 C to 0 C
Wind Speed: 8 mph
Wind direction: South west
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: 2 C to 4 C
Wind Speed: 9 mph
Wind direction: North west
