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Halifax Town 2 Buxton 1: Aspin delight at first victory
BOSS Neil Aspin was a happy man after watching his promoted Town side win their Evo-Stik premier division opener at the Shay.
Danny Holland fired Town in front early and, after the Bucks had levelled through Michael Towey, Jamie Vardy scored the winner with 15 minutes remaining.
It was the perfect start for the Shaymen in their new surroundings.
"It is always nice to start the season with a win, especially when you have been promoted to a new league," said Aspin.
"If you are waiting for a victory, people start to have doubts whether you can compete at the new level.
"I know it is a long season but I am always happier with the first three points on the board."
Town did not have things all their own way, although they could have been three-up at the break with Holland and Harry Winter both hitting the woodwork.
Buxton had a good spell in the early stages of the second period and Aspin admitted that was only to be expected.
"There is no way we are going to come into this league and dominate like we did last year," he said. "You can forget that.
"There are spells when you are going to come under pressure, but I think we have enough to handle that.
"And with the pace we have, we will come good again in the game.
"All the reports we had said Buxton were a good team and they proved that. They fancied their chances.
"We were playing a team who are going to be up there.
"There is more to come from us as well.
"Some of our play at times was good, but we will get better too."
It was not only a good day for the team, but also a good day for new frontmen Holland and Vardy.
They bagged the goals for a side without either the injured James Dean or Richard Marshall, who was an unused substitute, in the side.
"We were without out 40-goal striker from last year and I left a player with 25 last season on the bench," said Aspin.
"But I know the quality of the two players who scored.
"A lot of things pleased me like the fact that the players have handled the expectation.
"New players have come in and carried it on and that's important."
As expected it was a physical encounter with Gregg Anderson seeing red late on for use of an elbow in a challenge with James Riley.
The Town central defender had to be helped from the field and had stitches inserted in a head wound.
"It was a lot more physical, but I like football to be physical and have no complaints," said Aspin.
"As long as the referees can handle it and make the decisions I don't have a problem.
"As a manager you have to love James Riley for his effort and commitment and he has done tremendously well in pre-season.
"He is a player you can rely on - you know what you are going to get - and he has made it impossible to leave him out of the team.
"If you play centre half, the job requisite is that you will get stitches at some time and in a place where they will get them - around the eyes.
"But there is no reason why, if it settles down, he can't play (at Frickley) tomorrow."
The only disappointment in a match watched by an impressive Shay crowd of 1,756, was another penalty miss from a Halifax player.
Holland's late spot kick, awarded for a foul on Vardy, was saved down to his left by Bucks' keeper Scott Hartley.
"I think they just want to make my job harder," said Aspin. "If he scores it is comfortable at 3-1 and playing out time.
"But he missed and there was five minutes of injury time and it makes it difficult.
"I was disappointed but I would rather have the miss on Saturday when it didn't cost us.
"We have other options but Danny is a confident lad and he is normally reliable."
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Weather for Halifax
Thursday 09 February 2012
Today
Light snow
Temperature: -0 C to 1 C
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Light snow
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