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Lancaster City 2 FC Halifax Town 0: Town crash to Roses defeat
AFTER claiming their first win of the season four days earlier at Trafford, FC Halifax Town took two steps back as they crashed to defeat at the Giant Axe.
Quite simply Jim Vince's side were second best in all areas against a Lancaster side that had shipped five goals to league leaders Skelmersdale in midweek.
And the fact that home keeper Mark Thornley did not have a serious save to make over the whole 90 minutes tells its own story.
Town stopper Phil Senior was not much busier, but he did have to pick the ball out of the net twice as Dave Foster bagged a goal in each half, both from inside the six-yard box.
Town played too many long balls, surrendered too much possession and there was too little communication between players in a performance that had the travelling fans shaking their heads.
That was also manager Vince's reaction at half time as he walked down the tunnel with a face like thunder.
And he had every right to be angry after watching his team struggle to come to terms with their workmanlike hosts.
Lancaster forced a couple of early corners, without threatening the Town goal and it was Halifax who actually looked like they were beginning to settle when they carved out a couple of openings of their own.
Justin Walker's 13th-minute corner was headed wide by Lincoln Adams while Ross Clegg turned well after collecting a Jonathan Smith pass but his shot lacked the power to trouble Thornley.
Clegg was forced from the field with a bad injury soon after and within three minutes Lancaster broke the deadlock in almost comical fashion.
Foster's attempted over head kick from a Lee Dodgson cross bounced harmlessly away from the Town goal, only for a Kris King mis-kick to land at Michael Rushton's feet.
He played it back into the Town six-yard area where Foster was only too happy to force it home from close range.
Rushton could have added a second soon after, but was unable to connect with another Dodgson cross and King did well just past the half hour when he dispossessed Rushton as he was about to pounce on a Neil Marshall pass.
Senior saved Dodgson's long range effort as half time approached and Vince's demeanour as he walked across the pitch from dugout to changing room said everything about the display.
Steve Payne sliced an attempted clearance wide from Dodgson's knock down early in the second period. But the introduction of Junior Brown wide on the left appeared to lift the Shaymen who for a short while looked capable of turning this round.
Ashley Stott and Justin Walker built well before Craig Smith fired a left foot shot narrowly wide, home keeper Thornley fumbled a Walker free kick under pressure from Adams and when Brown found Stott his shot was blocked by a defender.
Payne came close to levelling in the 56th minute when he met Walker's free kick perfectly only to send his header narrowly wide and Thornley did well to clear from Brown who was trying to get on the end of a Stott cross.
Town's hopes were finally ended with 11 minutes remaining as Lancaster bagged a second goal from an Aaron Helliwell corner on the right.
Marshall flicked the ball on at the near post and Foster was at the back stick to nod it home from no more than a couple of yards.
Adams was sent forward and flicked on a Craig Smith long throw for Stott, who sliced wide, and Nigel Jemson almost got on the end of a Walker free kick moments later.
Brown flashed a shot wide before playing a ball in for Adams who turned well but could only find the side netting.
Town almost bagged a consolation in the final minute from a Jemson cross but when Michael Stringfellow's attempted clearance skimmed off his head it rebounded back into play off a post.
MATCH FACTS
Lancaster City: Thornley, Uberschar, Marshall, Heffernan, Greenwood (Entwistle 82), Stringfellow, Rushton, Ward, Foster, Fildes (Jackson 65), Dodgson (Helliwell 65). Subs (not used): Rigby, Price.
Booked: Foster (foul 72)
Sent-off: None
Goals: Foster 18, 79
FC Halifax Town: Senior, Moore, King (Brown 46), Payne, Adams, Clegg (Proffitt 18), J Smith, Walker, Stott, Ross (Jemson 69), C Smith. Subs (not used): Kennedy, Hinsley.
Booked: C Smith (unsporting behaviour 52)
Sent-off: None
Goals: None
Attendance: 564
Referee: Gary Hilton
STAR SHAYMAN
Ordinarily a player has to put in a full 90 minute effort to really make an impression.
But Junior Brown did as much in 45 minutes to try to raise Town's performance as the rest of his teammates did over the whole piece.
His introduction after the interval seemed to lift the rest of the Halifax side but even that was not enough to enable them to claim anything from the contest.
Paul Moore returned from a trial at Exeter City to start at right back for the Shaymen and he did well in possession.
He used the ball well and tried to get forward at every available opportunity.
Inside him, Lincoln Adams also did well, snapping into the tackles
And when he was sent up front in the last 10 minutes to try to help Town salvage something from the game he went as close as anyone to scoring with a neat turn and shot that ended up in the side netting.
Brown takes three points in our season-long competition, Moore two and Adams one.
PLAYER POINTS
Jonathan Smith 3, Steve Payne 3, Lincoln Adams 3, Junior Brown 3, Craig Smith 2, Paul Moore 2, Ashley Stott 1, Phil Senior 1.
YOU SAY
A fine attacking display -on another day we could have scored 5 we were just unlucky - lancaster got 2 breakaway goals - The taxman But the introduction of Junior Brown wide on the left appeared to lift the Shaymen who for a short while looked capable of turning this round.
Ashley Stott and Justin Walker built well before Craig Smith fired a left foot shot narrowly wide, home keeper Thornley fumbled a Walker free kick under pressure from Adams and when Brown found Stott his shot was blocked by a defender.
Payne came close to levelling in the 56th minute when he met Walker’s free kick perfectly only to send his header narrowly wide and Thornley did well to clear from Brown who was trying to get on the end of a Stott cross.
Town’s hopes were finally ended with 11 minutes remaining as Lancaster bagged a second goal from an Aaron Helliwell corner on the right.
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Friday 10 February 2012
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