FC Halifax Town 2-0 Guiseley: Heath happy with performance in derby win over Guiseley

Goals in each half from Matty Kosylo and Matty Brown were enough to register back-to-back victories for Halifax, who have also now kept four clean sheets in their first six games.

“I think we could have killed the game earlier, but Guiseley played their part,” Heath said.

“They came out of the traps quite sharp, played a few telling passes in and around us in the first 15-20 minutes.

“But once we got the goal we had enough opportunities to finish the game. We had three or four opportunities to wrap the game up.

“Second-half they asked a few questions of us. We coped with them quite comfortably - I thought the defensive unit was fantastic. The keeper and the back four were spot-on again, and we never really looked as if we’d concede.

“The goals are coming now. It was nice to get the goal from the set-piece because we’ve worked hard in training on our corners. That was really pleasing.

“I just think it was an all-round good performance. We had a little patch where we kept giving the ball away, which is our Achilles heel at the minute.

“If we can pick more right choices we can do OK. We can be hypercritical but it’s all about that wins column - that’s all I’m interested in.”

Kosylo produced a moment of magic with a shuffling run before a superb shot that flew across goal from the edge of the box.

“He’s got that in his locker,” Heath said. “He’s been unlucky a couple of times this season where he’s gone on mazy runs.

“He’s a dying breed of players that do actually run with the ball, actually dribble and go past people with it.

“It was a great finish and it came at the right time because the game started to turn and go in our favour a bit before that. We were starting to get a foothold in it.

“But I don’t think anyone can say we didn’t deserve to win it.”

After an impressive first-half, Town weren’t quite the same side after the interval, with Heath admitting his team perhaps dropped off their opponents too much.

“The message at half-time was don’t turn it over, because we’d started to do that, and be brave,” he said. “Don’t start sitting in, plugging gaps and holding on to a one-nil, let’s just go out, engage them and put them under pressure.

“It’s human nature that you start sitting behind the ball. We did it 10 minutes before half-time, instead of getting on top of players we were dropping off and they were popping it in little spaces. We look at our best when we get on top of people and we don’t let people play.”

Heath said Adam Morgan should have added his name to the scoresheet, and was delighted with the display by his strike-partner Tom Denton.

“Morgan looked bright, he was getting into holes. It would have been nice for him to get his goal,” said the Town boss.

“His first one was his best chance when he went clean through but he couldn’t lift it over the keeper.

“The midfield two were very solid. Nathan Hotte ran himself into the ground, did all the leg work.

“Denton was magnificent. I’ve said all along, I don’t know what it is with Dents, he’s just a good, good player.

“Maybe he’s not fashionable or he doesn’t run properly but I wouldn’t swap him for any target man in the league.”

Michael Duckworth went off with another hamstring injury and is doubtful for the game at Gateshead on Bank Holiday Monday, as is Cliff Moyo.

Matty Kosylo is also a doubt with a sore groin.

“Maybe we should have left Duckworth until Monday but we wanted to be more attacking minded with him,” Heath added.

“Cliff is very strong and resolute but we’re at home so we wanted to be more forward-thinking in our full-back areas.

“The hamstring problem was always at the back of my mind with Josh Wilde because fatigue seemed to be creeping in against Solihull last week, and he couldn’t train on Thursday.”