FC Halifax Town: Stockport midfielder Walker wary of a Halifax backlash

Sam Walker (left) in action for Stockport against Notts County. Photo: Getty Images

Stockport thrashed Town 5-1 last week on a dreadful afternoon for Pete Wild’s side, although they did bounce back on Saturday by beating Chesterfield 1-0.

County followed up their Boxing Day victory by winning 2-1 at Fylde.

Walker, who won the FA Trophy with Halifax in 2016, is wary of a possible backlash from his former club after their Boxing Day defeat.

“At this time of the year, when there’s so many games, you can’t take anything for granted,” he said.

“Every game is different. It won’t be easy at The Shay, I know what it’s like there, I know the crowd get behind the team and they’ll be wanting to do a job on us.

“You’ve always got to be mindful that it will be a completely different game when we go to The Shay.

“The scoreline for us was brilliant but I’m sure that, knowing a couple of lads in the dressing room, they won’t be wanting a repeat performance and they’ll want to be taking three points.”

Walker, who has made 23 league appearances for County this season, feels their display against Halifax was a good reflection of them as a team.

“I think so, we’re very hard-working, solid, well organised,” he said.

“We were really good on the break, we took our chances well.

“We’re riding the wave of going up as champions last year but I think where we are at the minute is a fair reflection.

“But we’ve just got to maintain it and keep going.”

Walker doesn’t see any reason why Stockport can’t finish in the play-off places this season.

“Absolutely, why not?”

“t’s so competitive at this level but I think, as a group, we’re solid and I think we can kick on and build on what we did last year.”

When asked what he had made of Halifax in the Boxing Day clash, Walker, who made 17 league appearances for The Shaymen during the 2015-16 season, said: “At times, especially in the first-half with Cameron King when he got on the ball in and around the box, you can see he’s got that little jink and trick where he can go past someone and get a shot away.

“I think there was one first-half where he dragged it past the post.

“Maybe we just exploited a couple of gaps in the set-up at set-pieces.”

The 32-year-old midfielder is looking forward to returning to The Shay, adding: “It’s a great place to play your football. There’ll be plenty of faces that I’ll be pleased to see again.”