Bromley 0-0 FC Halifax Town: Hosts miss a penalty as Shaymen pick up away point

A first-half of high quality demonstrated what the National League has to offer, and showed that Halifax have what it takes to mix it with the better teams in the division.

The second-half was messier, with neither side matching their performance in the opening 45.

But a point at Bromley represents a more than acceptable result for The Shaymen, who have yet another clean sheet to add to the collection after another strong defensive display.

Town, unsurprisingly unchanged, were calm and composed on the ball, comfortable playing out from the back but also looking a threat on the break, even more so if their decision-making improved with their final pass.

A delightful lofted pass by Kian Spence picked out Jack Vale's run, but he headed over the bar.

Vale should also have been picked out on a Halifax counter-attack, but the ball instead went to Jamie Allen on the opposite flank, and the move broke down.

Bromley played some decent stuff too, and possessed a potentially potent weapon in Chris Bush's long throw, which necessitated some early clearances in the Town box.

The Shaymen had certainly imposed themselves on the contest, with Jack Senior getting forward well from left-back and Matty Warburton influential, ghosting into good positions and linking play, as well as going close with a couple of shots inside the box at tight angles.

Halifax looked confident and utterly at ease in their shape and style of play, an illustration of which was Billy Waters' clever dummy to let a low cross from the left run to Warburton, but his tame shot was comfortably saved.

The visitors were the more incisive, producing the more nuanced, clever attacking play, but still needed better quality at the end of their attacks.

Dangerman Michael Cheek was being marked effectively by Tom Bradbury, very rarely getting free and being afforded the kind of attention his goalscoring record required, with the visitors' defence solid and switched on.

The hosts came closest from shots outside the box, first through wing-back Harry Forster's left-footed shot cutting in from the right which Sam Johnson tipped behind, and then fellow wing-back Luke Coulson's excellent strike, which Johnson also kept out well.

Halifax's opening half was summed up when they penned Bromley back with some assured, patient, probing possession high up the pitch a few minutes before the break, but frustratingly could produce nothing better than a weak shot by Allen, who would soon go off injured, that was easily cleared.

Allen's replacement Jordan Slew probably should have done better five minutes after half-time when he fired over from an angle inside the box after good hold-up play by Waters.

Cheek got a half-chance when his shot was deflected behind, but the fluid, flowing football of the first-half had been replaced by a more constricted, restricted contest after the interval in which an opening goal looked less likely.

Both teams were more untidy on the ball, with the levels of quality in the match having decreased starkly.

Kieran Green's header from Warburton's free kick was straight at Mark Cousins, one of very few efforts at goal.

Even Cheek couldn't find the target when Bromley were awarded a penalty with 20 minutes to go for a handball as Town blocked a Bromley shot.

Halifax will argue justice was done given their vehement protests, as Cheek struck the outside of the post.

Striker George Alexander encapsulated the second-half ten minutes from the end when he got free to the left of the Town box but completely missed his kick.

Bromley: Cousins, Bush, Sowunmi, Webster, Forster (Mnoga 87), Bingham, Arthurs (Alabi 63), Sablier (Trotter 46), Coulson, Alexander, Cheek. Subs not used: Cawley, Skeffington.

Shots on target: 2

Shots off target: 11

Corners: 6

Halifax: Johnson, Warren, Maher, Bradbury, Senior, Spence, Green, Allen (Slew 45), Warburton (Gilmour 86), Vale (Newby 66), Waters. Subs not used: Swaby-Neavin, Debrah.

Shots on target: 3

Shots off target: 10

Corners: 6

Referee: Matthew Russell

Attendance: 2,005 (121 away)

Town man of the match: Tom Bradbury. Has perhaps gone under the radar in the last few weeks but was part of a very good defensive display by Town - very little to choose between all the back four - but he did his work well, excellent in the air and largely kept dangerman Cheek very quiet.