FC Halifax Town 0-1 Boreham Wood: Shaymen suffer back-to-back defeats for first time this season

Josh Rees' first-half goal sealed a huge three points for the visitors, which never looked under serious threat against a badly out of sorts Halifax.

Not for the first time this week, thanks to Samuel L Jackson, the cameras were in town, but The Shaymen didn't deliver a blockbuster performance.

Pete Wild's side are capable of so much better but just didn't show it in a drab display.

Standards have been sky-high at The Shay this season, and Town fell well short of them here.

New signing Aaron Martin went straight into the starting 11 for Town in a 3-5-2, replacing Jamie Allen, with fellow new boy Jamie Thomas among the substitutes.

Town saw plenty of the ball, but not enough in areas to hurt Boreham Wood, whose defence was often pushed back but rarely stretched.

Rees' shot was cleared off the line early on for the visitors, shortly after Frankie Raymond's effort from range had been easily saved, but The Shaymen became increasingly dominant as the first-half went on.

After Matty Warburton had a shot blocked and then another soar over the bar, a former Town number ten was acknowledged when play stopped for a period of applause in memory of Jordan Sinnott, two years after his death.

Aaron Martin had been as good as anyone for the home side, coming deep for the ball, holding it up well and offering runs in behind.

Martin Woods went close with a low drive that fizzed just wide after Warburton's shot was blocked; there was sense that momentum was building.

But against the run of play, Jacob Mendy's left-wing cross was turned in by Rees from around 10 yards out.

Town had conceded at home for the first time in more than five hours, and any momentum was popped like a balloon.

The Shaymen then limped towards half-time, with Mendy firing just wide amid a spell of sloppiness from a more subdued looking home side.

A section of the home fans had grown impatient prior to half-time at a lack of urgency and progressive play.

Town certainly seemed to be missing the drive and dynamism of Kieran Green and Kian Spence in the midfield engine room.

Boreham Wood were well organised and stayed in shape, but there wasn't the usual spark or sparkle about the hosts' play.

Warburton's free kick brought a first save of the night from Taye Ashby-Hammond in first-half added time, but Town looked like they could do with the interval and a chance to regroup.

But Halifax continued to look disjointed and lacking their usual vibrancy, against a Boreham Wood team happy to sit back and disrupt the flow of the game as much as possible.

Town were going long more often than usual, but getting nowhere, with frustrations growing at their lack of progress going forward.

The fans in the South Stand kept singing, despite being given little to sing about; even when Town won a corner, it was taken short and the cross was blocked, which kind of summed it up.

The second-half went on without even a shot or a spell of sustained pressure. BT Sport should have shown a disclaimer at the bottom of the screen declaring that this was not the football that had propelled Halifax into the promotion race.

Town huffed and puffed but an equaliser never really looked on the cards.

Halifax: Johnson, Benn (Allen 75), Debrah, Maher (Warren 46), Bradbury, Senior, Woods, Gilmour (Summerfield 63), Waters, Warburton, Martin. Subs not used: Thomas, McDonagh.

Shots on target: 1

Shots off target: 8

Corners: 3

Boreham Wood: Ashby Hammond, Smith, Evans, Stephens, Fyfield (Reckord 31), Mendy, Rees, Raymond, Comley, Boden (Orsi 80), Marsh (Clifton 90). Subs not used: Roach, Lewis.

Scorer: Rees (38)

Shots on target: 3

Shots off target: 4

Corners: 1

Attendance: 2,256

Referee: Thomas Parsons

Town man of the match: No Town player played to their capabilities. Aaron Martin had a decent debut though, showing glimpses that he could be a good signing.