FC Halifax Town 1-0 Barnet: Captain Maher's goal helps Shaymen to home win

Captain Niall Maher's first-half goal proved decisive as FC Halifax Town won a poor game 1-0 at home to Barnet.
Halifax v BarnetHalifax v Barnet
Halifax v Barnet

The Shaymen weren't at their best, far from it, but they did what they had to do, ground it out, saw it through and just about edged it.

The state of the pitch doesn't exactly bode well for the rest of the season if it can't be improved, with the Shay surface playing a significant part in the contest. It, like the match, wasn't pretty.

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Tyrell Warren replaced the suspended Jack Senior in Town's only change as The Shaymen reverted to 4-2-3-1.

Town dominated from the off, rarely troubled at the back, but neither really were Barnet in a fairly stodgy opening, on what was definitely a stodgy surface.

Halifax were trying to make things happen, with Jesse Debrah breaking upfield, good movement from Kian Spence and Billy Waters, while Jamie Allen saw plenty of the ball down the right.

But it was just wasn't quite flowing as has become standard this season, with the final pass or approach play falling short.

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The bobbly, sticky condition of the pitch meant this wasn't the game for a lightness of touch or one-twos, but as well as being hampered by the surface, Town weren't helping themselves by missing some of the basics, with passes going astray in the opposition half and just not enough quality on the ball.

Halifax were going longer more often than usual, the unreliable surface surely being a factor, but struggling to build prolonged pressure.

Time and again Allen was the best attacking outlet down the right, but too often he couldn't produce the cross or cut-back required.

After 40 minutes of being second best, the hosts squandered a huge chance to go in-front when Ephron Mason-Clark escaped the attention of Maher and burst through one on one with Sam Johnson, but could only shoot tamely at the Town keeper.

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That miss looked even worse when a corner was punched by Barnet keeper Aston Oxborough as far as Maher around 15 yards out and he kept his cool to finish low through a host of bodies.

There was nearly a second when a Town shot was blocked by Harry Taylor before Allen's cross whistled through the box.

The Shaymen had got better during the opening 45, to the point where they probably didn't want the half-time whistle, in stark contrast to Tuesday night.

Barnet showed they had some spirit and resolve by shading the start to the second-half, with a Ross Marshall volley arcing just over when a free kick, one of several inside the Town half for the visitors, was flicked onto him in the box.

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The free kicks, stoppages and fouls just kept coming, with referee Garreth Rhodes struggling to control a contest that was rising in ill-feeling and antagonism.

All of which captured the attention in the absence of goalmouth action, with the quality of the game deteriorating amid a never ending spiral of fouls and free kicks.

Waters, who'd had one of his quieter games on the left, almost immediately saw a shot flash narrowly wide having moved up top after Spence cleverly let the ball run onto him.

The game was delicately poised, with Marshall bringing a full-stretch save from Johnson as Town tension rose.

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A second goal didn't look imminent from The Shaymen, which only served to heighten the home fans' nerves as Barnet wrestled for superiority.

But Town did enough to secure a much-needed win.

Halifax: Johnson, Maher, Debrah, Bradbury, Allen (Thomas 88), Summerfield, Woods, Spence, Warren, Martin (Slew 63), Waters (McDonagh 78). Subs not used: Warburton, Gilmour.

Scorer: Maher (41)

Shots on target: 3

Shots off target: 5

Corners: 2

Barnet: Oxborough, Howe, Taylor, Greenidge, Beard, Hall (De Havilland 77), Marshall, Fonguck (Marriott 65), Mason-Clark, Powell (Walsh 82), Grego-Cox. Subs not used: Askew, Woods.

Shots on target: 2

Shots off target: 7

Corners: 8

Attendance: 1,799 (77 away)

Referee: Garreth Rhodes

Town man of the match: Jesse Debrah. Excellent in midweek and again today. A commanding, confident display alongside the also impressive match-winner Maher.

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