FC Halifax Town 2-0 Chesterfield: Slew and Warburton seal crucial win for Shaymen

FC Halifax Town extended the gap to fourth place to five points with a 2-0 win over Chesterfield at The Shay.
Halifax v ChesterfieldHalifax v Chesterfield
Halifax v Chesterfield

Second-half goals from Jordan Slew and Matty Warburton, combined with Solihull's defeat at Stockport, means Town now have a five-point cushion to fourth place in the National League with five games remaining.

Hands up who predicted that at the start of the season?

This was much more like it from Town, who finally won a game live on BT Sport, and showed a national TV audience why they are in the thick of the race for promotion.

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And that magnificent home record continues - 16 wins from 20 league games at The Shay, 10 conceded and seven wins in their last eight at home.

All of which is why a second or third placed finish, and a home semi-final, is so important. And Pete Wild's men are now in prime position for that.

Town started brightly, looking like their old selves, popping the ball about at pace, with one-twos, step-overs, imagination and variation, which mainly came from Luke Summerfield, one of three to come into the starting 11, as well as Tom Bradbury and Slew, all of whom would justify their selection.

Chesterfield's first point of attack was usually to use the height of former Town man Tom Denton, but to varying effect.

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The striker was his usual effective presence defending set-pieces, but was kept fairly quiet in open play.

Wing-backs Alex Whittle and former Shayman Jeff King were pushing high up the flanks, but the visitors couldn't get a grip on the contest.

There was more creativity and energy about The Shaymen, with Warburton having a couple of efforts from the edge of the box, one blocked and the other wide.

A lovely move by Chesterfield on the half hour mark ended in Denton heading in from Liam Mandeville's cross, but it was chalked off for a foul.

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Town were having to work hard to create openings, but were at least offering the impression they would.

All the work was done for them when a sloppy back header went straight to Billy Waters, but Harvey Gilmour then badly scuffed his shot wide when well placed.

Only a tremendous block by Chesterfield skipper Gavin Gunning then prevented Town taking the lead from a corner, moments before Jesse Debrah's shot was tipped behind by Scott Loach.

Jim Kellerman then produced Chesterfield's first shot five minutes before the break, but that was soon followed by their second, with a terrific turn and strike by Mandeville that Sam Johnson did well to tip behind.

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The second-half didn't have the same zip or flow to it, and was more stodgy and stop-start.

Warburton fired across goal from Slew's lay-off before referee Thomas Kirk made a big call by waving play on when Chesterfield were baying for a foul by Niall Maher on Akwasi Asante as he bore down on goal.

Chesterfield were defending well, keeping their shape, and growing in confidence as an attacking force, with substitute Joe Quigley blazing over after bursting into the box, and then Asante twice fired blisteringly but straight at Johnson.

Chesterfield had more bite and aggression about them now, and were threatening more regularly than Town.

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There were ironic cheers when King crossed waywardly and shot off target, but the momentum was with the visitors.

So it was against the run of play when Waters' cross was cleverly stepped over by substitute Kian Spence, leaving Slew to ram home a low shot at the far post.

Mandeville nearly equalised moments later after a sloppy clearance by Summerfield, only for Johnson to keep him out.

And then Warburton's left-footed shot from the edge of the box was deflected in to give The Shaymen some much-needed breathing space and round off a breathless few minutes, after which it was game over.

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Halifax: Johnson, Warren, Debrah, Maher, Bradbury, Green, Summerfield, Waters (Dearnley 89), Warburton (Senior 85), Gilmour (Spence 73), Slew. Subs not used: McDonagh, Thomas.

Scorers: Slew (76), Warburton (80)

Shots on target: 4

Shots off target: 7

Corners: 6

Chesterfield: Loach, King, Williams, Gunning (Miller 46), Grimes, Whittle, Weston, Kellerman (McCourt 73), Mandeville, Asante, Denton (Quigley 59). Subs not used: Oyeleke, Whelan.

Shots on target: 5

Shots off target: 5

Corners: 5

Referee: Thomas Kirk

Attendance: 3,294 (1,074 away)

Town man of the match: Sam Johnson made some crucial saves and did what else he had to do very well.