FC Halifax Town 2-1 Dover: Substitute Warburton wins it for Shaymen

Billy Waters had levelled for Town after Alfie Pavey put the visitors into an early lead.

It's been about finding a way to win recently for Town and that was certainly the case here, with Dover putting in an admirably spirited performance for a side marooned at the foot of the table.

The Shaymen huffed and puffed for a lot of the match, were dominant through most of it, but got better as it went on and in the end, raised their game and did enough for the win.

The pattern of the game was set straight from kick-off, with Town the dominant side and Dover sitting back in a 4-1-4-1 to stifle and soak up pressure.

Town had started alright, seeing Waters' low shot from a corner blocked and controlling the contest, but the Shay was stunned when Dover scored their first away goal in seven hours to take a shock lead.

Town made it far too easy for Dover to find a route into their penalty box with some Halifax-esque flowing football, before Pavey's low shot across goal from a tight angle found the net via a deflection.

Halifax now needed to be better than alright in response.

They still dominated, pinning Dover back inside their own half, but weren't creating chances. It was all too flat, in performance and atmosphere, with neither driving the other on.

Martin Woods had Town's first shot on target midway through the first-half after a nice one-two between former Dover man Jamie Allen and Waters, but Adam Parkes reacted well to the poke at goal.

In their rare excursions forward, Dover possessed the lightness of touch and movement that Town needed to show.

When The Shaymen did produce some urgency and intensity, they were able to break the lines and burst past players, but that was all too rare as the hosts struggled to break out of their lethargy.

There were a few groans of discontent among the home fans when passes went sideways or out of play altogether.

Chances took a long time in coming amid some stodgy football, clearly not helped by the bobbly, unreliable pitch which made constructive, progressing build-up play a challenge to say the least.

But mercifully, a good first touch inside the box by Waters bought him some space, and he turned and fired low to the left of the keeper from 15 yards to restore parity five minutes before the break.

Waters could have had a first-half hat-trick had he taken all his chances, the third when he again shot on the turn inside the box but this time his tame effort was straight at the keeper.

Dover had clearly taken confidence from the first-half, competing well after the interval, engaging Town inside their own half and remaining untroubled at the back.

The visitors went closest to scoring next with a shot from the edge of the box that was tipped behind by Sam Johnson, with Town still making hard work of imposing themselves on the contest.

The Shaymen were a pale imitation of their best selves, lacking their usual swagger and assuredness, looking inhibited and timid in what was now a pretty even contest, with Dover giving as good as they got.

The introduction of Warburton helped knit things together more, with his stinging shot cleared off the line, while Jack Senior had added some penetration down the left.

And from a left-wing cross, which was miscued by Spence's attempted effort, the ball fell perfectly for Warburton, who slammed it high into the net.

The result was far from decided, with Jake Goodman heading over when Sam Johnson punched the ball straight to him inside the box.

Waters could have put some daylight between the sides but his scooped his shot over from Allen's cut-back.

Allen should then have all-but sealed the win when keeper Parkes spilled the ball and it appeared the Town man just had to walk the ball in at an angle two yards out, but he inexplicably failed to find the net.

Waters fired across goal and wide before he and Warburton both had shots saved by Parkes, as Dover refused to be finished off.

Home debutant Zak Dearnley was next to fluff his lines, firing tamely wide when clean through.

Parkes then did well to tip Luke Summerfield's shot behind as The Shaymen finished the far superior side.

Halifax: Johnson, Warren, Debrah (Senior 46), Maher, Bradbury, Summerfield, Woods (Warburton 61), Spence, Allen, Waters, Slew (Dearnley 81). Subs not used: McDonagh, Thomas.

Scorers: Waters (40), Warburton (69)

Shots on target: 9

Shots off target: 8

Corners: 7

Dover: Parkes, Moses, Judd (Byford 77), Goodman, Collinge, Ransom, Wilkinson (Woods 71), Krasniqi (Baptiste 71), Gyasi, Parfitt-Williams, Pavey. Subs not used: Andre, Arthur.

Scorer: Pavey (10)

Shots on target: 3

Shots off target: 5

Corners: 2

Referee: Adam Herczeg

Attendance: 1,828

Town man of the match: Billy Waters. Led the line well, showed some good touches on the ball, took his goal well and should have had more.