FC Halifax Town 2022-23 season review

The idea of FC Halifax Town's name being emblazoned across the national stadium for only the second time in their history? Unfathomable

After Aldershot away, Woking away, Scunthorpe at home? Inexplicable.

But by the end of a mad campaign in which first-team regulars disappeared, signings backfired and the team languished bottom the table after 11 matches, regaining the FA Trophy was a fitting reward for the resolve and resilience shown by Chris Millington, his staff and his squad.

Former assistant manager Millington's first term in charge felt like four seasons in one, with summer, autumn, winter and spring all bringing with them a change of direction and mood.

After Pete moved on to Barrow, the only wild thing about Halifax this season was their fluctuations of form.

But The Shaymen eventually emerged from some dark, depressing days as a team with plenty of promise and hopes of better things to come.

That was also the mood last summer as Town kicked-off with a new-look team, a new manager but hopes of the same outcome: challenging for promotion.

Within seven weeks, a horrendous start would see that sunny optimism replaced by dark clouds of gloom.

After a dismal opening-day defeat at Barnet, a much better performance got no reward in a home loss to Torquay before a goalless draw with Southend.

Town then lost 1-0 at Wealdstone before Notts County's class eventually told in a 4-1 win at The Shay.

Four defeats in five, but at least Harvey Gilmour had registered the first goal of the season after more than seven hours of waiting.

Halifax's first win came at Scunthorpe on August Bank Holiday Monday, and they went to earn seven points from nine with a draw at Maidenhead and a home win against Gateshead.

But as summer turned to autumn, the green shoots of recovery were torn from their roots as The Shaymen were thrashed 5-1, live on BT Sport, at Aldershot.

They then lost 1-0 at Eastleigh before a 4-0 drubbing by Woking at The Shay.

It was only the start of October but Halifax were bottom of the league, having lost seven out of 11, and their season was threatening to implode.

If you'd said then that they'd win nine of their next 14 matches, you'd have probably been laughed at until Christmas.

But that's what happened, starting with a rousing 1-0 home win against York as Town finally bared their teeth.

It should have been three league wins on the spin but a late goal denied them at Maidstone before beating Dagenham and Redbridge at home.

Mani Dieseruvwe, now in form after a slow start, put Town 1-0 up at the break at Wrexham before the champions-to-be fought back.

Town then beat Oldham in-front of another raucous atmosphere before the obligatory early exit from the FA Cup at Ebbsfleet at the start of November, having eased past St Ives the previous month.

That disappointment was put to bed with a hard-fought win at Solihull, a creditable draw at Bromley - with Jamie Cooke scoring in both - and a home win over Boreham Wood.

That good work was tempered with a frustrating loss at already relegation-threatened Yeovil, but again Town showed resolve to bounce back, winning three in a row against Chesterfield, Dorking and Guiseley.

They didn't know it at the time but the latter was the first stop on the road to Wembley, although only just as Town scraped past their spirited West Yorkshire neighbours.

They wouldn't win again until they played Harrow Borough in the next round more than a month later.

Town's autumn almanac had seen a meteoric rise from the foot of the table to the verge of the play-offs, but there would be no winter wonderland to come.

Another run of four defeats in five put a freeze on any promotion hopes, with just one point from six in the festive double-header with Altrincham - more on them later - before three consecutive defeats: disappointing against Torquay, dreadful against Scunthorpe and dour against Notts County.

It wasn't much better against Harrow, barring two fine finishes from Rob Harker, before Halifax, not for the last time, edged through on penalties.

The 1-0 win at Oldham at the start of February was their only victory, barring spot-kicks, in a run of 13 games during a barren winter.

Town played well but lost at home to Barnet before again only just progressing in the FA Trophy, on penalties, at Maidenhead after an awful match.

Another away lead was let slip in defeat at Southend, their fifth league loss in six.

Town looked to be shaking off the final icy chills of winter with encouraging draws against Boreham Wood and Solihull, but a lethargic, lousy display in the 1-0 home defeat to Maidenhead said otherwise.

The season was going nowhere fast.

Then suddenly, Wealdstone were hit with a bunch of five, and Town showed a glimpse of the team they could be.

Hope springs eternal.

Chances were missed and points were dropped in goalless draws at Dorking and Gateshead before a game of two halves in the FA Trophy quarter-final at Aldershot.

Milli Alli, not for the last time, scored a terrific goal amid a strong first-half from The Shaymen, who should have led by more.

But after surviving an Aldershot onslaught after the interval, Gilmour's late goal sealed their semi-final place, with no need for penalties.

A late goal saw Halifax held at home by Yeovil, which preceded The Shaymen's final defeat of the season - 2-0 at Chesterfield on March 25.

There was a morale-boosting home win against Aldershot before a season-defining FA Trophy semi-final at Altrincham.

A huge occasion, which Halifax completely failed to rise to.

Sam Johnson kept Town in the tie, literally single-handedly, and then Alli, now blossoming like a spring flower, forced penalties with a memorable shot-to-nothing from range in the last seconds.

Johnson, the sole survivor from Wembley in 2016, was the hero, saving two before Tyrese Sinclair hit the bar.

Alli delivered the stunning knock-out blows to Wrexham after that in a magnificent 3-1 win, before a 3-0 trouncing of York on Bank Holiday Monday.

Suddenly the garden was rosy, with youngsters Tylor Golden, Angelo Capello, Gilmour and Jamie Stott leading the way.

There were differing draws against Bromley and Dagenham and Redbridge after rock-bottom Maidstone had also been beaten 3-0.

A superb win at promotion-chasing Woking showed what might have been if Halifax had sprung into their stride earlier before Harker's last-gasp leveller ensured the regular season ended nine unbeaten against Eastleigh.

The impossible was then made possible as Town triumphed on the biggest stage there is.

Jamie Cooke's goal shortly before half-time typified his and the team's commitment and work ethic, and the defensive solidity and unity that had earned Sam Johnson the joint-most clean sheets in the National League helped them see out the final against Gateshead.

Redemption in-front of more than 7,000 Halifax fans at a sun-drenched Wembley, the dark clouds having long since vanished.

Player of the season

After not being alone in making a shaky start to the season, Tylor Golden has got better and better as the campaign has gone on. Establishing himself in the right wing-back role, Golden is one of the younger players in the squad who have shown admirable character, spirit and determination in turning Town's season around with performances full of tenacity, energy and positivity.

High point of the season

What else could it possibly be than that magnificent Wembley win over Gateshead. The game itself was average, the winner was hardly a goal-of-the-season contender, but the memories will be cherished, made all the sweeter for the sweat and toil exerted on the way there.