FC Halifax Town: “Everything’s started to click” says Wild as Town boss urges his side to maintain good form

Town boss Pete Wild has called on his side to back up their superb form in December by going on another good run in January.
FC Halifax Town players celebrate a goal against Altrincham on Monday. Photo: Marcus BranstonFC Halifax Town players celebrate a goal against Altrincham on Monday. Photo: Marcus Branston
FC Halifax Town players celebrate a goal against Altrincham on Monday. Photo: Marcus Branston

The Shaymen won six games out of eight in the final month of 2020 to end the year in the National League play-off places.

But Wild wants his team to maintain that form heading into the New Year, starting with their home game against Hartlepool on Saturday.

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“I think we’ve just clicked, everything’s starting to click,” Wild said.

“But it can’t be a flash in the pan month, we’ve got to have some consistency about us.

“We’ve now got to get on a run again. We’ve got four home games out of six in January and we need to start backing it up now.”

Wild isn’t getting too carried away by Town’s league position though.

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“I don’t think you can read too much into it because everybody’s at different stages of how many games they’ve played,” he said.

“But I’d rather have the points on the board.

“The last time I looked at the table we had seven points and we were fourth-bottom, so six wins out of eight this month deserves a lot of credit from the lads.”

On Saturday’s opponents Hartlepool, who Town face for the third consecutive Saturday, Wild said: “Reflecting on the game (which Town lost 3-1 at Hartlepool on Boxing Day) I’m smarting about it. I thought we should have come away with at least something, at least a point.

“I thought we deserved more so I’m smarting, I hope the players are smarting, because I’m desperate to put it right on Saturday.”

Hartlepool go into the match in second place in the table.

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“I think there’s a lot of teams in and around the top half of the table that are much of a muchness and come the shake up, there’ll be a lot of teams around that top half of the table and it could be any one of seven that makes it,” said Wild.

The Town boss is set to meet with chairman David Bosomworth to discuss his squad, with the futures of loanees Nyal Bell and Billy Chadwick, as well as the short-term deals for Gevaro Nepomuceno and Neil Danns, set to be on the agenda.

Wild says Danns’ deal expires on January 15, with the loans of Bell and Chadwick running out after the FA Trophy tie against Southport a day later, while Nepomuceno continues at the club on a month-to-month contract.

“I’ve hopefully got a meeting with the chairman this week or the start of next week so we can sit down and start to talk about January and what we want to do,” Wild said.

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“I know who I want, I know exactly who I want, but it’s now down to the chairman giving me the nod and the player wanting to come, which is always the fun bit.”

Bell is available on Saturday after his one-game suspension, but Jamie Allen is a doubt due to his knee injury.

“It’s 50-50 for Saturday, but we’re hoping to have him back,” Wild said of Allen.

“It’s the knee injury he had before that was aggravated against Eastleigh, which is why we brought him off at half-time.

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“We’ve just got to make sure he’s fully fit before we bring him back, it’s a long season and I’d rather be overcautious and get it right than be an in-out sort of job, which doesn’t do anybody any good.”

On injured duo Jake Hyde and Nathan Clarke, Wild said: “Hyde was two weeks post-injury on Tuesday so we should be a maximum of four weeks with him.

“Clarkey’s now back doing a little bit of bike work but he won’t be (available) until the end of January.”

When asked whether there might be changes to his team due to any fatigue, Wild said: “We’ll see. They’ve had two days off, they had a home gym programme to do on Wednesday, and then they’re back with me on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.”

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Wild says the return of midfielder Reuben Noble-Lazarus will be like having a new signing, as he nears getting back to fitness.

“He’s getting closer and closer, and hopefully we’ll have him back amongst it properly in the next couple of weeks,” said the Town boss.

“He’s got so much quality to offer the squad and we’re hoping we can utilise that sooner rather than later.”