FC Halifax Town: Injured trio back in contention for trip to Boreham Wood, says Wild

Defenders Jack Senior and Niall Maher and midfielder Reuben Noble-Lazarus are all set to be in contention for the game.

Wild said Senior was now back at full fitness and has resumed full training, Maher will rejoin training today and Noble-Lazarus will also rejoin training by the end of the week.

But the Town boss said striker Jake Hyde was due to have an injection in his back yesterday and was expected to return to full training on Monday with a view to being available for next Saturday’s game at his former club Woking.

“That gives me some interesting problems,” Wild said of those returning to the squad.

“I’ve got to make the right decisions, which is now something to dwell on.”

Wild says he is pleased with his side’s start to the season, which has seen them beat Dagenham and Redbridge 2-0 and then lose 2-1 at Stockport County on Tuesday despite a battling display.

“I think we’ve got to be massively encouraged by where we’re at,” he said.

“We’re not going to dwell on (Tuesday night’s result) now, we’ve got a points tally for the month and we endeavour to try and get that.

“There’s a longer game to this. We’ve now been to Edgeley Park, other teams still have to go there and I’m sure they’ll take points off other teams.”

Town lost in last season’s play-offs at Boreham Wood in July and, like Stockport and Tuesday’s opponents Yeovil, are fancied to do well again this campaign.

But Wild says there is no reason for his side to fear anyone.

“There’s no fear factor with any of the teams we go to,” he said.

“We’ve got a group of men together now that can deal with any challenge that’s put in-front of them.

“I’m more than happy with where we are, I’m more than happy with the recruitment of the team.

“If I’m a fan sat at home on Tuesday night I’m gutted going to bed that we lost but I’m over the moon with the strides that the club’s taken and the team’s taken.

“If we play like we played on Saturday and Tuesday, we’ll win more than we lose.”

On Saturday’s opponents, Wild said: “They’re going to be aggressive, athletic, in your face, technically and tactically excellent.

“Luke (Garrard) is an excellent manager and he proved that again last season with how he shaped his team up.

“They’ve recruited well again and I expect a technical, tactical, athletic battle on Saturday come three o’clock.”

Midfielder Luke Summerfield has been one of Town’s stand-out performers so far this season, scoring their first goal against Dagenham and hitting the bar against Stockport in two eye-catching displays.

“Luke’s an excellent player,” said Wild. “One thing I think I do OK is I can see a player, and every time I’ve seen Luke play, when I was at Oldham and last year for Wrexham, I thought he was an excellent player.

“I think Luke should be playing the Football League personally, what a player he is and what a career he’s had so far.

“I’m really happy to have him amongst all my midfielders.

“I think we’ve got a bit of everything with our midfielders.

“I don’t think you can leave Jack Earing out in that either, I think you’ve seen a boy rise to a man in the last two games.

“Long may that continue because what a top player that young lad is.”

Wild didn’t rule out the possibility of extending the contracts of attackers Gevaro Nepomuceno and Gold Omotayo, who have featured in both Town’s first two games.

“They’re short-term deals at the moment, but depending on how they do, will depend on how long they’re extended for,” he said.

The Town boss is also to decide on the future of former Middlesbrough and Scarborough midfielder Kian Spence.

“He’s been on trial for the last couple of weeks with us,” said Wild.

“We need to make a decision on him, he’s done well while he’s been with us, we’ll see where that takes us.”

Follow all the action from Boreham WOod v FC Halifax Town on Saturday afternoon on our live blog at www.halifaxcourier.co.uk, where there will also be an on-the-whistle match report and post-match reaction from Pete Wild.

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