FC Halifax Town season review 2019-20: A Wild ride in Pete’s first campaign at The Shay

Defeat at Boreham Wood in the National League play-offs shouldn’t dilute the achievement of Town’s top seven finish, but instead, reinforce what a job Pete Wild did in getting them there.

In case you need reminding, The Shaymen were without a manager and pulling out of friendlies due to a shortage of players before Wild’s appointment.

After a start to the summer that was deafening in its silence, pre-season arrived with a threadbare squad that contained only four new faces - Jack Earing, Will Appleyard, Jamie Allen and Tobi Sho-Silva - for the first friendly at Farsley.

The previous game at Frickley had been cancelled due to lack of players, and two days after the 1-0 win at Farsley, Jamie Fullarton had gone.

Turned out the silence hadn’t been so bad after all.

Nathan Clarke and Steve Nichol took over temporarily, finding themselves in the surreal surroundings of Doncaster Rovers’ training ground with a far from fully-formed squad for a behind-closed-doors game. Not for the last time this season.

But Town battled to a 1-1 draw, and after a further run-out at Darlington, Pete Wild was handed the reins less than two weeks before the start of the campaign.

On the same day, Boris Johnson became Prime Minister, with one blonde bombshell taking up a huge challenge in a tough role at a critical time. And the other becoming Prime Minister.

Ironically, Wild’s first game was Town’s last pre-season friendly at his former club Oldham - and if a 1-0 win can ever be convincing, this was it.

What would become the customary pre-match huddle was first witnessed at Boundary Park and was an important symbol of unity before a stylish display, as Town played with freedom and finesse.

Suddenly, the mood was transformed. Signings were made, positivity radiated from the changing room and the club was galvanized.

Not so much a breath of fresh air as a blast.

Wild made an astonishing start in the circumstances, winning his first three and then, after a draw and a defeat, his next four.

Nathan Clarke’s jaw-dropping goal from inside his own half in the 4-1 opening day win at Ebbsfleet topped a tremendous victory, while supposed big-hitters Fylde and Solihull were beaten at The Shay.

The style of football was swashbuckling, fearless and free-flowing. Town’s watertight defence of the previous season was perhaps more porous as a result, but the shackles had been thrillingly taken off.

Town’s 3-2 win at Chesterfield at the start of September was the season’s high point, a delightful display of confident, attacking football which unfortunately proved impossible to maintain.

Three wins and three defeats after that victory prolonged their impressive start into October, but suggested the end of the beginning was setting in.

A maddeningly frustrating goalless home draw with Chorley was an attack versus defence training exercise extended to 90 minutes, before Harrogate disappointingly ended Halifax’s FA Cup involvement at the first hurdle.

Bromley then hit five without reply - inflicting Halifax’s heaviest defeat since the 7-0 thrashing at Grimsby in 2015 - against a Town team that was completely unrecognisable from the one that had played with such effervescence earlier in the campaign.

A testing October ended with a hard-fought win at Sutton thanks to Michael Duckworth’s winner, but November was winless as another bleak mid-winter threatened to set in.

That pinch of salt with which most Town fans will have taken their terrific start to the season was now leaving a bitter taste.

By December 2018 and 2017, strong starts had long since faded and cold, hard reality had set in. And history appeared to be repeating itself.

Town were back to their best at Harrogate on a Tuesday night at the back end of November, leading twice but denied a win by two own goals, the second coming in added time.

Wild was the centre of Halifax fans’ attention having been mysteriously installed as favourite for the Grimsby Town job earlier in the day.

Wild insisted there was nothing in the story, and the speculation proved unfounded.

The long trip to Yeovil at the start of December ended in another 2-0 defeat to The Glovers but Town again roused themselves with a 4-0 win over Wrexham in the FA Trophy.

But after Notts County inflicted the second 4-2 home defeat in as many months, the increasingly unstable wheels fell off spectacularly on Boxing Day.

Town were battered 5-1 at Stockport County in a woeful display, making it just two wins in 13 games.

The self-belief and assurance that coursed through the side three months previously had now drained out of them.

This was a huge test of Wild’s credentials. He had picked the team up once from the floor upon his arrival, and now he had to do it again.

The work began with a 1-0 win at home to Chesterfield thanks to a penalty from Jack Redshaw, who was proving a shrewd addition to the squad since signing at the start of November.

A goalless draw at home to Stockport and a 1-1 draw at Barnet helped the healing process further before The Shaymen found their feet again.

Torquay were knocked out of the FA Trophy before Maidenhead, Chorley, Dover and Bromley were all beaten.

Their 1-0 win at Chorley was overshadowed by the death of former Town midfielder Jordan Sinnott, and the following Tuesday was an emotionally-charged evening when Dover were defeated 4-2.

There was another stumble as Halesowen dumped Town out of the FA Trophy and the league return to Torquay ended in defeat.

Halifax moved back up to third through substance rather than style as Sutton were beaten 1-0 at The Shay thanks to a penalty from Devante Rodney, who had rejoined the club on loan from Salford, swapping places at Stockport with Town’s Liam McAlinden, who had been another astute signing, scoring 10 goals in the first-half of the campaign.

But Woking and Ebbsfleet both won at The Shay with Town badly out-of-sorts again, the latter being the only televised game in Britain that weekend due to the coronavirus pandemic wiping out the league programme.

It was an awful farewell to the season, with Halifax depressingly low on confidence, inspiration and ideas.

Whether Town would have qualified for the play-offs had the season continued is an interesting question, and there was plenty of time to consider an answer as the weeks dragged on without a decision over a conclusion to the campaign.

For 45 minutes at Boreham Wood, they appeared to seize their chance with both hands, as Tobi Sho-Silva put them 1-0 up.

But an improved second-half from the hosts against a fading Town side saw Wild’s men unable to prevent a turnaround.

There were brutal bumps in the road this season, but surely they can be forgiven for the adventure and attacking intent which imbued so much of the team’s play.

Town roused themselves one last time at Boreham Wood, but just fell short.

Wild and his assistant Chris Millington wrung every last drop he could from his squad, and can now begin to build their own group of players for next season.

It is vital that the momentum, the feel-good factor and the spirit that have been generated this campaign now help drive the club forward.

Player of the Season

Michael Duckworth has shown admirable resilience and strength of character to recover from injury during his Town career and produced another season of consistently superb performances.

Disciplined and reliable in defence, Duckworth’s scurries up the right-flank provide an added dimension to Town’s attacks, offering width and dangerous crosses.

Duckworth also chipped in with three goals this season, and still impressed when shifted over to the left.


High Point of the Season

Town’s marvellous 3-2 win at Chesterfield on a Tuesday night at the start of September, which put them top of the National League.

Cameron King, Jamie Allen and Nathan Clarke put The Shaymen 3-0 up at Chesterfield, with Town playing vibrant, free-flowing, attacking football.

The hosts made a game of it after that, but anything other than a Halifax win would have been a travesty on the night in-front of 481 deliriously happy travelling Town fans.

Low Point of the Season

The 5-1 capitulation at Stockport on Boxing Day.

Halifax were crushed, their spirit and swagger from earlier in the season was replaced by a disjointed, dysfunctional mess.

The Shaymen quickly recovered, winning their next game against Chesterfield, but for any Town fans nursing a Christmas Day hangover at Edgeley Park, it was a sobering experience.


Signing of the Season

Liam McAlinden’s 10 goals over the first half of the season earned Town 10 points, and he proved the match-winner on four occasions.

The former Wolves and Cheltenham striker was a terrific bit of business from Pete Wild, arriving at The Shay out of form and in need of games.

Town were in need of a goalscoring striker, and found one.