FC Halifax Town: Southwell ready to roll after getting back among the goals

Gateshead beware: Dayle Southwell is back among the goals.
Actions from FC Halifax Town v  Barrow, at the MBI Shay Stadium. Dayle SouthwellActions from FC Halifax Town v  Barrow, at the MBI Shay Stadium. Dayle Southwell
Actions from FC Halifax Town v Barrow, at the MBI Shay Stadium. Dayle Southwell

The Town striker netted Halifax’s dramatic late winner in their 2-1 victory at Harrogate on Boxing Day, and now has two goals in his last three games having scored in the 1-1 draw against Boreham Wood at The Shay on December 18.

That goal ended a barren run for the front-man, who had only netted once in 17 matches before then when he scored in the 2-0 home win against Warrington in the FA Cup on October 23.

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“I went through a stage where I wasn’t getting as many goals or as many chances as I’d have liked,” said Southwell, who netted four goals in his first 10 games for The Shaymen.

“But now I’m back up-front for the past seven or eight games, and I’m finding my feet again, getting more chances and getting more confident in-front of goal.

“It was very frustrating. You’ve just got to keep believing in yourself, keep knowing that if the chances come, you’ll find the back of the net.

“There were times where I would have a chance in a game and somehow it wouldn’t go in and you’d think ‘is it ever going to go in?’

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“But once that first one comes, you get more confidence and hopefully I’ll go on a roll now.

“Once one comes, you hope it’s going to keep on coming, so I look forward to Gateshead on Saturday now and hopefully I can get another one.”

The forward’s winner at Harrogate was all the sweeter considering he missed a glorious chance to put Halifax in-front in the first-half.

“It’s hard because you don’t get many chances in a game. I thought I did everything right but the keeper made a brilliant save with his feet,” said Southwell on his missed opportunity.

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“I wasn’t sure if there’d be another chance coming in the game, so I was really delighted that another one came along and that was probably harder than the first one.”

Southwell believes the win at Harrogate will ensure Halifax go to Gateshead on Saturday in good spirits.

“We had some words at half-time (at Harrogate), a few things that needed to be said and put into place,” Southwell said.

“We had a chance in the first-half with me, and the keeper made a great save.

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“But we knew second-half we had to come out fighting and that’s exactly what we did.

“Clarkey got us back into the game and luckily we had the chance at the end and I put it away.

“We hadn’t won away from home a lot this season, only once in the league, so it’s a big confidence boost for everyone.

“We need to believe we can win games away from home, and games in general.

“I think that’s the first one we’ve won in and around the 90th minute too.”