FC Halifax Town: "The feel-good factor's back around the place and if you want a piece of it, get yourself down," says Shaymen boss Wild

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Town manager Pete Wild wants to see more fans at The Shay on Saturday to cheer his side onto what would be their fifth straight win against Torquay United.

Halifax moved up to third in the National League on Tuesday thanks to a 1-0 win over Bromley.

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But the game was watched by just 1,693 supporters, despite the club reducing admission prices to £15 and making an offer for season ticket holders of other clubs to attend for £10.

"I'd like to see more people through the door," said Wild.

Pete Wild. Photo: Marcus BranstonPete Wild. Photo: Marcus Branston
Pete Wild. Photo: Marcus Branston

"People have probably different priorities at the moment with the price of everything going up, I appreciate that, I get that.

"But the feel-good factor's back around the place and if you want a piece of it, get yourself down."

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Wild says confidence is high in the squad thanks to their fine recent form.

"They are but I'm trying to keep a box on it, keep a lid on it," he said.

"One thing I will say about the fans who were there on Tuesday was the atmosphere was class, that's how it needs to be every week, from minute one, it needs to be like that, because you saw what reaction the players give you when it's like that, and you saw how tough it was on Saturday when it was quiet.

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"So I think Tuesday night was proof that if you get behind the team and you drive the team forward, then you'll get a gig out of the boys, especially on Saturday when they'll have had three games in a week."

Wild is liking what he sees from his team at the moment after wins over Barnet, Weymouth, Dover and Bromley.

"I feel like we're looking professional in our approach, on the training ground and on the pitch," he said.

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"We're finding ways to win, whether that's being us, whether that's defending resolutely, whether that's grinding out results when you go behind, we're finding ways to win, and I think that's an excellent trait, especially at this time of the season."

Wild added: "It's the wins we're putting together that help, especially at home, but I also think it's the 14 clean sheets.

"I said to the players in the dressing room on Tuesday we're doing well because we've kept 14 clean sheets this year, and we're managing football matches a lot better than we did in previous years.

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"That's what pleases me more than anything, and we've just got to keep going.

"Nothing's won yet, nothing's in the bank yet, we've just got to keep going and putting points on the board.

"We'll just take every game as it comes, we'll devise a plan for Torquay and we'll be ready come 3 o'clock on Saturday."

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Torquay are 11th in the table, eight points off the play-offs, and have lost only once in their last 11 games.

"They've got some excellent players, it'll be a really good football match on Saturday," Wild said.

"Gary (Johnson) puts excellent teams together, I'm expecting a proper football match on Saturday, one that we're going to need legs and energy to combat."

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When asked if he felt his side would have the legs and energy needed at the end of a busy week, Wild said: "We'll be ready, so let's see."

On loan striker Aaron Martin, who has missed the last three games, Wild said: "Aaron's back, building up his running. He's not feeling 100 per cent at the moment, struggling to get out of first gear.

"So we're protecting him health-wise, the doctor's asked us to build his running back up and see if we can steadily build him back up to where he needs to be."

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Wild said midfielder Kieran Green is making good progress on his recovery from injury.

"Kieran was out running on Tuesday night, he's going to join in the opposed stuff on Thursday and Friday, and then hopefully he'll have another full week's training next week and we'll see where he is at the end of next week," said Wild.

And on forward Jamie Allen, who limped off on Tuesday night, Wild said: "Jamie got a knock behind the knee, we don't think it's serious but with knees and quick players, we don't want to be risking anything.

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"So we'll assess him Thursday morning and see where we're up to."

A group of Torquay fans called the Yorkshire Gulls will lead a minute’s applause in the 40th minute of the game on Saturday.

The tribute is being organised in memory of Andrew Holland, who died suddenly in April 2020 aged 40.

Mr Holland was known as WestYorkshireGull online, hence the choice of Halifax as the away game best suited for the tribute.

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