FC Halifax Town: Defeat in friendly

FC Halifax Town boss Jamie Fullarton will be hopoing for a big improvement when his side play their second pre-season friendly of the summer at Brighouse Town on Tuesday evening.
The Shay Stadium.The Shay Stadium.
The Shay Stadium.

The Shaymen suffered a disappointing 2-1 loss to home to National League North side Stockport County yesterday, a late goal from Niall Maher failing to cancel out first half efforts from the visitors’ Paul Turnbull and Frank Mulhern.

Town fielded a number of trialists and new signings Mekhi McLeod, Jordan Preston and Shaun Rowley for a game which started at noon.

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Fullarton’s side started brightly enough with McLeod giving County left back Scott Duxbury a torrid time and creating chance, Matty Kosylo missing the best of them.

County took the lead on 29 minutes when captain Paul Turnbull picked up a clearance from a corner and struck the ball firmly past keeper Shaun Rowley.

Town were unable to cash in on several free-kicks in Stockport territory and County doubled their lead six minutes before half time through Mulhern.

Fullarton made nine changes at the break with Sam Johnson and two more newcomers, Sanmi Odelusi and Josh Staunton, among those entering the fray.

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However, there was little improvement in a stop-start second half until the closing stages when Town’s front three of Odelusi, Tomlinson and Southwell started to link better.

Maher headed a consolation goal from close range in the closing seconds but overall there was little to excite Town fans in the crowd of 403.

FC Halifax Town: Shaun Rowley, Trialist, Matty Brown, Trialist, Niall Maher, Trialist, Trialist, Mekhi McLeod, Matty Kosylo, Trialist, Jordan Preston. Subs: Sam Johnson, Jacob Hanson, Trialist, Trialist, Ryan Sellers, Josh Staunton, Sanmi Odelusi, Ben Tomlinson, Cameron King, Dayle Southwell.