FC Halifax Town: Let's keep the points coming, says skipper Brown

Town captain Matty Brown says more points over the Christmas period can propel The Shaymen up the table, starting at high-flying Gateshead on Saturday.
Actions from FC Halifax Town v  Barrow, at the MBI Shay Stadium. Matty BrownActions from FC Halifax Town v  Barrow, at the MBI Shay Stadium. Matty Brown
Actions from FC Halifax Town v Barrow, at the MBI Shay Stadium. Matty Brown

Halifax go into the game on the back of a terrific 2-1 victory at Harrogate on Boxing Day, where goals from Nathan Clarke and Dayle Southwell overturned a 1-0 half-time deficit.

The win was only Town’s second away from home in the league this season, and only Harrogate’s second home league loss of the campaign.

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Halifax’s festive fixtures don’t get any easier though, with a trip to seventh-placed Gateshead preceding a New Year’s Day clash with Harrogate at The Shay.

Only leaders Leyton Orient have won more matches in the National League than Gateshead, who have won four of their last five home games, including a 2-1 Boxing Day win over Hartlepool.

“We won against Barrow in the Trophy the other week but we need wins in the league,” said Brown.

“It doesn’t matter how you play, as long as you’re getting those points on the board.

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“It’s a good period to get points on the board because a few good results back-to-back can really push you up the table and get you out of that sticky patch we’re in at the minute.

“We’re not in the position in the league that we want to be. We don’t want to be looking down the table, I’ve had that plenty of times at this club before.

“The reason I wanted to stay at this club and commit my future was to build and go somewhere and do something.

“I said a few weeks ago that I think this manager is more than capable of taking us where we want to go.

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“Yeah, we haven’t delivered on the pitch but as players we’re more to blame than the manager.

“I think it’s an easy target to just blame the manager, but I think we need to have a look at ourselves as players. We haven’t delivered.

“We win and lose together. That (Harrogate win) is a great boost for the dressing room and takes us full of confidence into another tough away game at Gateshead.”

Town boss Jamie Fullarton isn’t expecting any players to come back off the injury list for Saturday’s game.

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Midfielder Tom White will be suspended for Gateshead, for whom top-scorer Luke Armstrong, on loan from Middlesborough, has 10 goals in 16 league matches, including both in the midweek win over Hartlepool.

“Every game’s hard, every team has their own strengths and weaknesses,” Brown said.

“We’ve got to dust ourselves down and focus on Gateshead. We’ll go there to win the game, the gaffer never sets up to go and draw or be negative.

“I know sometimes it’s easy to say we’re negative, but we’ll be going there to get points because we know how important it is at this moment to get them on the board.”

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Brown was pleased with how Halifax responded after trailing 1-0 at half-time at Harrogate.

“A few strong words were exchanged at half-time in the dressing room,” added the Town skipper.

“Let’s be honest, we’re not in a great run of form at the minute, but we said at half-time it was about we came to the table, and we needed to start delivering.

“It got a bit heated in there, which I don’t mind at all, and I think in the second-half you could see the reaction from the lads.

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“A totally different team came out and that’s more what we’re capable of.

“We’re still not happy with the second-half performance but we showed glimpses of what we are capable of.

“We see it every day in training, which is why it’s so frustrating at the minute that we’re not delivering.

“But that second-half is a good sign for us and hopefully takes us on a good little run over a busy period.”