Goalless Shaymen remain bottom of the table after slumping to defeat at Wealdstone

Rhys Browne capped an impressive display with the winner, which never looked under serious threat.

What momentum had been built after the point, the clean sheet and the second-half display against Southend, was lost here in a meandering and messy performance from Town.

There was a clear identity and intensity about The Shaymen at this stage last season, but there was a worrying lack of that here.

Town were flat, frustrating and floundering. It's now six hours and counting since the start of the season and still no goal, never mind a win.

That simply has to change, and fast,

Browne's rising drive just over was the closest either side came in a fairly drab first 20 minutes in which the hosts settled quicker.

Jordan Slew squandered a good chance from an angle on the left though when his fierce shot was driven straight at keeper Sam Howes.

Both sides were well organised off the ball, but neither team looked like they possessed the quality to play through the other.

Wealdstone seemed to have nowhere to go, repeatedly going sideways and backwards in possession, while Town, as they did in the first-half against Southend, showed a lack of care on the ball, not really playing with enough tempo or pace.

It was all a bit pedestrian, all a bit aimless and all a bit underwhelming.

Browne was Wealdstone's main threat, but didn't see enough of the ball to use his pace and skill.

Similarly, Dierseruvwe was lacking support at the other end. He was the focal point for Town, but struggled to make the ball stick, while there weren't really enough players around him to build attacks in the final third.

Halifax grew into the opening half, beginning to see more of the ball and playing with more assurance.

It was the opposite for Wealdstone, who became more sloppy with their passing.

But Browne was given too much space to run into, and when he latched onto a lovely through ball, he finished coolly past Sam Johnson from near the penalty spot.

It had all been rather timid from The Shaymen, decent without the ball but lacking adventure and inventiveness on it.

Browne should have made it 2-0 just after half-time when he spun away from Tom Clarke but put his chip over the bar when one-on-one with Sam Johnson.

Town's best move of the game so far ended with Jordan Keane shooting wide across goal after a couple of one-twos in the build-up.

Kian Spence then made his first appearance of the season off the bench in place of Sam Smart, as Halifax switched to 3-5-2.

It certainly needed a change of approach and it certainly needed a player like Spence to impose himself on the game.

As with Slew's chance in the first-half, Keane's in the second had been an isolated incident, with no prolonged spells of possession for Town, no flowing football and no chances.

The Shaymen were disjointed and badly in need of some inspiration to drag them out of their drudgery.

Wealdstone were effective, well organised and looked sharp on the break, whereas Town were making hard work of their attacks, failing to apply sustained pressure, lacking quality and composure.

Wealdstone were the likelier to score again, itself a damning indictment on Town, with Browne's shot from an angle parried behind by Johnson.

There was a half chance for Jack Senior amid a modicum of Town pressure, while Harvey Gimour fired wide from outside the box, the sum total of Town's efforts at an equaliser.

Wealdstone: Howes, Cook, Elerewe, Barrett, Habergham, Charles, Hutchinson (Sesay 80), Ferguson, Browne, Kretzchmar, Allarakhia (Napa 64). Subs not used: Dyer, Mongoy, Mundle-Smith.

Scorer: Browne (40)

Shots on target: 3

Shots off target: 11

Corners: 7

Halifax: Johnson, Minihan, Debrah (Hunter 56), Clarke, Senior, Summerfield, Keane, Gilmour, Smart (Spence 51), Slew (Harker 65), Dierseruvwe. Subs not used: Golden, Alli.

Shots on target: 4

Shots off target: 4

Corners: 4

Attendance: 1,197

Referee: James Durkin

Town man of the match: Not many candidates at all, so I'll give it to Sam Johnson. Enough said.