Halifax beat title favourites Barnet to win on opening day of the season

A debut goal from Adam Alimi-Adetoro won it after Jamie Cooke's stylish opener was cancelled out by Ben Coker.

Not many Halifax fans will have seen this result coming - probably not many Barnet fans did either.

But The Shaymen produced a stirring, spirited performance, belying the fact that nearly half their team was missing and following a hugely underwhelming pre-season.

Town started in a 3-4-3, with Cooke and debutant Tom Pugh tucked in behind Adan George.

It was a competitive start by The Shaymen, but they started to look vulnerable defensively after a quarter of an hour, with Idris Kanu getting the better of Angelo Cappello on one flank and Callum Stead looking dangerous on the other.

Town were having to do a lot more defending than Barnet, with The Shaymen unable to make any inroads going forward.

But they did start to see more of the ball towards the half-hour mark, with Cooke looping a header at Nick Hayes when Adam Alimi-Adetoro was better placed behind him.

There were too many hit-and-hope passes from back-to-front from Town though, and not enough combinations, give-and-goes or one-twos.

Barnet were a bit better, but not much.

Halifax couldn't be faulted for effort though; Pugh put in a Jamie Cooke level of running, Jack Jenkins lost the ball in midfield at one point but raced back to plug the gap, while Andrew Oluwabori and Cappello got back to do their bit defensively on the flanks.

They were well organised, but lacked a spark in attack.

Plenty of steel, just no silk.

Barnet's dangerman Nicke Kabamba had been restricted to a tame header over the bar, with Will Smith inpressing in the middle of defence on his debut.

It was a keenly-contested opening half but sorely lacking in quality.

The best moment was probably Sam Johnson displaying the creativity everyone else was lacking with an attempted chip of his opposite number from a free-kick just before the break.

If Town needed a spark, George provided electricity a few minutes after the interval with a rip-roaring run down the right flank before his well-placed cutback was met with an excellent first time finish by Cooke.

If that didn't get the adrenaline pumping for the season ahead, nothing would.

But the lead lasted just five minutes, as Coker tapped in the rebound after Stead's shot was parried by Johnson.

It was a different game now though, more intensity and tempo, with Oluwabori starting to threaten and both teams sensing a win.

Town regained the lead when Alimi-Adetoro prodded the ball in at the far post after a clever corner routine between Jenkins and Cappello.

The pendulum swung again in Barnet's favour after that, with The Bees dominating possession and territory.

Halifax had no response but to rely on their organisation and relentless work ethic to prevent another sting in the tale, encapsulated by Jack Evans' tenacity in midfield.

Halifax were disciplined, determined and diligent, and didn't see out their lead without some questionable officiating by Paul Marsden, but see it out they did.

Halifax: Johnson, Senior, Smith, Alimi-Adetoro, Evans, Jenkins (Bray 62), Pugh, Oluwabori (Arthur 90), Cooke, Cappello (Emmerson 81), George (Cosgrave 86). Subs not used: Ford, Chikukwa, Sinfield.

Scorers: Cooke (50), Alimi-Adetoro (60)

Shots on target: 5

Shots off target: 2

Corners: 3

Barnet: Hayes, Kenlock, Oluwu, Collinge (Kizzi 61), Coker, Hartigan, Clifford (Francis 90), Brunt (Chapman 72), Kanu, Stead, Kabamba. Subs not used: Gilmore, Rye, Okimo.

Scorer: Coker (55)

Shots on target: 2

Shots off target: 6

Corners: 8

Referee: Paul Marsden

Attendance: 1,634 (179 away)

Town man of the match: Plenty of Town players performed well, but for me Will Smith topped the lot. On this evidence, he looks a solid replacement for Jamie Stott - handled Kabamba well and made some vital clearances at the back.