FC Halifax Town 0-0 Aldershot: “The quality in the final third just wasn’t there today”, says assistant boss Hughes

Assistant manager Phil Hughes admitted The Shaymen lacked the required quality to make a breakthrough after their 0-0 draw with Aldershot - a result which extended their goalless streak to seven-and-a-half hours.
FC Halifax Town v Boreham Wood. Halifax manager Jamie Fullarton.and assistant boss Phil HughesFC Halifax Town v Boreham Wood. Halifax manager Jamie Fullarton.and assistant boss Phil Hughes
FC Halifax Town v Boreham Wood. Halifax manager Jamie Fullarton.and assistant boss Phil Hughes

Halifax remain just two points above the National League relegation zone following the result, and produced a hugely disappointing performance in an equally underwhelming contest.

Town are now nine games without a win since their last victory, against Harrogate on Boxing Day.

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Hughes, who again handled the post-match media duties in place of manager Jamie Fullarton, said: “Obviously it wasn’t a fantastic display today.

“At home we’re looking to win games, and today there was a bit of added pressure in that Aldershot are a team that we want to win against.

“But it wasn’t to be.

“Let’s be fair, at home, we’re setting up to win the game, it didn’t happen that way.

“But we have to look for positives from the game - again we haven’t conceded a goal.

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“We know we aren’t scoring enough goals, we have addressed that and it’s just a matter of that final piece of the jigsaw falling into place to give the lads that bit of impetus to get up the table.

“It was difficult to get the game going, the surface wasn’t conducive to football.

“At the start of the game, I thought we were going to go and get the three points.

“But that wasn’t to be. We got them in at half-time and it was a matter of telling them to produce more quality on the ball.

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“I felt that we could win the game, but in that final third we just didn’t get the rub of the green, and the quality in the final third just wasn’t there today in fairness.”

On Town’s goal drought, Hughes said: “At the end of the day it’s about putting the ball in the net.

“There’s many factors for that not happening.

“If you look at the game as a whole, our team is well organised, it’s well structured.

“We have got that right at the moment. The flip side to that is scoring goals.

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“We did have bits of pressure throughout the game but it wasn’t a controlled amount of pressure to win the game.

“If a team’s setting up to defend in a game, there’s more pressure if you haven’t scored a goal.

“If you’re 0-0 for long periods of time, it can produce it’s own type of pressure, there’s no getting away from that.

“I know from having played that once you get one or two-nil up, you become more comfortable.”

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Town are next in action at second-from-bottom Maidstone on Tuesday.

“We start again on Monday, and we’re looking to be preparing for Maidstone,” Hughes said.

“We’ve had a good record on Astroturf.

“There’s no suggestion that today has affected the players in a negative way.

“We’ll stick together - that’s what’s kept up going throughout our period here.

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“There is a togetherness and we’re all striving for the same thing.

“Fans come to games and want to see goals, I understand that, and it lifts everybody.

“So if the fans can stick with us, hopefully the goals will come.”

And on the continued absence of right-back Jacob Hanson from the matchday squad, Hughes said: “Michael (Duckworth) has done exceptionally well since he’s gone back in.

“Hanson is in the manager’s thoughts, he’s a quality player and he’s done exceptionally well when he’s been in also.

“When people get chances, and take the chances, that’s football.”