Harris nets winner as Shaymen seal vital win at play-off rivals Hartlepool

The Shaymen worked hard for this, with a performance built on solid defensive foundations, organisation and discipline, before Harris popped up with a beauty from outside the box to cap a textbook away display and earn a potentially precious three points.

Ash Palmer came straight in for his debut, in his first start since October, having signed on loan from York City.

He was in the middle of a back three for Town, which also included the returning Will Smith, and was easily the busier of the two back lines.

Without being amazing, Hartlepool were the better team in a fairly one-sided opening half and nearly took advantage of a terrible pass back to Sam Johnson from Tommy Lavery after six minutes, but the Town keeper managed to nick the ball away.

Not that his passing was much better, with some dodgy distribution, including one that inexplicably went for a Hartlepool corner.

Jay Turner-Cooke was impressive when he could get on the ball in a congested middle third, seeing a shot parried by Nick Hayes after ten minutes - the only shot on target in the first 45 - and embarking on a Gazza-esque burst through the middle and past a couple of Hartlepool challenges towards the end of the half.

Town's system was pretty effective in nullifying Hartlepool but wasn't really helping the visitors build attacks, with Harris looking a bit isolated up-front and getting little service.

The Shaymen got into the odd promising position, but poor execution of the pass or cross let them down.

Halifax were also missing a natural left-sided player, with Lavery proving a useful outlet at times down that side but lacking the thrust and balance that Angelo Cappello or Thierry Latty-Fairweather would have provided.

York loanee Tyrese Sinclair was Pools' dangerman, having a couple of efforts off target from set-pieces into the box before a superb free-kick crashed off the bar from 25 yards out.

The second-half started more evenly, with AJ Warburton making inroads down the right and The Shaymen making more regains higher up the pitch.

Hartlepool fans started to show their frustrations by the hour mark at their team's lack of quality in the final third and lack of impetus in the middle third.

The match had long since felt like first-goal-wins-it, and with chances intermittent at best, there was a nervy edge to the contest the longer it went on.

Halifax had only their second effort on target of the game with around 20 minutes remaning when Smith's shot from outside the box was parried.

Hartlepool then had their first shot on target when Matty Daly's effort was shovelled behind by Johnson.

Both teams felt they could win it though, with Harris having a shot across goal cleared off the line by Jay Benn and Josh Hmami firing just wide from the edge of the box.

Sinclair's shot at an angle was saved by Johnson after Town were left fuming that a free-kick, or even a penalty, wasn't given for what looked like a shove on Owen Bray.

It felt like it was all building towards something, and that arrived when Harris unleashed a fantastic strike from range that nestled into the bottom corner for his 19th league goal of the season.

Billy Waters could have sealed it in added time but blazed over before Hartlepool felt they should have been awarded a penalty for a foul by Shaun Hobson instead of a free-kick.

Hartlepool: Hayes, Benn, Parkes (Okiuke 46), Kouogun, John, Sheron (Folarin 76), Hunter, Caton (Reid 65), Daly, Sinclair (Oliver 90), Campbell (Miley 65). Subs not used: Smith, Ferguson.

Shots on target: 3

Shots off target: 13

Corners: 5

Halifax: Johnson, Palmer, Hobson, Smith, Lavery (Bray 71), C Johnson, Turner-Cooke (Crowe 90), Warburton, Hugill (Kawa 71), Hmami, Harris (Waters 86). Subs not used: Ford, Adetoro, Hoti.

Scorer: Harris (82)

Shots on target: 5

Shots off target: 3

Corners: 1

Attendance: 4,534 (222 away)

Referee: Richie Watkins

Town man of the match: Ash Palmer was superb on his debut but for me, the bloke to his right, Will Smith, was even better, not putting a foot wrong all game.