"I feel like we are moving in the right direction" - Jesse Debrah on Town's season, the FA Trophy and England C

The Shaymen are unbeaten in their last three games - the first time that has happened this year - and have kept three consecutive clean sheets for the first time this season.

They are small steps for a team who have underperformed this campaign and failed to meet expectations of competing for a play-off place.

But Debrah feels progress has been made since the dismal early weeks of the season.

"I feel that we've come a long way since the start of the season, because at the start of the season we were rock bottom after seven or eight games," he said.

"We're mid-table now, which isn't where we wanted to be, but it's better than being rock bottom.

"I feel like we are moving in the right direction in terms of if you compare it to the start of the season and parts of the season where we were going through games not creating any chances, losing quite a lot of games, conceding a lot of goals.

"Now it's three clean sheets in a row and we're creating chances.

"I know we haven't scored in the last two games but before that we had the 5-0 against Wealdstone, which I feel like had been coming for a while because we had been creating chances over the last couple of months in games.

"I feel like we are moving in the right direction, we just need to be more clinical in taking our chances."

Debrah says the players share the fans' frustrations about how Town's season has gone.

"100 per cent, because we work so hard during the week in training so that, on game day, we're equipped as best as we can be, and then when it doesn't go our way in terms of losses - conceding a lot of goals or not scoring goals - we're all frustrated," he said.

"Ultimately we all want the same thing, which is Halifax to do well and win games and when that doesn't happen, we're losing and looking down the table instead of looking up.

"Especially when you look at last season, where we finished in the play-offs but this season we're lower to mid-table.

"None of us are happy with that, none of us are trying to settle for that.

"It does hurt, it hurts us a lot."

When asked why the campaign has panned out the way it has, the defender said: "It's a tough question to answer, I don't think there's one answer that answers the question, it's a collection of different things.

"For example, we haven't scored enough goals as a team, all of us across the pitch.

"Defensively we have improved, but earlier in the season when we were conceding four or five times, it's not good enough.

"There have been games where we've played well and the result hasn't been what we'd have wanted, these things happen.

"Last season was a fantastic season, this season's been much more difficult - that's football."

Town are nine points above the relegation zone in the National League but have played two games more than Gateshead, who occupy the final place in the bottom four.

"I think it'd be silly and naive of us to not look down because we went through periods of losing a lot of games," Debrah said.

"This league is very unforgiving in terms of if you're dropping points week in, week out, you'll find yourself in a relegation fight.

"Ultimately, we're not mathematically safe so you always look down, but at the same time, you always look up at how well you can finish how high you can go.

"We do look down because we respect the league, we respect that anyone can beat anyone on their day and we won't take that for granted.

"We need to ensure that we get to 50 points and re-evaluate what we can do, but get to 50 points as quick as we can because anyone can beat anyone on their day and we need to respect the league.

"If you do take it for granted, bad things will happen."

Town take a breather from the league this weekend when they visit Aldershot, who sit two places below them in the table, in the last eight of the FA Trophy.

"As professionals, we go into every game trying to win," said Debrah on whether the competition has assumed extra importance given Halifax's league struggles.

"Obviously because the league season hasn't gone the way we'd planned, yeah, we do put the pressure on ourselves to go out and perform well in the FA Trophy and try and win it ultimately, to give the fans and the club something back.

"The league form hasn't been great so it's an amazing opportunity for us to sign off the season with a trophy.

"Getting to play at Wembley is everyone's dream, and it's a day out for the fans.

"We put the pressure on ourselves as players and staff to try and ensure we do win the Trophy ultimately."

When asked what can still be achieved this season, Debrah said: "In terms of the FA Trophy, the easy answer is to win it.

"In terms of the league, I know throughout the season there's been talk about play-offs and this or that, but we're just at a stage now as a group where we don't want to talk about that too much, we just want to take it a game at a time, hopefully get to 50 points as quickly as we can, because that's where we are at the moment.

"We'll take it a game at a time, try and keep clean sheets, try and score goals and ultimately, if you do that, you win games."

The 21-year-old has captained Halifax in their last half-a-dozen matches.

"I've enjoyed when I've been called upon," Debrah said.

"There is an added responsibility and I do love it, I thrive on it, it's something that, moving forward in my career, I'd love to be, to be a club captain.

"I'm learning every day how to be a leader on and off the pitch, whether it's talking, whether it's actions.

"Obviously I'm not club captain, it's Tom Clarke, then Jordan Keane, then Jack Senior, then me, so I'm just filling in at the moment.

"When they come back fit, I won't be captain, which is fine, but that's why I'm enjoying even more the responsibility when I am called upon and trying to learn and become a better leader."

Being made stand-in skipper of late is testament to the progress Debrah has made since joining the club at the start of last season.

"I feel like I have developed, and that's due to my coaches, training me, showing me new methods, and also my team-mates, last season and this season, they've helped me in different ways becoming the person I am and the player I am today," he said.

"I'm really grateful to everyone involved in the club that have welcomed me with open arms and made my experience very fruitful and positive.

"I love what the club has given me."

Another signpost of Debrah's development was his recent call-up to the England C side for their game against Wales C on March 21.

"Very, very humbled by getting selected, it's a proud moment when you get selected for your country at any level, it's a humbling moment," Debrah said.

"I thank God, I thank my family, also Halifax Town, who have opened their arms to me and helped me develop my game and given me the freedom to express myself on the pitch, the fans, everyone, which I'm eternally grateful for.

"It's going to be a good moment for me, being away with the England lads, hopefully playing if I get selected.

"I'm very thankful."

Debrah's improvement as a player saw him become the subject of interest from the Football League last summer, and many fans feel it is inevitable he will move to a bigger club at the end of the campaign.

"I like to take it, as with games, just a day at a time, I don't like thinking too far forward," he said.

"No-one knows the future so I like to live in the present moment, it's a gift, that's why it's called the present.

"So ultimately, I'm grateful to the club, grateful to be here and I'm enjoying every single day that I'm here.

"I'm blessed and humbled to be here."