MATCH VERDICT: FC Halifax Town 0-1 Wealdstone

Pete Wild, Danny Williams and Jeff King were all sent-off for Halifax on an ill-tempered evening.

A draw would have felt like a win for a Town side who worked hard to keep Wealdstone at bay for nearly the whole game after King's third-minute dismissal, so defeat felt very difficult to take.

Wealdstone looked a shadow of the side that had charged to third in the table. You couldn't help wonder what Town might have done with 11 men.

After 17 days out of action, most of which Town players and staff spent in not-so-glorious isolation, Wild was still hampered in his team selection as some of his squad missed out having developed Covid symptoms.

Gevaro Nepomuceno's absence was due to international duty with Curacao. Not bad work if you can get it.

There were four changes from the woeful defeat at South Shields, with first starts for Jake Hyde and Matty Stenson, while Luke Summerfield and Tom Bradbury both returned.

But the bench contained two youth team players, and only one attacking option in 16-year-old midfielder Lucas Schofield.

As if all that wasn't disruptive enough, King flew into a lunging tackle after just three minutes, winning the ball but with enough force to give referee Paul Marsden a decision to make.

That decision was a straight red card.

Things then went from bad to worse as Stenson, who had shifted to right wing back, was forced off injured just 16 minutes into his debut.

Pete Wild must have been watching on contemplating what else could go wrong. An own goal? A missed penalty? His car breaking down on the way home?

There was a calmness to Halifax's response though as Luke Summerfield and Martin Woods kept their team moving, but there was far less attacking threat than had been anticipated.

Wealdstone saw a lot more of the ball than they probably expected, and were assured and measured with it, but lacked incisiveness.

What was required from Town was concentration and discipline.

After their limp, lacklustre defeat at South Shields, this was a test of their resolve, their desire and their spirit. But they showed plenty of it, improving as the first-half went on and ending it the better side.

Hyde brought a good save out of Harvey Isted from a Woods free-kick, before Woods' set-piece was saved by the keeper.

Substitute Dom Tear brought energy down the right flank, helping Town push higher up the pitch and play more in Wealdstone's half.

The ill-feeling in the game originating from King's dismissal had been steadily rising throughout the half, but things turned ugly just before the break when substitute Danny Green was only booked for a late lunge on Tear well after the ball had gone.

Town were incredulous that referee Paul Marsden deemed King's challenge worthy of a sterner punishment than Green's, despite King actually winning the ball.

Aside from the melee on the pitch, Wild and Chris Millington became involved in a shoving match with Wealdstone's management team in-front of the dugouts, resulting in both managers being sent-off.

Someone with a sense of humour then played Two Tribes over the PA system at half-time.

It was a niggly game in which both sides largely played in-front of the other, offering practically zero penetration and hardly any touches inside the opposition's penalty area.

It was finely balanced, a dogged Town side carried by a sense of injustice against a timid Wealdstone team displaying none of the goalscoring prowess of their season so far.

Summerfield was again impressive in midfield, he and Woods oozing composure as everyone around them seemed to have left theirs in the changing rooms.

But it was a frustrating debut for Hyde, limited to a game of closing down, filtering back and aerial battles.

Woods brought a decent save from Isted after an hour, while Sam Johnson was still to be tested as Town's excellent back three stood firm.

Town then went from being camped inside their own half to inside their own 18-yard box when Williams was shown a second yellow for a foul on Michee Efete with 10 long minutes remaining.

The 10 men might just have held out, but it was just too much to ask for the nine as Summerfield's half clearance was lashed into the bottom right corner from the edge of the box.

Halifax: Johnson, Byrne, Clarke, Bradbury, King, Green, Woods, Summerfield, Williams, Stenson (Tear 16), Hyde (Benn 90). Subs not used: Davison-Hale, Crane, Schofield.

Shots on target: 3

Shots off target: 4

Corners: 1

Wealdstone: Isted, Efete, Okimo, Cawley (Green 35), Mendy, Smith, Phillips, Dyer (Emmanuel 61), Slew (Parish 71), Lewis, Lafayette. Subs not used: Smith, Wishart.

Scorer: Parish (86)

Shots on target: 3

Shots off target: 4

Corners: 8

Referee: Paul Marsden

Town man of the match: Neill Byrne. All of the Town back three were superb. Byrne produced some excellent interceptions and tackles.