Shaymen get back on track with impressive win over Yeovil

Second-half goals from Cody Johnson and Will Flint sealed an impressive victory for Town against a Yeovil side who have been flying this season but were madce to look ordinary here.

The Shaymen controlled the first-half before producing another 2-0 lead after the break, and this time, it stuck.

Town had about as much control as they could have wished for first-half, largely dominating the contest and creating the better chances.

Debutant Lucas Houghton - one of four changes from Tuesday as well as Will Hugill, Deniche Hill and Tommy McDermott - impressed at right-back, linking up well with Connor Douglas, with Town much more effective down the right than the left.

After some poor set-piece deliveries from McDermott, his sloppy pass was latched onto by Yeovil dangerman Johl Powell, who raced clear but Town keeper True Grant did brilliantly to keep his shot out one-on-one.

Town's possession was mostly harmless, punctuated rather than peppered with bright moments, one of which was a great cross by Houghton from the right, met by Conor Carty’s first time header tipped behind by Josiah Barker.

Another came from an excellent long ball by Will Flint to Carty, who did well to lay it off for Douglas, whose shot deflected over.

Douglas was then found edge of the box at a corner, and fired narrowly over.

Yeovil had been restricted to the odd threat on the break and not much else, with Ryan Jones' effort saved by Grant after a jinking run.

There was no real sense of momentum building for Town after the restart, with the hosts nullifying Yeovil effectively but struggling to create anything themselves and, unusually at home this season, lacking inspiration.

But it came from captain Johnson, who curled in a beautiful free kick near the left corner of the box for his first goal since February.

It was nearly immediately wiped out through Jones, whose deflected shot was tipped wide by Grant, and then fired over from the edge of the box.

Town's goal had spaked Yeovil into life, and Powell nearly levelled after being found by a dinked free-kick, but his shot rolled wide.

So Halifax's second goal through Flint felt like a welcome cushion, with the centre-back hardly able to miss at the back post from Ben Tollitt's drilled cross for his first goal since the opening day.

It went from bad to worse for Yeovil when substitute Archie Davies was sent off for a second booking.

Surely this time Town wouldn't surrender another two-goal lead?

No. They came to close to a third with Carty's free-kick just over, Douglas again firing off target and Carty nearly turning in Houghton's cross.

Halifax: Grant, Houghton, Flint, Hobson, Hill(Crowe 74), C Johnson (Trusty 74), Hugill (Morgan-Smith 80), Douglas, McDermott (Gilsenan 80), Tollitt (Bray 85), Carty. Subs not used: Mathers, Maltby.

Scorers: Johnson (59), Flint (67)

Attempts on target: 5

Attempts off target: 9

Corners: 9

Yeovil: Barker, Kingdon, Gubbins, Muller, Naylor (Dean 75), McGavin (Davies 26), Westbrooke (Ayina 75), Jones, Powell, Daly, Spasov (Obeng 75). Subs not used: Gould, Walker, Lennon.

Attempts on target: 5

Attempts off target: 4

Corners: 3

Referee: Ben Toner

Attendance: 1,286 (196 away)

Town man of the match: I'll give it to Conor Carty. Didn't score but deserved to, his link-up play was excellent, looked really sharp and, of course, worked so hard all game.