Shaymen held to draw in friendly at Ashton United

With a side littered with triallists, The Shaymen eased into a 2-0 lead at the interval, both through triallists, but succumbed to an admirable second-half Ashton revival.

Even with more than half a team of triallists, the gap in quality was evident in a one-sided opening half, as too many Ashton moves broke down too easily, while the pace and sharpness of The Shaymen helped them win most of the individual battles.

Town went in-front with a magnificent strike by one of their central midfield triallists, who let fly from 25 yards with a left foot shot across goal.

Sign him up.

Town's first-team front three of Aaron Cosgrave, Andrew OIluwabori and Angelo Cappello all pressed aggressively off the ball, trying to force mistakes.

When they did, they drew applause from Chris Millington. When they didn't, he loudly reminded them of their jobs.

The vast majority of the game was being played in the Ashton half. Town probably should have been creating more chances for the possession they had.

Max Wright was effective in bombing down the right flank and delivering crosses, Cappello was bright and lively, Oluwabori showed some skill but also ran into a couple too many cul-de-sacs.

The first goalscorer's central midfield partner doubled Halifax's lead after half-an-hour after Town again nicked the ball high up the pitch, leading to Cosgrave having a shot cleared off the line before he set-up the triallist for a simple close-range finish.

Cosgrave was unlucky not to score and cap a decent half in which he'd been aggressive and tigerish in attack.

It already looked game over, with Ashton offering next to nothing in response. Town were comfortable, they might as well have been playing in slippers.

Captain for the day Tom Scott was only called into action, with a routine save, four minutes before half-time.

Town's front three just had too much pace, power and skill. Had The Shaymen been playing a couple of gears higher, they'd have been out of sight by half-time.

Halifax's dominance continued unchallenged after the break, with Oluwabori's free kick deflected onto the bar, while Cosgrave isolated a defender one on one charging into the box at an angle, but failed to get a shot away.

Ashton got one back out of nothing when a shot from just inside the box was deflected into the path of Jason Gilchrist, who hammed it across goal from the corner of the six-yard box.

The momentum of the match had shifted now, with Halifax making little headway going forward and Ashton suddenly in the ascendancy.

And they completed the comeback when the third of three consecutive corners was drilled low into the net by an Ashton triallist.

The hosts had shown admirable spirit to fight back, but Town had let them back into it by coming off the gas.

Ashton were passive in the first-half, but were now showing much more fight, as if they'd switched from friendly mode to league mode.

It was all a bit safe and unadventurous from The Shaymen meanwhile, who struggled to muster much of note in response.

Ashton United: Triallist, Triallist, Newton (Triallist 66), Lonsdale (Triallist 70), Cowan, Triallist, Traillist, Abbott (Triallist 66), Gilchrist (Triallist 79), Triallist (Abbott 80), Adams (Milner 66).

Scorer: Gilchrist (55), Triallist (63)

Shots on target: 2

Shots off target: 4

Corners: 6

Halifax: Scott, Lavelle, Triallist, Triallist, Triallist, Triallist, Triallist, Wright (Sinfield 63), Cappello, Oluwabori, Cosgrave.

Scorer: Triallist (12), Triallist (31)

Shots on target: 3

Shots off target: 7

Corners: 7

Town man of the match: Liked the look of Town youngster Lavelle, while the midfield triallist who opened the scoring also caught the eye, but I'll give it to Angelo Cappello, who showed good movement, good use of the ball and some lovely close control.