Shaymen make it four consecutive league wins with victory over Hartlepool

Adam Senior's second-half goal proved decisive after former Shayman Mani Dieseruvwe had cancelled out Max Wright's opener.

Town had to survive some late Hartlepool pressure but a performance of style and substance fully merited the win.

The visitors were battered at times by a vibrant Halifax side who worked their socks off.

Going forward they were creative and threatening, at the back they were disciplined and resilient.

Lower division teams in the FA Cup aside, The Shaymen now can't stop winning and can't stop scoring.

Town should have led before Wright's opener, improving on Saturday's unconvincing win over Kidderminster with a much more threatening attacking output.

A goal should have come out of a two minute spree of chances when Wright had a couple of shots blocked, Milli Alli's shot was saved and Adam Senior headed wide.

There was more belief in Halifax's attacks, more purpose and more of an end product.

Aaron Cosgrave had curling shot on target, Alli had a shot deflected behind.

Hartlepool were limited in comparison, barely troubling Sam Johnson, with Dieseruvwe being kept pretty quiet.

It was better than Saturday but could have been better still from Town; the switch to Ryan Galvin, creator of both goals on Saturday, down the left was on countless times but the hosts were too slow to execute it.

They took a deserved lead with Wright's first goal for the club when he drove the ball low into the net when a corner fell to him on the right of the box.

As on Saturday though, the lead lasted just five minutes and the annual curse of the former player struck again as Dieseruvwe reacted quickest to a loose ball from a corner and hammered it high into the net from eight yards out.

Halifax were the superior side but needed more quality on the ball and to play at a quicker tempo.

It's a fine line between patient and unproductive; some Town fans felt The Shaymen were veering from the former to the latter too often.

Chris Millington turned round and scowled at the South Stand at one point, presumably to a supporter making their feelings known on the subject.

No fan could dispute that Millington's team were largely controlling the contest and doing enough to warrant a lead though

Alli was sparkling like he did so often in the second-half of last season; driving with the ball, committing back-pedalling defenders, causing panic.

Florent Hoti and Kane Thomson-Sommers had some positive moments but needed to knit something tangible together; Wright and Galvin needed to get higher up the pitch down the flanks.

Town weren't far off getting it right. And Hartlepool looked there for the taking.

Saturday's pattern continued as Town regained the lead in-front of the North Stand when Senior was in the right place to convert a corner, rewarding an aggressive, front-footed start to the second-half.

Town looked fired up, and Hartlepool were struggling to keep up; Cosgrave brought a full-stretch save from Pete Jameson, Alli pounced on a sloppy pass but wasted a huge chance one-on-one by failing to dribble round the keeper or pick out a team-mate.

Hartlepool were being hounded, harried and hurried into mistakes, barely getting out of their own half.

Halifax just needed a third to reflect their dominance.

Pools would have drawn level again but for a wonderful save low to his left by Sam Johnson from Dieseruvwe's shot on the turn.

That signalled a bit of a turning point as Hartlepool started to impose themselves, pressing Halifax back, seeing more of the ball.

Johnson again produced a crucial save to deny substitute Josh Umerah, with Town now more concerned with defending their lead rather than extending it.

The Shaymen's exertions up until now seemed to be catching up with them as they began to look tired, while Hartlepool continued to threaten, with Alex Lacey heading just wide from five yards and Johnson again saving from Umerah at point-blank range.

Town's attack had done their job, now the defence was doing theirs as Halifax just about held on.

Halifax: Johnson, Senior, Keane, Stott, Wright (Oluwabori 81), Hunter, Thomson-Sommers, Galvin, Hoti, Alli, Cosgrave. Subs not used: Scott, Wilson, Chikukwa, Iwobi.

Scorers: Wright (34), Senior (49)

Hartlepool: Jameson, Mattock, Lacey (Onariase 87), Hendrie, Ferguson, Seaman (Dolan 78), Featherstone, Agyemang (Umerah 58), Crawford, Grey, Dieseruvwe. Subs not used: Dixon, Paterson.

Scorer: Dieseruvwe (38)

Attendance: 2,052

Referee: David Mcnamara

Town man of the match: Milli Alli. Wasn't perfect, with some of his decision-making requiring more thought, but produced some magical moments on the ball and looked by far the most exciting, productive player on the pitch.