Shaymen secure vital win in the race for the play-offs with 2-1 victory over Boreham Wood

Florent Hoti had given Town a half-time lead but a sub-par second-half saw it cancelled out by Lee Ndlovu before Summerfield's winner.

Both sides largely looked like what they are in the first-half: Town a team who have enough to be fighting for a play-off place and Boreham Wood a team probably in no danger of relegation but short of being involved in the promotion race.

But not the first-time this season, the other 45 was a different story as Town made hard work of the win.

However, they dug deep and found a way to set-up a a huge game against Oldham on Tuesday.

Town produced exactly the desired response after last Saturday's defeat at Bromley with a sixth-minute opener when a glancing header by Rob Harker from Jack Evans' cross hit the post but Hoti side-footed in the rebound from 10 yards.

There were subsequent shots on target from range by Evans and Tylor Golden as The Shaymen began the game the more productive side.

Ndlovu dragged a shot wide inside the Halifax box for the visitors, who had an air of lethargy about them, looking like a team set-up to thwart and disrupt rather than create or conjure.

Town, by contrast, were more tenacious and alert, offering more one touches and movement.

Off the ball, the hosts were required to be strong, combative and physical by a Boreham Wood side that ticked all three boxes, and Town stood up to the test, none more so than Adam Senior, who was repeatedly alive to danger, producing an excellent block to Angelo Balanta's shot shortly before half-time.

The Shaymen faced a barrage of long throws and had to survive some goalmouth scrambles.

On the ball, Halifax were patient and recycled the ball trying to work openings, getting into some promising positions down the sides of Boreham Wood's five man defence but not making the most of the opportunities.

At least Town were creating some. Boreham Wood were too rigid and disjointed, failing to muster a shot on target by half-time, whereas Halifax offered more fluidity and cohesion.

Fluidity or cohesion were sorely lacking from either team after the restart, not helped by the state of the pitch, bot also by both sides' inability to retain possession for long enough or play with any tempo.

The affliction was of more concern to Halifax, whose lead was increasingly slender as Boreham Wood started to grow into the game.

The visitors were pushing their wing-backs higher up the pitch and competing much better, while Town were less composed and conceding territory as well as control of the contest.

Boreham Wood had racked up three efforts on target by the midway point of the second-half, including a low shot by Kabongo Tshimanga that Sam Johnson tipped behind.

The Shaymen were creating nothing having completely lost their attacking output.

They survived another goalmouth scramble before Harker's well-struck effort was kept out by Nathan Ashmore against the run of play.

What had more than an air of inevitability about it happened 13 minutes from the end when the away side took advantage of a free kick Town felt shouldn't have been awarded to them when substitute Tom Whelan's delivery was headed in by Ndlovu.

But if Town felt any injustice over that, it was Boreham Wood's turn to feel hard done by shortly afterwwards when Golden won a penalty after a burst down the right for a trip in the box, which Summerfield converted, sending Ashmore the wrong way.

Halifax: Johnson, Golden (Hunter 85), Senior, Stott, Evans, Thomson-Sommers, Summerfield, Wright (Cosgrave 71), Hoti (Jenkins 90), Oluwabori, Harker. Subs not used: Scott, Chikukwa.

Scorers: Hoti (6), Summerfield (81)

Shots on target: 6

Shots off target: 7

Corners: 7

Boreham Wood: Ashmore, Coxe, Sass-Davies (Agbontohoma 46), Bush, Fyfield (Clayden 83), Ilesanmi, Payne, Robinson, Balanta (Whelan 71), Ndlovu, Tshimanga. Subs not used: Sagaf, Abraham.

Scorer: Ndlovu (77)

Shots on target: 5

Shots off target: 6

Corners: 8

Referee: Gary Parsons

Attendance: 1,579 (48 away)

Town man of the match: Adam Senior. Looked back to his best to me with some excellent blocks and clearances. Came under more pressure in the second-half but responded well.