Shaymen take significant step towards safety with victory over Aldershot

Second-half goals from Harvey Gilmour and substitute Milli Alli eventually saw off Aldershot and give The Shaymen some much-needed breathing space between them and the bottom four.

Halifax made hard work of it, and huffed and puffed for large parts of the contest, but registered only their second home win of 2023.

A timely shot-in-the-arm before Saturday's FA Trophy semi-final.

Town had all the possession they could hope for in a dominant opening half, pinning Aldershot back, but not working the ball well enough or quickly enough to create anything.All they had to show for a superior first quarter of the game was a wayward shot by Rob Harker after ten minutes.

Angelo Capello and Tylor Golden were getting into some good positions high up on the flanks, but weren't picked out often enough or quickly enough when they were.

Half-an-hour in, Halifax had also won a corner and seen a Luke Summerfield shot go high and wide.

Thin gruel for 30 minutes of almost uninterrupted one-way traffic.

It was calm and controlled from The Shaymen, patient and probing, but it needed more aggression, more urgency, more tempo.

Town looked every bit like a team who struggle to score goals; lacking inventiveness, a spark, the ability to stretch or play through the opposition defence.

It was all in-front of Aldershot, all too easy to defend against, all dealt with too comfortably.

Luke Summerfield was hit and miss in his attempts to get Town going, misplacing a pass here after finding a man there.

Alongside him, Gilmour - one of three changes along with Jamies Stott and Cooke - bore the brunt of some frustration from the terraces when he passed instead of shooting inside the box and passing backwards when he had space to explore in-front of him.

Town needed more from Cooke and Matty Warburton too, to link play, to find space and to create chances.

Former Halifax loanee Tahvon Campbell showed how it should be done for Aldershot when his fierce shot from outside the box was tipped behind by Sam Johnson.

After more possession without end product from the home side, Aldershot went close again when Tyler Frost's effort from 20 yards arrowed just over.

The Shots hadn't kept a clean sheet for nine games, but by half-time, must certainly have been sensing one was on the way after another goalless first-half at The Shay.

After less than 15 minutes of a non-descript second-half in which Town had still failed to test Aldershot keeper Luca Ashby-Hammond, Alli replaced Warburton.

Halifax certainly needed pepping up, needed inspiration rather than perspiration.

Other than the lively Capello on the left, Town were too flat.

But from their first shot on target, Gilmour gave them a precious lead with a 20-yard strike into the bottom right of the net.

Cooke squandered a great chance to add a second when Ashby-Hammond made a hash of collecting a cross, but miscued his shot near the penalty spot.

There was now a different complexion to the game though, with Aldershot more adventurous and Halifax more cautious.

Substitute Jake Hutchinson nodded wide from Jai Rowe's curled cross, with nerves beginning to jangle at the slenderness of Halifax's lead.

Given Halifax's lack of proficiency in-front of goal, perhaps prioritising protecting their lead rather than adding to it made sense.

But Town had surrendered control of the contest, Aldershot were making more of an impression going forward and the points were by no means safe.

Summerfield should have sealed it one on one late on but Ashby-Hammond reacted very well kept out his shot.

Johnson shanked a goal kick horribly as the clock struck 90 leading to Aldershot bearing down on goal, but after the visitors won a free-kick, it was sent harmlessly wide.

After that obligatory heart-in-mouth moment, the win was secured deep in added time when Alli was able to roll the ball into an empty net after Ashby-Hammond was caught upfield at a corner.

Halifax: Johnson, A Senior, Stott, J Senior, Golden, Summerfield, Gilmour, Capello, Warburton (Alli 57), Harker (Dieseruvwe 68), Cooke (Hunter 90). Subs not used: Keane, Clarke.

Scorers: Gilmour (64), Alli (90)

Shots on target: 5

Shots off target: 45

Corners: 2

Aldershot: Ashby-Hammond, Kenlock (Hutchinson 74), Cordner, Jordan, Rowe, Ochieng, Pendlebury, McQuoid (Klass 74), Frost, Barham, Campbell (Glover 59). Subs not used: Westen, Harfield.

Shots on target: 3

Shots off target: 5

Corners: 6

Attendance: 1,472 (78 away)

Referee: Michael Barlow

Town man of the match: Angelo Capello. A real livewire down the left flank, played with energy and endeavour.