Shaymen win final game of pre-season at Curzon Ashton

The Shaymen deserved the win on the balance of play, but certainly have some wrinkles to iron out ahead of next Saturday's season-opener at Forest Green Rovers.

The first chance of the opening half fell to Curzon, when Tony Weston's shot from the right of the box was comfortably saved by True Grant.

After that, Halifax gradually assumed control over the contest, but it was lacking in the pace and intensity of Tuesday night at Rochdale.

If, as John McGrath suggested, Rochdale was the standard, then this wasn't meeting it.

The Shaymen got better as the first 45 went on, with their trialist on the left flank their standout player.

He had Halifax's first shot on target, cutting in on his right foot, before then firing wide of either post and having a shot from inside the box blocked.

AJ Warburton should have found the net just before the break after a cross from the left was parried into his path, but he could only fire straight at the keeper.

If this was a chance to audition for any starting berths at Forest Green, then the trialist left-winger was making a very strong case.

Other than that though, no-one seemed to be rising above the crowd, with the front two of Conor Carty and Amari Morgan-Smith making few inroads.

Town's control continued after the interval but their chance creation didn't.

Their passing was off, their touches were heavy and their threat was minimal.

Defensively they were solid, but further forward than that, they were struggling.

It was nearly 20 minutes into the second-half before The Shaymen threatened again, but they created three chances in two minutes, with Tayt Trusty firing wide from Connor Douglas' cut-back, the trialist left-winger hitting the post and Carty shooting wide from the right of the box.

After a rare effort from Curzon that flashed just wide, Douglas brought a good save from the home keeper with a driven shot at an angle.

Douglas and Owen Bray at least brought some direct running and pace to the Halifax attack.

Alex Curran should have certainly hit the target for Curzon with ten minutes left from a right-wing cross.

And that looked an even worse miss when Arian Allen's quick footwork won a penalty down the right of the box, and Carty found the net from the spot.

Curzon Ashton (starting XI): Dowling, Sobowale, Amado, Nolan, Hayhurst, Poscha, Richards, Whitehead, Roberts, Curran, Weston.

Attempts on target: 3

Attempts off target: 5

Corners: 0

Halifax: Grant, Crowe, Hobson, Bardell (Hugill 64), Trialist, Trusty, Trialist (Trialist 72), Warburton (Bray 53), Trialist (Allen 77), Carty (Kawa 85), Morgan-Smith (Douglas 53). Subs not used: S Johnson, C Johnson, Trialist.

Scorer: Carty (84 pen)

Attempts on target: 4

Attempts off target: 8

Corners: 3