Shaymen's faint play-off hopes almost certainly ended after goalless draw at Yeovil

The Shaymen were the better side at Huish Park, but couldn't find the winning goal that would have kept their chances of a top-seven finish even close to realistic.

As it is, they now need a miracle to overhaul Southend, who also drew 0-0 against Solihull, and can't now pick up any more points for the rest of the campaign for Halifax to catch them, but play one of their games-in-hand on Tuesday.

Only two shots inside the first 30 minutes, both from Halifax, told its own story, with the game failing to break into life.

Town had control of it from the start, imposing themselves on a passive Yeovil and seeing more of the ball.

Not for the first time at Huish Park, a blustery wind didn't help, with any high balls from Halifax in the first-half caught up in it.

You could tell which side still had something to play for, with a greater purpose to The Shaymen's passing and a greater eagerness to win first and second balls.

Yeovil almost exclusively played out from the back, but didn't appear to be very good at it sometimes, gifting Town possession, which wasn't taken advantage of.

The Shaymen had been sloppy at times too, with neither team remotely threatening until the contest finally came out of first gear with ten minutes of the opening half left.

Terrell Works went close for Yeovil from the right of the box, curling a shot just wide with Jevon Mills appealing unsuccessfully for a foul against him - the hosts' only effort of the first 45 - but then Halifax twice brought good saves from Jed Ward in the Yeovil goal.

First, Josh Hmami's low effort was tipped behind before, from the resulting corner, a clever routine when it was played short allowed space for Jay Turner-Cooke to fire goalwards right-footed, with his curling shot tipped over.

Ten minutes into the second-half, with the game having reverted back to a state of lethargy and both sides ineffective, Adam Lakeland brought on Billy Waters, just after Yeovil captain Brett McGavin had curled a free-kick narrowly wide.

Waters' presence up-front helped, and he should have done better than blaze over after being picked out inside the box by Mills.

Yeovil continued to look toothless in attack and looked there for the taking if Town could show more quality in the final third.

Fellow sub David Kawa should also have done better after Yeovil lost the ball in their own box, but Ward kept his shot out amid a goalmouth scramble.

Turner-Cooke's free-kick went just off target with ten minutes remaining; Halifax looked the only side capable of scoring, with Sam Johnson still to be tested.

But the more Town pressed forward, the more gaps they left for Yeovil to exploit, with McGavin bringing a first save from Johnson before James Daly sent a shot just wide.

Turner-Cooke nearly won it in spectacular style with a lob from inside his own half - Luca Thomas style - that clipped the top of the bar.

The game certainly ended far better than it started, with Yeovil going close through Ryan Jones and even closer in added time as a shot went across goal and just wide.

Yeovil: Ward, Mukena, Ellison, Dawson, McGavin, McCoy-Splatt (Page 73), Greenslade, Jones, Daly, Merry (Perrett 72), Works. Subs not used: Gould, Nardiello, Biss.

Halifax: Johnson, Smith, Palmer, Mills (Kawa 72), Warburton (Morris 83), C Johnson, Turner-Cooke, Crowe (Lavery 73), Hugill (Waters 56), Hmami, Harris (Bray 83). Subs not used: Ford, Hoti.

Attendance: Att: 2,647 (60 away)

Referee: Robert Massey-Ellis

Town man of the match: Jay Turner-Cooke, again. Looked the likeliest Town player all afternoon to either score himself or create a goal for someone else.