Shaymen's winning run comes to an end with 2-0 defeat at Bromley

Corey Whitely's double saw Halifax suffer their first defeat in five and brought their winning run to an end.

It was a match that failed to live up to its billing as two promotion chasers going head-to-head, with Bromeley producing the game-changing moments when it mattered thanks to two excellent goals.

And once they assumed control of the contest, it never looked like they'd relinquish it.

Alex Kirk was close to meeting a driven cross through the Town box from Michael Cheek after three minutes.

But it didn't herald a thriller of a game - both teams were a bit too ragged and untidy for that, a bit too tentative and reserved.

If either side could have mustered some composure, they'd have taken control of the contest, but it was a scrappy game, with possession being too easily lost and both defences on top against ineffective attacks.

It was a better away performance by Town than a home performance by Bromley though.

Jamie Stott's header and Luke Summerfield's shot, both way wide, were the closest Town had come after half-an-hour, but they still looked more productive than the hosts.

Bromley showed signs of life when Olufela Olomola dragged a shot off target from inside the box and then brought a fantastic save by the back-pedalling Sam Johnson to tip his header onto the bar.

But Whitely's goal was still completey at odds with the rest of the opening half as he unleashed a pearler of a right-footed volley that screamed into the top corner from 25 yards.

Town then had to clear an effort off the line from a corner a couple of minutes later: from comfortably 0-0 to nearly 2-0 down in less than ten minutes.

Andrew Oluwabori registered Town's first, and only, shot on target just before half-time, straight at Grant Smith from 20 yards, with the onus now on The Shaymen to produce something, like Bromley had, from a match that was stuttering to pick up speed.

But Halifax made a disastrous start to the second-half when Whitely hammered in a superb second goal a minute after the restart when the ball bounced into his path just inside the box.

Town were like a boxer reeling from a right hook as a rejuvenated Bromley pressed them and made it hard for The Shaymen to get out of their own half never mind muster a response.

Bromley had upped their game after an out-of-sorts first half-an-hour. Halifax now needed to do the same.

Rob Harker, starting for the first time in more than three months in place of Flo Hoti, was still to get a chance.

Oluwabori headed a good opportunity wide from Summerfield's free-kick, but Town only just escaped going 3-0 down when Ben Krauhaus' shot thundered off the underside of the bar.

Hoti and Kane Thomson-Sommers were brought on, but no-one in blue was offering any evidence they could drag their side back into the game against a Bromley side who seemed to be prioritising protecting their lead over adding to it.

Unfortunately Town never seriously threatened to reduce it. Despite seeing much more of the ball, and remaining patient with it, Smith and his defence remained far too underworked.

To make a bad day even worse, Adan George, along with Bromley's Bes Topalloj, was shown a straight red cards in added time.

Bromley: Smith, Reynolds, Webster, Topalloj, Passley, Kirk, Charles, Whitely, Krauhaus (Arthurs 84), Olomola (Amantchi 90), Cheek. Subs not used: Orlowski, Grant, Vennings.

Scorer: Whitely (38, 46)

Shots on target: 4

Shots off target: 4

Corners: 4

Halifax: Johnson, Golden, Senior, Stott, Evans, Summerfield (Cosgrave 86), Hunter (Thomson-Sommers 58), Wright (Hoti 58), Oluwabori, George, Harker. Subs not used: Chikukwa, Jenkins.

Shots on target: 1

Shots off target: 6

Corners: 1

Referee: Callum Walchester

Town man of the match: Sam Johnson. Very few contenders, but Johnson could do nothing about either goal and otherwise did what was asked of him well.