Strong Halifax side win penultimate pre-season friendly at Curzon Ashton

A strong Shaymen side were good value for the win, producing a performance brimming with positives.

Curzon offered more in the second-half after being outplayed in the first, but Town should take confidence how they played.

Tougher tests await but there is plenty Halifax can take from here into the new season.

Milli Alli went close with two shots in the first 15 minutes, one after Tylor Golden's cut-back and the other following Jamie Cooke's pinged pass from right to left.

Halifax were the smoother and more composed side in possession, seeing more of it, with their brightest moments coming down the right through Adam Senior, Golden and Cooke, who also had a low shot flash wide.

So when Jamie Stott headed in a Town corner at the near post after 20 minutes, it wasn't much of a surprise, and was their reward for an encouraging start.

Curzon, with former Town man and Love Island contestant Jamie Allen in their side, had been limited and rather lethargic by comparison.

They were chasing shadows down their left flank, as Town repeatedly made advances, this time with Senior's cross met by Alli, whose shot was cleared off the line before Cooke's follow-up was well blocked.

There was some bright, creative, probing football from The Shaymen, and all Curzon could do was try to keep up.

The only gripe by half-time was that Town weren't in-front by more, with Rob Harker heading just over and Cooke seeing another shot blocked.

Halifax's midfield triallist was catching the eye, as were Ryan Galvin and Golden on the flanks, with Cooke is usual bundle of barely constrained energy.

The Shaymen won't get the time on the ball in the National League like they were enjoying here, and they'll be stretched much more defensively, but you'd have done well to find fault with how they were playing.

11 Halifax shots in the first-half, one Curzon effort. It was a 1-0 thrashing.

They looked hungry, polished and ready for the campaign, in a side that could contain as many as nine starters for the Bromley season opener.

Alli delivered a trademark drop of the shoulder and shoot routine a few minutes after the restart which the keeper parried, although Curzon were competing better since half-time, moving the ball quicker and getting more players higher up the pitch.

A last-gasp Jordan Keane tackle was needed to thwart Allen, who was through on goal, before a looping header had the beating of Sam Johnson but arced just over.

Will Hayhurst's corner also got the better of Johnson, who failed to make contact with it before it came back off the post.

"Liven up!" yelled Chris Millington on the touchline, now watching a much more even contest with concern.

It was at least much more of a test for The Shaymen rather than the first-half's attack v defence training exercise.

Harker should have put the result to bed when Galvin's low cross teed him up eight yards out but he could only put it over the bar.

Curzon Ashton: Ollerenshaw, Poscha, Sinclair, Mols, Matthews, Richards, Edmundson, Allen, Mahon, Kenyon, Hayhurst.

Shots on target: 1

Shots off target: 1

Corners: 1

Halifax: Johnson; Senior, Keane, Stott; Golden, Triallist, Hunter, Galvin; Alli, Cooke, Harker.

Scorer: Stott (19)

Shots on target: 3

Shots off target: 14

Corners: 8

Attendance: 265

Referee: Declan Brown

Town man of the match: A few players impressed, especially Ryan Galvin, Adam Senior and Town's midfield triallist, but I'll go for Jamie Cooke, who got into some great positions, used the ball well and was unlucky not to score.