Torquay United 1-0 FC Halifax Town

It's now back-to-back defeats for Halifax, who produced an improved performance from their defeat to Halesowen last time out, but never really got going, or manage to build on a goalless first-half when there was all to play for.

Had one of their chances just after the restart gone in, it probably would have been a different story, but there was little to choose between the teams in a poor game on a poor pitch.

The foundation of a solid defensive display was there, but there was not enough incisive attacking performance to go with it, despite Town still bookending the second-half with some god opportunities.

As it was for Town's FA Trophy win at Plainmoor last month, the game was played in blustery conditions, which were against Halifax in the first-half.

Armani Little, who missed that game through injury, shot just over early on from the edge of the box as the hosts made a bright start, popping the ball about positively and with purpose.

The Shaymen found any lengthy passes forward got caught up in the wind, making progress up the pitch difficult.

So Town were wise to stay compact, stay disciplined and stay in the game.

More composure would have been nice though, with Halifax generally too wasteful of the possession they had; Torquay looked the likelier to create something.

Little, the brightest spark of anyone, was forced off injured midway through the first-half, by which point The Shaymen had begun to work their way into the contest.

Torquay were feeding Little the ball in pockets of space and running off him, so when he departed, the hosts looked a little lost.

It was a scrappy, hard-fought game, with openings at either end rare. But as the home side became flat following Little's injury, Halifax started to grow in confidence, winning the ball more in the middle third and seeing the ball more in Torquay's half.

Both teams had kept the other at arm's length though, and while Town had to survive a run of four Torquay corners in a minute towards the end of the first-half as the hosts tried to build some pressure, 0-0 at half-time was perfectly acceptable.

Nathan Clarke had anchored Town's back three - bolstered by the returning Matty Brown - admirably, while Josh Staunton and Charlie Cooper were very good in midfield, reading the game, breaking up play and regaining possession.

Halifax only had a long range effort by Cameron King and two harmless Devante Rodney shots to show going forward. Rodney was paired with Tobi Sho-Silva after Jamie Allen and Jack Redshaw's ineffective displays against Halesowen, but the duo saw hardly any of the ball in the Torquay box as Town just focused on clearing the first hurdle of surviving the opening 45 unscathed.

And as in the FA Trophy here last month, they did.

After a half devoid of clear chances, there were two in the first two minutes of the second-half as Rodney's shot was deflected wide from near the corner of the six yard box, before Niall Maher's header from the resulting corner was brilliantly saved by Torquay keeper Lucas Covolan.

Even before that, Rodney had been played into space by King, but didn't get a shot away.

The match didn't ignite after that brief spark though, with both sides stuck in a rut of sloppy play and struggling to impose themselves on the other.

The sheer pace of Rodney threatened to make something out of nothing, but there was a lack of real quality to or imagination to make the breakthrough.

But it eventually arrived when Azeez was perfectly placed to nod the ball home after Sam Johnson's fine reaction save had kept out a header from a Torquay free-kick.

Allen joined fellow substitute Redshaw on the pitch as Town tried to salvage something, with Staunton blasting over from near the penalty spot from a corner with 15 minutes remaining.

Redshaw then had a shot blocked and another hit the bar deep into added time before Staunton again blasted over a loose ball in the box.

Torquay: Covolan, Cameron, Lewis, Hall, Little (Andrews 23), Lemonheigh-Evans, Longridge, Cundy, Whitfield (Wynter 90), Reid, Azeez (Lumbombo-Kalala 81). Subs not used: MacDonald, Nemane.

Scorer: Azeez (68)

Shots on target: 4

Shots off target: 6

Corners: 8

Halifax: Johnson, Maher, Clarke, Brown, Hanson, Cooper, Staunton, Williams, C King (Redshaw 65), Sho-Silva, Rodney (Allen 75). Subs not used: Appleyard, Binnom-Williams, Nolan

Shots on target: 5

Shots off target: 11

Corners: 7

Attendance: 2,053 (135 away)

Referee: Adrian Quelch

Town man of the match: Nathan Clarke