Town produce their best performance of the season so far to beat Eastleigh 3-1

It's four unbeaten for Town, who have some real momentum now after this win, thanks to goals from Billy Waters - his first for 18 months - Will Smith and Adam Alimi-Adetoro.

Eastleigh were one of the division's high-flyers coming into the game, but were comprehensively outplayed by a rampant Halifax.

It's just a shame it was in-front of Town's lowest crowd of the season yet.

Eastleigh settled quickly, passing and moving with confidence, but the best early chance fell to Town when a short corner found its way to Angelo Cappello on the edge of the box, but his low shot was saved by Joe McDonnell.

The keeper also held a shot by Florent Hoti a minute later after nice build-up play from Halifax.

When both teams got right, they produced some attractive approach play, but when they got it wrong, they turned the ball over very easily.

Both were happening in a fairly even opening, but Eastleigh were shading it, helped by Tyrese Shade, displaying some fancy footwork on their right flank and possessing a dangerous long throw.

But Town took the lead with only their second first-half goal this season when a shot by Adam Senior from a free-kick found Waters on the edge of the six-yard box, and he scuffed the ball over the line for his first senior goal since March 2023.

Eastleigh weren't the same side after that, giving away restarts with sloppy passes and generally losing their way.

It had the opposite effect on The Shaymen, who grew in confidence, and just needed a bit more compsoure to take advantage of a couple of promising counter-attacks following long throws by Shade.

Scott High, impressing in midfield, fired a yard wide after muscling an Eastleigh man off the ball, symptomatic of Halifax's dominance.

The hosts were getting better as the opening half went on, increasing in stature and authority, over-running their opponents, playing through their midfield like water runs through a sieve.

Eastleigh badly needed half-time to sort themselves out, but they went into it with their deficit doubled as a short corner was crossed in by Hoti and met with a superb header back across goal by Smith for his first Town goal.

The Shaymen had scored twice in the first-half for the first time this season: can we play you every week, Eastleigh?

It could have been 3-0 after a lovely move involving Hoti and Waters, but Adan George's fierce shot across goal from the right of the box was kept out by Joe McDonnell.

Adetoro and Smith continued to defend resiliently against last season's National League top scorer Paul McCallum, hardly giving him a sniff, although the former needed bailing out by a fantastic saving tackle by Adam Senior after over-playing at the back.

Still Eastleigh hadn't had an effort on target, even from a 5 v 2 counter-attack.

George, amidst an improved individual display, again nearly added a third but shot straight at McDonnell after a terrific set-up by Hoti.

Eastleigh's porous defence did finally concede again though when another Town corner was taken short, and nicely worked, and the dinked cross was headed in at the back stick by Adetoro.

Town had scored three in a game for ths first time since, you guessed it, Eastleigh away.

Seriously, can we play you every week?

Confidce was now coursing through Halifax's veins, and had completely drained out of Eastleigh's.

Hoti produced some eye-catching stuff amid a fluent, free-flowing team performance that Eastleigh were powerless to prevent.

Every loose ball was falling to Halifax, every 50-50 was being won by the home side. Eastleigh were being bullied, beaten and battered.

The visitors finally registered their first effort on target with eight minutes remaining, and with it, their first goal as Richard Brindley headed in from a corner.

But by then, the pace of the game had dropped and Halifax had established enough of a buffer for their lead to be insurmountable.

Halifax: Johnson, Senior, Smith, Adetoro, Cappello (Galvin (28), High (Bray 90), Evans, George (Wright 74), Hoti (Pugh 78), Cooke, Waters (Oluwabori 67). Subs not used: Ford, Arthur.

Scorers: Waters (27), Smith (45), Adetoro (61)

Shots on target: 9

Shots off target: 3

Corners:6

Eastleigh: McDonnell, Brindley (Semenyo 89), Fernandez (Humphries 59), Maher, Panter, Vokins (Boutin 82), Taylor, Waruih (Nwabuokei 46), Maguire (McDonalfd 46), Shade, McCallum. Subs not used: Scott, Francillette, Nwabuokei.

Scorer: Brindley (82)

Shots on target: 1

Shots off target: 12

Corners:4

Referee: William Davis

Attendance: 1,242

Town man of the match: Plenty of contenders, there were eye-catching performances throughout the side. I'll pick out Scott High, who used the ball well in midfield, worked hard and offered a good mix of style and substance.