Wrexham 0-0 FC Halifax Town

In Town’s sternest test of the season to date, they stood up to whatever Wrexham threw at them, as well as throwing their fair share back too, for a result they can reflect on with much pride.

Jamie Fullarton thought his side would relish the occasion under the lights at the league’s pace-setters, and he was right.

Halifax came to Wrexham last season without a permanent manager and with the relegation zone in sight; quite a contrast to the strong, self-assured Shaymen these days.

The draw then represented another point closer to safety. This time it is more evidence that Town could be here to stay among the big boys in the National League.

Town survived a fourth-minute thunderbolt from Mike Fondop-Talom that crashed back off the bar to create the better early chances.

Nathan Clarke had a header from a corner ruled out for a foul, and Matty Kosylo, Clarke and Jonathan Edwards - Halifax’s only change due to Ben Tomlinson’s injury - all fired off target from around the edge of the box.

Fondop-Talom was Wrexham’s biggest threat, shooting over and heading a free-kick towards the top left corner before Johnson reached high to save.

The contest was at odds with Town’s previous two away games at Boreham Wood and Sutton, with much more pace and intensity to the match.

But Town were far from overawed by their biggest examination of the campaign so far in-front of more than 5,000 at the Racecourse, dampening Wrexham’s ardour to the point where centre-back Jake Lawlor and goalkeeper Rob Lainton invoked the ire of an increasingly frustrated home crowd by swapping half-a-dozen passes before finally lumping it long a few minutes before the interval.

Luke Summerfield was forced to clear a Town header off the line shortly before the break, which Halifax reached in parity with a fair degree of comfort thanks to another disciplined, hard-working display: The Shaymen have only conceded two first-half goals from their nine matches this term.

By the hour mark, Fondop-Talom and Rekeil Pyke had both gone close with headers inside the box; Wrexham were looking the superior side but the pressure was building steadily rather than reaching a peak.

Halifax had lost some of their earlier composure, with Edwards’ shot at Rob Lainton from a tight angle against the run of play midway through the second-half.

Dayle Southwell went close to winning it late on with an excellent run and low shot that was tipped behind.

Wrexham: Lainton, Wright, Pearson, Lawlor, Jennings, Rutherford (Young 71), Carrington, Summerfield, Maguire-Drew (Holroyd 80), Pyke, Fondop-Talom (Beavon 64). Subs not used: Dibble, Walker.

Shots on target: 3

Shots off target: 8

Corners: 3

Halifax: Johnson, Hanson, Clarke, Brown, Skarz, Lenighan (Maher 75), Berrett, Preston, Southwell (King 90), Kosylo, Edwards. Subs not used: Rowley, McLeod, Odelusi.

Shots on target: 4

Shots off target: 3

Corners: 6

Attendance: 5,377

Referee: Joe Hull

Town man of the match: Matty Brown