FC Halifax Town will next face Alfreton Town in the Vanarama National League North as The Shaymen hope to continue their impressive run of recent form. If the past is anything to go by Billy Heath’s men should have a great away day down in Derbyshire.
The last time the two sides met was in the FA Trophy back in 2015 and despite Halifax eventually coming away as victors, it was Alfreton that set the game alight when right-back Bradley Wood bombed forward and sent in a cross that ended up looping over the head of Matt Glennon in the Halifax goal and giving Alfreton the lead inside the first minute. Steve Williams stepped up to equalise for The Shaymen following a flick on by Richard Peniket.
Alfreton were not done there though and again took the lead through a Lee Stevenson header and looked to be heading into head time with a 2-1 lead. However Peniket made sure that his side were level before the break as rose to head a long throw into the roof of the net in the 45th minute of the game.
The Derbyshire side made sure that Halifax had to chase the game for a third time after the interval when Tom Shaw’s deflected effort flew past Glennon, who could really have done nothing about it.
Again, The Shaymen turned to Peniket for an answer and the then 21-year old duly replied, bursting away from the Alfreton defence and finishing underneath the oncoming George Willis. Levelling the tie for the third time and confirming this game as a thriller.
Peniket was hungry for a hat trick and it only took him a couple of minutes after his second goal to make sure he was leaving with the match ball. Substitute Matty Pearson had struck an effort towards goal that was sailing wide before the striker raced towards the back post to bundle the ball home and give Halifax a 4-3 lead.
Alfreton reacted well to going a goal down for the first time in the game but it was Halifax who had the last laugh when Danny Schofield fired a free-kick that crashed off the Alfreton post and hit Willis on the back before going in. An own goal that gave Halifax the 5-3 win.
It’s the West Yorkshire side that have the better head to head record on a whole, winning four of the five games the two clubs have played against each other. Scoring an impressive 12 goals in the process.
You can watch Halifax take on Alfreton on the 31st of January at the Impact Arena, 7.45pm kick-off.
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