FC Halifax Town manager Billy Heath has said that his side play uglier following their 4-2 defeat away to Tranmere Rovers in the Vanarama National League.
A James Norwood double and goals from Larnell Cole and Dylan Mottley-Henry gave Tranmere all three points at Prenton Park as Town fell to their sixth successive game without a win in all competitions.
Heath feels that his team must return to the basics that saw them go as high as second in the table in the early few weeks of the season.
“We’re too open and we’re too free at the minute,” Heath told Shaymen TV, “we’re letting the opposition have an easy ride against us at the minute.
“That’s something that we’ve got to rectify, and we have to go right back to being ugly and getting players on the pitch that want to stop other players from playing.
“That means getting close to people, putting people under pressure, not giving them any time on the football all over the pitch, this isn’t just in the central areas of the pitch.
“If that means playing the most hardest working players, if that means going back to playing the players that might have to go back to being destructive and ugly to start with, then that’s what we’ll do.
Tranmere took an early 2-0 lead inside the first 14 minutes after two goals from Norwood before Matty Brown pulled one back early in the second half.
However, Town’s momentum was short-lived as Cole scored seconds later. Heath feels it a huge blow to concede so soon after scoring.
“We got the goal,” Heath continued, “but instead of seeing out and having a five-minute spell where you just settle down again, we let them straight back in.
“Literally, from the kick off, we let them straight back in. We’re making individual mistakes, but like I said to the players in there (the dressing room), ‘we’ve just got to roll our sleeves up’.
“We’re in a league where we know what we are, and we’ve got to stop other people playing first and foremost. We must be solid, we must be strong. It’s about picking our moments and that’s what we’ve got to get back to.”
Midfielder Daniel Batty scored Town’s second on his debut for the club following his loan move from Hull City earlier this week. Heath was impressed by the 19-year-old first outing in a Halifax shirt.
“Danny (Batty) got his goal and he did ever so well in the second-half,” added Heath. He can play as a number four or he can play as a number eight.”
“He played quite well-off Denton because he is intelligent, he’s got quality and he’s got mobility. Second-half, his performance was exceptional.”
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