FC Halifax Town have finished the season with a 2-0 victory over play-off hopefuls AFC Fylde at Mill Farm in an early kick-off.
The home side were looking to finish the season in 4th place with victory over the Shaymen and made a number of changes to their starting XI with the play-offs guaranteed which saw 9 changes from their 1-0 win over Salford City in their last game.
Jamie Fullarton made two changes with Jordan Preston and Manny Duku replacing Scott Quigley and Ryan Gondoh in the starting XI.
Danny Philliskirk had an effort fired over the bar from 25 yards out as the home side looked to take an early lead.
Town captain Matty Brown thought he had put the Shaymen ahead midway through the first half. A Jordan Preston freekick found Nathan Clarke at the far post, he headed back across goal for Brown to head home but the offside flag was up early to deny Town.
Sam Johnson had to be at his best as a cross into the box came off fullback Joe Skarz and he tipped the ball from close range around the post for a corner.
Nick Haughton curled a 25 yard shot wide of the target before going down under a challenge in the box but referee Martin Woods waved away his hopeful look for a penalty.
The Shaymen won a corner through good work from Devante Rodney, the resulting corner was headed away. Nathan Clarke got theball back into the box and found Manny Duku, into Devante Rodney who fired over but the offside flag was up again.
However Town weren’t to be denied. Another Jordan Preston freekick in a simiar position saw Matty Brown head past former Town loanee Russell Griffiths for the opening goal of the game.
Town doubled the lead shortly afterwards. Jordan Preston found Manny Duku on the right and his cross was turned home by Arlen Birch past Griffiths for 2-0.
Preston tried to make it 3-0 himself but his 30 yard effort was well watched by Griffith before the break.
Former Town loanee James Hardy looked to pull one back in the second half but his shot was saved by Johnson at the 2nd attempt, before a quick freekick found Haughton but his shot was always rising over the bar.
Rodney won the ball in his own half, King found Kosylo in the box and he slid the ball into Duku. His low shot was past Griffiths but the wrong side of the post.
Alex Reid fired over before Hardy rounded Sam Johnson but his effort was blocked for a corner as Town defended well to keep yet another clean sheet.
Town finish the season in 16th place.
FCHT: 1 Sam Johnson, 4 Nathan Clarke, 5 Matty Brown ©, 7 Matty Kosylo, 8 Cameron King, 18 James Berrett, 19 Jordan Preston, 31 Niall Maher, 34 Manny Duku, 35 Devante Rodney, 39 Joe Skarz
Subs: 21 Shaun Rowley, 6 Josh Staunton, 10 Jonathan Edwards, 24 Harry Freedman, 33 Ryan Gondoh
AFC Fylde: 13 Russ Griffiths, 7 James Hardy, 10 Danny Philliskirk (C), 11 Tom Crawford, 14 Ash Hemmings, 16 Arlen Birch, 18 Timi Odusina, 21 Tom Brewitt (5 Jordan Tunnicliffe 69 ), 27 Nick Haughton (12 Luke Burke 81), 29 Lewis Walters (20 Serhat Tasdemir 46), 30 Alex Reid
Subs: 6 Andy Bond, 9 Danny Rowe,
Goals: Brown 38 Birch og 42
Yellow Cards: Clarke 23, Rodney 45
Red Cards: None
Attendance: 1891
Full Time: AFC Fylde 0 FC Halifax Town 2
Read more posts by Kelly Gilchrist
;
