FC Halifax Town recorded our first win of pre-season with a 2-1 victory away at Guiseley this afternoon in a game played behind closed doors at Nethermoor.
Town boss Pete Wild was able to give valuable minutes to his squad in just the second pre-season games ahead of the new season.
It was the Shaymen who started the brightest with an early Martin Woods corner which was aimed towards Niall Maher but was headed out for another corner, which was flicked on at the near post and defender Nick Crane fired over from close range.
However, the home side went ahead on 13 minutes with Kaine Felix getting himself into the area and fired past Sam Johnson into the bottom corner.
Midway through the first half, a loose header back to the keeper caught Guiseley’s trialist out giving away an unforced corner and Town were to capitalise with an equaliser. Luke Summerfield’s ball in was met by Maher at the far post who applied the finish on 23 minutes.
Just two minutes later, Jeff King did well to find Jamie Allen down the right channel and his first-time effort deflected over the bar for a corner as Town looked for that second goal.
It did not take long as Town went ahead on 28 minutes, a ball over the top caught Dan Cowan out and Jamie Allen was racing through on goal. A challenge came with two Guiseley defenders in the box, but the ball fell nice to Allen again and he slotted past the keeper to turn the game on its head.
On 32 minutes Kaine Felix put pressure on Town’s last defender, winning the ball but his shot was saved by the legs of Sam Johnson as Guiseley looked for an equaliser.
The Shaymen thought they might have made it 3-1 as a Martin Woods cross was put out for a corner, Luke Summerfield’s ball in was headed goalwards by Maher but Matty Gilliam headed off the line to deny Town.
The first sub of the game came when youth team defender Paddy Groomes came on for Jake Hemingway, who went off injured near the end of the half.
Pete Wild made a number of number of changes at the break as he continued with his preparation for the new season and it was the home side that nearly equalised just after the break but the effort was deflected wide of the target.
Five minutes into the second half, a touch by Green found Jake Hyde and his powerful effort was parried by the Guiseley keeper and then cleared off the line as Town looked to find a third goal of the afternoon
The home side had a great effort to equalise again, but the effort was turned around the post by Town’s trialist keeper from close range. This was followed up by an overhead kick which went well over the bar and not troubling the Town keeper.
More chances fell to the home side with a flicked header from 8 yards out flashing wide of the target and a corner into the box also being headed wide of the target too.
Kieran Green’s 63rd minute long range effort was deflected out for a corner; Jack Earing’s corner was cleared towards trialist as he looked to have a shot it was headed away from danger by a Guiseley defender. Town looked to punish Guiseley again with a set piece, but the ball did not fall kindly in the box and the home side were able to clear.
A great run by Senior down the left, cross into the box looked for the trialist striker, it was parried by the keeper and a follow up effort was turned around the post for a corner.
Jamie Allen had the ball in the net on 78 minutes after Mossimo Cirrarelli long ball forward, Allen outmuscled his defender, but the offside flag was already up on the near side to deny him a second goal of the match.
The ball fell to Kieran Green off a Guiseley defender and his effort deflected into the hands of the keeper with just a few minutes remaining.
A close-range effort in the box was narrowly wide as Town failed to clear their lines and Guiseley missed the chance for an equaliser.
In injury time, a header from the trialist for Town who played on the right-hand side was tipped over the bar when it looked like it was going to go in
Town held on for victory courtesy of the first half goals from Maher and Allen and will look to continue with pre-season next weekend with the only home pre-season game against Boston United on Saturday, 3pm kick-off (Behind Closed Doors)
First Half: 1 Sam Johnson, 17 Niall Maher, 14 Nick Crane, 6 Tom Bradbury, 2 Jeff King, 8 Martin Woods, 18 Luke Summerfield, 19 Jake Hemingway (Paddy Groomes), 16 Reuben Noble-Lazarus, 9 Jake Hyde, 7 Jamie Allen
Second Half: 12 Trialist, 22 Trialist, 17 Maher (2 Jeff King), 14 Nick Crane (6 Tom Bradbury) 20 Mossimo Cirrarelli, 4 Trialist (Paddy Groomes), 15 Kieran Green, 10 Jack Earing, 21 Jack Senior, 11 Trialist, 9 Jake Hyde (7 Jamie Allen)
Goals: Felix 13, Maher 23, Allen 28
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