FC Halifax Town were 1-0 winners over Boston United in the Vanarama National League this afternoo
The first whistle introduced The Shay to an aggressive start to the game, with the opening 10 minutes having no shortage of lively challenges from both sides. An early booking for Halifax came in the 8th minute for Festus Arthur, after the Town defender mistimed a challenge against Ex-Shayman Martin Woods.
The first convincing chance came for the visitors after Keaton Ward got the better of Ryan Galvin down the right-hand side. His attacking efforts allowed the winger to work his way into the box, and fire a shot away, but Town captain Sam Johnson diffused the situation with a near post save.
Following on from an Angelo Cappello corner, an ambitious effort from Arthur came in the 23rd minute. The crossed ball floated towards the defender’s head, before Arthur attempted an overhead kick, which was directed straight towards the keeper and safely dealt with by Cameron Gregory.
The Shaymen began to enjoy attacking spells of possession and settled into the game after what had been a physically entertaining opener. Attacking midfielder, Jamie Cooke, took an opportunity whilst being favoured in play and had a shot from outside the area but fortunately for The Pilgrims, his effort just sailed wide of the keepers far post.
Johnson was forced to make a save after Jacob Hazel took a shot from range. Boston’s striker, pressured by Town defenders, made a run in an attempt to weave into the box but was pressured into getting a shot away instead. His attempt was fired on target, but was intervened by a diving save from the Town keeper. Another chance came in quick succession for the away side, after a sweeping cross was delivered into the box, targeted towards Jimmy Knowles. The attacker beat his man at the far post, but his effort wasn’t enough to give his team the lead, after his header just fell wayward of the post.
Injury time saw both sides have a chance at breaking the deadlock before the interval.
Halifax were first off the mark and came at the hands of Zak Emmerson, after Cappello beat the pressure of Boston’s fullback, Jai Rowe, and managed to get a cross into the box from a very confided space. The ball into the area was attacked with force by Emmerson but was denied by a scrambling save from Gregory.
Johnson was also kept busy at the other end of the pitch, after Ward took a shot on target in the box and was saved by the Town captain. The danger hadn’t been totally dealt with however, which saw Arthur attempt to clear the ball but was ricocheted back towards the defender. Ultimately, Johnson was the one to step up, and ceased the threat with a well-handled save.
The start of the second half saw a heroic challenge from Dylan Hill, after a fantastic ball from Cappello was delivered to Thomas, which gave the Town attacker license to have a shot inside the box. Hill failed to header the crossed ball away from danger, but flew into a mighty slide tackle to deny the Town attacking efforts.
A Boston corner from Ward was attacked well by Zak Mills, who was picked out at the far post. The defender’s header looped into the air and was safely gathered by Johnson. The town captain looked for a counter attacking opportunity and distributed the ball out quickly, finding Jamie Cooke. The attacking midfielder drove with the ball but was halted at the halfway line after Cooke was abruptly stopped in his tracks by an audacious foul from Jordan Richards, who was booked for his foul on the Town player.
A fantastic counter attack for the Town conducted by Ryan Galvin, who ran down the left-hand side and delivered a ball into the box, saw the Shaymen finally take the lead. The fullback’s ball was hit first time by Jamie Cooke and was slotted into the bottom left corner.
A huge throw into the box from Boston substitute, Brad Nicholson, saw the Pilgrims have an effort in the Town’s box. The throw in soared into the box and was greeted by Connor Teale, who met the ball with an acrobatic effort, but his chance was diffused by the hands of Johnson.
Despite the away side’s efforts to bring the game back level, the Town were still hacking away at the visitors in hope to add to their lead. Followed on from a cross into Boston’s box, Will Smith had a chance to double the lead of the home side after his unorthodox effort came as a surprise to The Pilgrim keeper, but his chance proved to not be enough for a consolation goal after being saved by Gregory.
A late scare came for the home side, as Boston had an effort on target in injury time. The ball was worked into the box and wasn’t cleared away from danger quick enough, leaving Hazel to lay a ball off for Mills, who managed to get a shot off on target. Much to the Shaymen’s delights, Johnson saved the effort and kept a well deserved clean sheet.
Match Stats
FC Halifax Town
1 Sam Johnson ©, 5 Adam Senior, 15 Will Smith, 4 Festus Arthur, 3 Ryan Galvin, 30 Scott High, 6 Jack Evans, 21 Zak Emmerson, 9 Luca Thomas [Jack Jenkins 81], 10 Jamie Cooke, 11 Angelo Cappello [Max Wright 65]
Subs: 12 Nathaniel Ford, 14 Harvey Sutcliffe, 18 Florent Hoti, 23 Tom Pugh, 27 Adam Adetoro
Boston United
1 Cameron Gregory 3 Cameron Green [Tony Weston 72] 7 Keaton Ward [Adam Marriot 86] 8 Martin Woods [Brad Nicholson 58] 9 Jacob Hazel 12 Jai Rowe 14 Connor Teale 18 Jimmy Knowles [James Gale 65] 19 Jordan Richards 23 Zak Mills 24 Dylan Hill
2 Kieran Coates 16 20 Olly Green 30 Jake Lovelace
Referee: William Davis
Goals: Cooke 61
Yellow Cards: Arthur 8, Richards 60
Red Cards:
Attendance: 1668 [282]
FC Halifax Town 1 Boston United 0
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