FC Halifax Town manager Jamie Fullarton was pleased that the Club was able to pay tribute to former Town defender Scott McManus who left the Shaymen this summer to join his local side Coalville Town following 7 years at the MBi Shay Stadium.
Fullarton told the official website after the game, “It was a great occasions with Scott McManus being here, it was fitting and the presentation before the game was great for everyone at the Club. He was a great servant to FC Halifax Town and that’s what encouraged us to have the game. It was the opportunity to give him a great send off.”
Fullarton told the official website after the game, “It was a great occasions with Scott McManus being here, it was fitting and the presentation before the game was great for everyone at the Club. He was a great servant to FC Halifax Town and that’s what encouraged us to have the game. It was the opportunity to give him a great send off.”
This was the Shaymen’s fifth pre-season game following games against Stockport County, Brighouse Town, Bolton Wanderers and Port Vale and Fullarton was pleased with the opportunity that the game was able to bring to his team.
He said, “It was also part of our build up to the first game of the season, every game asks you different questions. Today with the pitch, the conditions, the attitude of the opposition it was a good test for us as we build towards that first game against Braintree Town on August 4th.”
He continued, “It’s no different for Coalville playing us as it is us playing Bolton Wanderers at home, all players have a personal pride in playing and that they can show that they can play at that level. Coalville missed out on the play-offs last season via the play-offs, they have strengthened with players like Scott McManus which gives them balance, experience and a bit of quality. So there were no surprises from me from Coalville today.
Fullarton was pleased with various aspects of his team’s performance but knows there is still work to be done as he plans for the upcoming National League season.
“The game highlighted areas for me we still need to work on”, he said. “The nature of being Scottish, your never really happy or satisfied. We are working towards that first game, there was pleasing aspects of our game in what was difficult conditions and a team who was playing like there was something on the line for them.”
“The amount of chances we created this afternoon was very positive, I would expect us and look for us to take advantage of those chances in the league season”.
In a game which saw more subs used than if it was a league game, Fullarton was pleased with the way his side dealt with the changes.
“The boys have worked really hard in the last month both demanding physically and mentally, with the input we are trying to put in they are responding very well. We are looking to get into a rhythm with our weekly routine and the next two weeks will allow us to do that. We made a decision not to have a midweek game next week and it’s based on the plan towards Braintree to have players fit and able to be selected for that game.”
“We adapted well second half, the subs we made contributed well to the way we played and they made some good decisions all over the pitch which created some great opportunities for us.”
With just one pre-season game left ahead of the season, Town have no midweek game now and that’s something that Fullarton is happy about.
“The boys have worked really hard in the last month both demanding physically and mentally, with the input we are trying to put in they are responding very well. We are looking to get into a rhythm with our weekly routine and the next two weeks will allow us to do that. We made a decision not to have a midweek game next week and it’s based on the plan towards Braintree to have players fit and able to be selected for that game.”
Town are back in action next Saturday with the final pre-season game with Boston United travelling to the MBi Shay Stadium, 3pm kick-off.
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