Goals from Max Wright and Adam Senior help the Shaymen to a 2-1 win despite a scare from former Town striker Mani Dieseruvwe.
Chris Millington named an unchanged team from the 2-1 win against Kidderminster Harriers on Saturday. For Hartlepool, Joe Mattock came in for his debut and Charlie Seaman returned to the side. Just the two changes from their 2-1 loss at the weekend courtesy of a late Aldershot comeback.
In the 9th minute Millenic Alli nearly put Town ahead, forcing Pete Jameson Hartlepool’s goalkeeper into a low diving save. The result corner was a dangerous one for the Shaymen with them looking the more likely to take the lead.
Hartlepool’s first shot on target predictably came from striker Mani Dieseruvwe. Dieseruvwe moved from the Shaymen to Hartlepool in the summer after finishing the previous season as the top goalscorer with 13 goals.
20 minutes in, Town came close to going ahead. Firstly, through Aaron Cosgrave whose low shot nearly found its way into the far corner and then through Alli who tried to squeeze one past Jameson and into the near post.
In the 34th minute Max Wright put Halifax 1-0 up. Wright’s 1st goal for the club came from a corner, the ball fell to his feet off the head of a Hartlepool defender, and he laced it past Jameson.
Only 5 minutes later Dieseruvwe equalised against his former club making it 1-1. Like the Halifax goal it came from corner, the ball was headed into the striker who volleyed it into the top corner on the swivel for his 10th league goal of the season.
Early in the second half, Halifax went ahead again through Adam Senior in the 48th minute. Another corner saw Cosgrave shield the ball and chest it to the defender who blasted it in from a few yards out making it 2-1.
In the 54th Midfielder Florent Hoti had a good chance to make it a 3rd for Halifax as his shot from inside the box was blocked by Alex Lacey. A minute later Alli intercepted a misplaced Jameson pass in the oppositions box, went round the keeper but couldn’t put the ball in the open goal as he got his feet in a twist.
The first substitution of the game came in the 57th minute as Pool’s Josh Umerah came on for Terrell Agyemang.
Defender Jamie Stott became Town’s second player to pick up a booking in the 64th with Wright picking a card up 13 minutes earlier.
Johnson then made an incredible save in the 65th minute off Dieseruvwe, who volleyed it powerfully into his outstretched left fist. The Shaymen’s number 1 made another great save but this time with his feet to deny Pool’s Umerah just over 10 minutes later.
Seaman’s return to the Hartlepool side ended after 78 minutes as he was replaced by Matt Dolan. 3 minutes later Halifax made their first sub with goal scorer Wright coming off for Andrew Oluwabori.
The home team managed to see out the game despite 7 minutes of added time, thanks to yet another top save from Sam Johnson in the 90th minute.
Hartlepool will be looking to alter their run of form next up against Rochdale on Saturday. The loss means they’ve only won 2 in their last 10 whereas Millington’s side will be confident they can extend their league form at the weekend away to York City.
FC Halifax Town:
1 Sam Johnson ©, 16 Jordan Keane, 3 Ryan Galvin, 5 Adam Senior, 6 Jamie Stott, 14 Kane Thompson-Sommers, 8 Jack Hunter, 19 Aaron Cosgrave, 18 Florent Hoti, 11 Millenic Alli, 17 Max Wright (22 Andrew Oluwabori 81)
Subs: 31 Tom Scott, 20 Jimiel Chikukwa, 21 Tom Wilson, 26 Justin Iwobi
Hartlepool United:
13 Pete Jameson, 22 Tom Crawford, 19 Joe Mattock, 3 David Ferguson © 35 Nicky Featherstone, 20 Mani Dieseruvwe, 5 Alex Lacey (23 Manny Onaraise 87), 12 Joe Grey, 27 Luke Hendrie, 28 Terrell Agyemang (9 Josh Umerah 57), 21 Charlie Seaman (4 Matt Dolan 78)
Subs: 1 Joel Dixon, 24 Brody Patterson
Referee: David Mcnamara
Goals: Wright 34, Dieseruvwe 39, Senior 48
Yellow Cards: Dieseruvwe 23, Crawford 29, Ferguson 45, Wright 51, Stott 64, Mattock 65, Lacey 75
Red Cards: None
Attendance: 2052 (273 away)
FC Halifax Town 2 Hartlepool United 1
Read more posts by FC Halifax Town
;
