Since Wealdstone have been unable to find their first home win so far this season and FC Halifax Town have lacked their first away victory, both sides entered this game with a must-win mentality, but the Shaymen were the team who could rewrite this statistic and find their first away win of the season through the super sub, Amari Morgan-Smith’s goal.
Neither team was able to create any real chances in the first five minutes, with the only minor opportunity coming for the Shaymen with a free kick, but delivered short by Gilsenan.
The first big opportunity came for Wealdstone at the six-minute mark when number 11 Dan Chesters cut in on his right foot just inside the penalty area but was unable to trouble True Grant as the shot lacked any real power or accuracy.
Play was halted in the 16th minute when Zak Gilsenan went down injured, prompting a substitution for number 4 Will Hugill.
The Shaymen’s next chance came in the 25th minute when Connor Douglas tried to cut back a cross after good wing play but couldn’t find a Town shirt.
The first booking of the game came for one of the FC Halifax Town coaches following some off-field antics with the fourth official just before the 35th minute.
The Wealdstone forward Kyle Smith fired a shot far over the crossbar, which prompted cheers from the away end just before the 40th minute mark.
After an uneventful first 45, both sides looked to change that going into the second half.
One substitute was made by FC Halifax Town at half-time, when number nine Connor Carty left the field for number 14 Amari Morgan Smith.
The first chance after the break came after an uneventful first 10 minutes in the second half, when number 10 Jayden Harris drove down the right-hand side with the ball and then cut inside past the Town defender but was unable to make the final ball to one of his teammates.
The first goal of the game went to the Shaymen in the 58th when Hugill drove down the right side before unleashing a shot, which was parried by the Wealdstone goalkeeper but only in a danger zone in which the substitute Morgan Smith was occupying, who could tap the ball into the net from close range to secure a 1-0 lead and his first league goal for the Shaymen.
The Shaymen pushed for a second shortly after, but Will Hugill was unable to return the pass to Raheem Conte, which would have put him through on goal.
Wealdstone looked for a route back into the game in the 68th minute, but a looping cross from number 18 Kyle Smith was cut out by the Town defence.
The next event of the game came in the 78th minute when Jayden Harris put an excellent cross into the penalty area, which was turned back to True Grant from a Halifax body, with claims of handball that echoed around the stadium, but no decision of a penalty was given in favour of Wealdstone.
The next chance came for the Shaymen in the 89th minute when Cody Johnson shot low and hard from just outside the penalty area, which forced the Wealdstone goalkeeper Dante Baptiste into making an excellent save.
The referee then ended proceedings at the Vale Stadium, which saw Halifax pick up their first away victory this season.
Onto Saturday now for the Shaymen with a home fixture against Sutton United on the horizon.
Wealdstone
1 Dante Baptiste, 2 Jack Cook (29 Amaru Kaunda 72) 4 Jack Wells-Morrison, 8 Dylan Kadji (6 Mason Barrett 65), 9 Olufela Olomola (19 Wilson Waweru 65), 10 Jayden Harris, 11 Dan Chesters (15 Aaron Henry 66), 12 Aidan Francis-Clarke, 18 Kyle Smith, 22 Connor McAvoy (c), 23 Jayden Mundle-Smith (27 Tyrelle Newton 46)
Subs: 13 Endurance Johnson
FC Halifax Town
33 True Grant, 2 Max Bardell, 3 Raheem Conte, 5 Shaun Hobson, 8 Will Flint, 9 Conor Carty (14 Amari Morgan-Smith 46), 10 Zak Gilsenan (4 Will Hugill 18), 11 Conor Douglas, 17 Ben Tollitt (16 Deniche Hill 79), 20 Tayt Trusty, 30 Cody Johnson (c)
Subs: 1 Sam Johnson, 18 Arian Allen, 19 AJ Warburton, 27 Cruz Allen
Referee: James Oldham
Goals: Morgan-Smith 58
Yellow Cards: Smith 83, Hill 83
Red Cards: None
Attendance: 1347 (44 away)
Wealdstone 0 FC Halifax Town 1
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