Match Report

For the second consecutive game Sutton forced thirteen corners, and for the second consecutive game had nothing at the end to show for their efforts as Michael Duckworth’s first goal for Halifax, with his team’s only on target shot of the evening early in the second half, saw the Yorkshire side pick up their first victory at Gander Green Lane and maintain the pressure at the top of the table, while U’s remain in the bottom four after a performance which promised much, particularly in the first half.

It would have been hard for any neutral walking in to the ground during the first half to know which was the side struggling at the foot of the table and which was the side that had been top prior to Saturday’s second half implosion at Bromley, with the game played almost entirely in the Halifax half and U’s playing some good football and never letting Halifax settle, but for all their possession and corners, eight of which came before the interval, they struggled to create any clear openings. Indeed the first glimmer of a chance was set up for them by some careless Halifax defending which ended with Tommy Wright blocking goalkeeper Sam Johnson’s clearance but the ball cleared from inside the six yard box.

Dan Matuszaka then headed over from one of Rob Milsom’s corners (above), and Kenny Davis sent a 20-yard shot just over the bar, but the closest to a goal came when Milsom delivered a free kick from the right that looked to be overhit but which had to be tipped over by Johnson as it threatened to dip under the angle of post and bar.

Halifax had managed one long range, off target from Liam McAlinden in the first half, and their leading scorer failed to appear after the break, but they came out in a more positive fashion in the second half and within eight minutes Josh McDonald’s low cross had flashed across goal just out of the reach of Tobi Sho-Silva but was converted by Duckworth, arriving late at the far post to shoot home.

It was a blow to U’s confidence and they struggled to recapture the fluency they had shown at times in the first half. Infact Halifax might have doubled their lead when U’s failed to clear a set piece and the ball fell to Josh Staunton, who skied his shot over the bar from close range.

U’s rang the changes in the second half, with Wright, struggling through illness, replaced by Aaron Jarvis, and Craig Eastmond and Will Randall also introduced, and they worked hard to force the equaliser that would have been the least they deserved. Omar Bugiel hit one fierce shot on the turn that was turned aside by Johnson, but U’s fortunes at present were summed up with three minutes to go as a corner from Kyel Reid, who had assumed dead ball duties in the second half, was met by a towering header from Bugiel which crashed back off the crossbar. Matsuzaka’s follow-up header was cleared off the line, Harry Beautyman’s attempt suffered the same fate, and Halifax gratefully held on for the points.

Halifax: S Johnson, J King(sub N Maher 86), M Duckworth, N Clarke, J Staunton, J Hanson, L McDonald(sub J Allen 72), L Nolan, L McAlinden(sub J Earing H-T), C Cooper, T Sho-Silva. Subs n/u W Appleyard, D Southwell. Booked: Sho-Silva, King

Referee: Alan Dale