Halifax Courier

Shaymen let the lead slip twice in home defeat to Notts County

- Tom Scargill tom.scargill@jpimedia.co.uk @hxcouriert­om

FC HALIFAX Town let the lead slip twice as they lost 4-2 to Notts County at The Shay.

Shawn McCoulsky’s goal just before half-time was cancelled out shortly after the restart by former Halifax loanee Kyle Wootton, who scored the winner against Halifax in September.

Jamie Allen then restored Town’s lead, but a brace by Mitch Rose, including one from

The contest was drifting aimlessly towards a goalless first-half

the penalty spot, sealed County’s comeback as an awful firsthalf was followed by an actionpack­ed second 45 which swung eventually Notts County’s way, with Wootton grabbing his second in added time.

The contest was drifting aimlessly towards a goalless firsthalf, with neither side offering anything to break the monotony.

However, just before the break, Michael Duckworth took it upon himself to inject some urgency into the contest by charging upfield and was rewarded when his shot took a deflection off McCoulsky and wrong-footed Fitzsimons.

County were soon

level though when Wootton drilled the loose ball home from a freekick into the box shortly after the interval.

Halifax regained the lead, and this time had Josh Staunton to thank for stamping his mark on proceeding­s, and he burst forward and played in Williams down the left, whose cross was drilled across goal by Allen after it had evaded a touch in the middle of goal.

But the lead lasted only three minutes as Rose’s thunderbol­t restored parity in what was now a frenetic contest, with the midfielder blasting the ball home from 20 yards after a Town clearance fell to him.

He nearly did it again shortly afterwards from another Halifax half-clearance, but his shot hit the top of the bar on its way over.

The contest was now delicately poised, suddenly fizzing with energy and aggression. Wes Thomas and Enzio Boldewijn both went close for the visitors as the momentum threatened to swing decisively in their favour.

And it did when Rose confidentl­y converted from the spot after Josh Staunton was penalised for a foul on the County player in the box.

Wootton added the gloss in added time as County broke from a Town corner with Halifax players committed upfield.

ONLINE: www.halifaxcou­rier. co.uk

 ??  ?? IN VAIN: Jamie Allen scored for Halifax against Notts County but it wasn’t enough to stop them falling to a 4-2 defeat at The Shay last Saturday. Photo: Jim Fitton.
IN VAIN: Jamie Allen scored for Halifax against Notts County but it wasn’t enough to stop them falling to a 4-2 defeat at The Shay last Saturday. Photo: Jim Fitton.

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