“We didn’t play the conditions well enough” says disappointed Wild

FC HALIFAX Town boss Pete Wild says his side didn’t play the conditions as well as they should have after they lost 3-1 at Hartlepool on a blustery Boxing Day in the north east.

Second-half goals from Rhys Oates and Mason Bloomfield condemned Town to defeat after Nyal Bell’s dismissal

Billy Chadwick’s second goal in three games had brought Town level after Ryan Johnson’s early opener.

“The weather was very much a leveller, their first goal comes from us not dealing with the wind and the swirl, and unfortunately he gets the better of Greeny at the far post,” said Wild. “But then we get back in the game and I thought for the majority of the first-half we were by far the better side. We felt second-half we were going to come out and dominate, but we didn’t play the conditions as well as we should have. There was nothing in the game, but he (Oates) gets down the side of us and makes it 2-1. That’s probably the difference.”

Johnson put Hartlepool ahead with the first chance of the game from the first corner.

But Town were behind for just six minutes as Kieran Green supplied a perfectly-weighted through ball for Chadwick, who blasted in a low shot past keeper Ben Killip.

Bell fired just wide after somehow shaking off the clutches of a Hartlepool defender.

A fine through ball by Mark Shelton was raced onto by Oates, who beat Tom Bradbury for pace and finished low across Sam Johnson.

Luke Summerfield curled a shot just wide in response as the game started to open up, but Halifax’s hopes of another equaliser were dealt a blow when Bell was dismissed for a second booking for a strong challenge on Timi Odusina.

Substitute Bloomfield then wrapped up the win with a drilled shot after controlling the ball superbly.

Hartlepool: Killip, Sterry, Johnson, Odusina, Ferguson (Bunney 28), Magliore, Shelton, Featherstone, Holohan, Oates (Bloomfield 84), Armstrong. Subs not used: Crawford, Grey, Donaldson.

Scorers: Johnson (7), Oates (57), Bloomfield (90)

Shots on target: 5; Shots off target: 2

Corners: 6

Halifax: Johnson, Maher, Bradbury, Williams, Summerfield, Green, Woods, Senior, Chadwick, Bell, Nepomuceno (Earing 79). Subs not used: Davison-Hale, Tear, Danns, Crane

Scorer: Chadwick (13)

Shots on target: 1; Shots off target: 10

Corners: 3

Referee: Andrew Kitching

Town man of the match: Luke Summerfield