‘They took their chances, we didn’t’ rues Town boss
FC HALIFAX Town boss Pete Wild says his team’s wasteful finishing cost them a place in the FA Trophy after they were knocked out 2-1 by Southport at The Shay.
“If you don’t take your chances, you don’t win football matches,” Wild said. “We’ve had 12 decent opportunities at goal, we’ve had 20 opportunities all in, and scored one. That’s why we’ve got beat. They took their chances and they come away with a 2-1 win.
“You can have as much of the ball as you want, but if you don’t take your chances, clear cut chances by the way, then you don’t win the football match.
“I just thought we were passive, weak with the ball and weak without the ball, and that’s why we got beat.”
Town’s recent history with lower-league clubs isn’t great - think Halesowen and South Shields - and Southport’s early goal raised the possibility they could add themselves to that list.
David Morgan did well to work some space before his dinked cross was nodded in by Newell.
But Town went on to dominate the rest of the first-half and after Lewis Mansell’s shot was cleared in-front of the goalline, Earing raced behind the Southport defence, and rounded the keeper before just about squeezing the ball home from a tight angle.
The Shaymen twice hit the bar and squandered some glorious chances before Anson turned in the box and drove the ball high into the net from an acute angle, with Town again ruing some slack defending.
Halifax: Johnson, Byrne, Maher, Bradbury (Belehouan 62), King, Summerfield, Woods (Allen 62), Earing, Green, Senior (Tear 73), Mansell. Subs not used: Davison-Hale, Williams, Crane, Benn.
Scorer: Earing (20)
Shots on target: 6
Shots off target: 13
Corners: 6
Southport: McMillan, Oliver, Ali, Anson, Bainbridge, Morgan, Benjamin, Doyle (Vassallo 53), Watson, Newell (Woods 73), Archer. Subs not used: Hanford, Carver, Challiner
Scorers: Newell (10), Anson (68)
Shots on target: 7
Shots off target: 3
Corners: 7
Referee: Martin Woods
Town man of the match: Kieran Green
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