Shaymen find a way to win thanks to skipper Maher’s goal against Barnet

CAPTAIN NIALL Maher’s firsthalf goal proved decisive as FC Halifax Town won a poor game 1-0 at home to Barnet.

Town were far from their best but did what they had to, ground it out, saw it through and just about edged it.

The state of the pitch doesn’t exactly bode well for the rest of the season if it can’t be improved, with the Shay surface playing a significant part in the contest. It, like the match, wasn’t pretty.

The bobbly, sticky condition of the pitch meant this wasn’t the game for a lightness of touch or one-twos, but as well as being hampered by the surface, Town weren’t helping themselves by missing some of the basics, with passes going astray in the opposition half and just not enough quality on the ball.

After 40 minutes of being second best, the hosts squandered a huge chance to go infront when Ephron MasonClark escaped the attention of Maher and burst through one on one with Sam Johnson, but could only shoot tamely at the Town keeper.

That miss looked even worse when a corner was punched by Barnet keeper Aston Oxborough as far as Maher around 15 yards out and he kept cool to finish through a host of bodies.

Barnet showed they had some spirit and resolve by shading the start to the secondhalf, with a Ross Marshall volley arcing just over when a free kick, one of several inside the Town half for the visitors, was flicked onto him in the box..

Waters, who’d had one of his quieter games on the left, almost immediately saw a shot flash narrowly wide having moved up top after Spence cleverly let the ball run onto him.

The game was delicately poised, with Marshall bringing a full-stretch save from Johnson as Town tension rose. But Town did enough to secure a much-needed win.

Halifax: Johnson, Maher, Debrah, Bradbury, Allen (Thomas 88), Summerfield, Woods, Spence, Warren, Martin (Slew 63), Waters (McDonagh 78). Subs not used: Warburton, Gilmour.

Scorer: Maher (41)

Shots on target: 3; Shots off target: 5

Corners: 2

Barnet: Oxborough, Howe, Taylor, Greenidge, Beard, Hall (De Havilland 77), Marshall, Fonguck (Marriott 65), Mason-Clark, Powell (Walsh 82), Grego-Cox. Subs not used: Askew, Woods.

Shots on target: 2; Shots off target: 7

Corners: 8

Attendance: 1,799 (77 away)

Referee: Garreth Rhodes

Town man of the match: Jesse Debrah