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Dramatic winner secures instant Halifax return
VERDICT: You can’t keep the Shaymen down – just 12 months after the disaster of relegation, Halifax showed all the heart they needed to get back at the first attempt
AND they said whoever dropped into the jaws of the National League North would get swallowed up.
Scott Garner’s towering extra-time header propelled FC Halifax Town back into the Vanarama National League at the first attempt after a compelling final contest with Chorley.
Despite a Wembley triumph in the FA Trophy last season, there were tears of sadness 12 months ago as the Shaymen were relegated to a daunting Step 2 division packed with big hitters.
However, a year on, the Shay was filled with tears of joy as Town regained their place in Non-League’s top flight.
Kevin Roberts gave Town a deserved lead just after the half-time interval but his strike was cancelled out on the hour-mark thanks to Adam Blakeman’s fabulous free kick which forced an added 30 minutes.
But Town, roared on by a recordbreaking National League North crowd, regained their advantage when Garner met Jordan Sinnott’s right wing cross in the 101st minute.
Victorious manager, Billy Heath, who sacrificed the chance to compete in the National League after a completing the same feat with North Ferriby United last season, was delighted.
“It’s a fantastic feeling after a lot of hard work,” Heath said. “All of the players have been magnificent. We have had ups and downs throughout the season but the players have all stuck together at every point and they had to really, really dig in today.
“It was a cup final where the pendulum swung both ways. We both had good and bad spells. We were tentative in the first half and at half-time I told the players to get on the front foot.
“I said that we needed to embrace it a bit more and to push a little harder.
am just totally elated and it is a great feeling again. I came to a big football club last season after working so hard with North Ferriby to get into the National League. But we all make choices and, as it turns out, it was obviously the right choice.”
The Shaymen started the brightest with Dion Charles cutting in from the left only to see his low shot deflect wide.
Fellow winger, Matty Kosylo, then delivered a teasing cross from the right but it was cleared at the near post.
Heath’s plans were shaken when Josh Wilde had to be replaced by Tom Denton as Chorley started to produce a battling performance. However, Town continued to create chances. Sinnott’s long throw was flicked on by Denton but Garner could only stab the ball into the safe arms of Ritchie Branagan.
Charles then crossed from the left but Denton and Richard Peniket could not connect and Roberts, not expecting the ball, failed to trouble Branagan.
Matty Brown, Town’s first-leg penalty shootout hero last Sunday, then nearly gifted the Magpies the opening goal but his header across his own sixyard box missed everyone.
Halifax started the second half better when the excellent Sinnott fed the ram“I paging Roberts who calmly slotted through the legs of Branagan two minutes after the restart. Denton then flicked a header wide and Kosylo fired off target as the Shaymen looked to double their lead. However, they were pegged back less than fifteen minutes later when Blakeman curled in a sumptuous 25-yard free-kick into the bottom corner beyond Sam Johnson. That prompted the home side back into action. Denton’s close-range effort was easily saved by Branagan but he had had to be at his best to fly to his left to keep out Sinnott’s long-range drive. But it was the visitors who had the final chance of normal time when Blakeman shot straight at Johnson when well-placed deep into six minutes of added time. Chances continued to come in an enthralling thirty minutes of extra time with Sinnott, yet again, forcing Branagan into another fine save – this time from an ambitious free kick. But they didn’t have to wait long for the goal they craved. Again, Sinnott was the architect as his cross was met by the head of the equally brilliant Garner, who found the far corner. Hearts were in mouths when Chorley keeper Branagan came up for a last-ditch corner and sent an acrobatic volley inches over the bar, allowing the Shaymen a swift return to the top table. Proud Chorley boss Matt Jansen felt his side’s performance didn’t get the result it deserved. “Devastation is maybe the wrong word, it’s just heart-wrenching because, the lads, all season they’ve run through brick walls,” he said. “They’ve got to this stage and to lose at this late stage is such a hard feeling to bear.”