Memories banished with polished performance
Scott Boden’s first goal for the club helped FC Halifax Town ease to victory with a comprehensive 3-0 win at Chester. Richard Peniket scored his third in two games and Matt Pearson got his first of the season as Town produced their best performance of the campaign so far.
Neil Aspin’s side outfought and out-thought Chester to banish memories of their incredible loss here last season with a display bursting with commitment and creativity.
Is this really the same club that couldn’t win on the road for so long last year?
Peniket, making his first Town start along with Jamie Jackson, should have got the visitors off to a dream start but blazed over when unmarked.
Then on almost exactly the same spot six months ago that hesitancy cost Town, the same was nearly true of Chester as Paul Marshall nicked the ball from Matty Brown before Freddy Hall saved his shot.
The keeper was kept busy by Steve Williams’ turn and shot and Jackson’s strike across goal that was tipped round the post at full stretch.
But he could do nothing when Peniket rifled a shot into the far corner after Chester’s static defence failed to deal with Pearson’s low cross.
The only surprise was it had taken 35 minutes.
Chester weren’t any better after the goal either; the best they could muster was John Rooney’s fierce drive just over.
That preceded an exquisite through ball by Marshall that Rooney’s brother would have been proud of, but Boden’s shot was deflected wide.
There was still time for Pearson to fire over from Peniket’s knock-down before the end of a half Town probably wished would never end and that Chester had barely begun.
It was a similar story af- ter the break, with Chester’s route one approach to Chris Iwelumo bearing no fruit, while the omnipresent Town midfield closed off any alternative routes.
Chester’s defence was again statuesque as Roberts flighted in a cross and Boden deftly headed beyond Hall.
By the time Pearson raced clear to cap a tremendous performance with his goal, it was reminiscent of the club’s 4-0 trouncing of Barnet as Town brushed aside their hosts in style. Chester: Hall, Kay, Brown, Charnock, G Roberts (Heneghan 46), James, Mahon (Menagh 54), Rooney, Winn (Hobson 77), Iwelumo, McConville. Subs not used: Worsnop, Blake. Shots on target: 1 Shots off target: 5 Corners: 3 Halifax: Glennon, Bolton, M Roberts, Williams, McManus, Maynard, Pearson, Marshall, Peniket (Dyer 80), Jackson (Schofield 62), Boden. Subs not used: Senior, Ainge, K Roberts. Scorers: Peniket (35), Boden (70), Pearson (84) Shots on target: 6 Shots off target: 11 Corners: 8 Attendance: 2,501 Town man of the match: Matt Pearson FC Halifax Town head to Bristol Rovers on Saturday (3.0) aiming to extend their recordbreaking start to the season to six wins out of six.
Dover, Southport, Welling, Chester and Lincoln have all been beaten so far this campaign, with Town rattling in 13 goals, with only Grimsby and Barnet scoring more in the division.
Town are yet to concede a goal on their travels so far this term, although Bristol Rovers are yet to concede at home.
Only five clubs won more games at home in League Two than the Pirates last season, who had the fifth best defensive record on their own patch.
The club are currently embroiled in a row over a planning appeal surrounding their current ground, which they are hoping to sell to supermarket giant Sainsbury’s.
They want to move to a new £40m, 21,700-seat stadium but the delay may end up costing the club an extra £400,000.
As if that wasn’t bad enough, Rovers have made an underwhelming start to life in non-league, winning just one of their first five games.
Manager Darrell Clarke joined the club as assistant manager to John Ward in June 2013 but was made manager in March after Ward became director of football.
But he was unable to prevent them slipping out of the Football League for the first time in 94 years.
He oversaw a busy summer of 16 departures and 11 arrivals, including three from his previous club Salisbury.
The come into the game on the back of a creditable 1-1 draw at Forest Green on Bank Holiday Monday.
They also drew with Grimsby on the opening day of the season before consecutive away defeats at Altrincham and Barnet and a win over Telford.
Among Clarke’s squad is on- loan Cambridge striker Adam Cunnington, who scored twice against Halifax on the opening weekend of last season.
Halifax’s last visit to the Memorial Stadium was in February 2002, when the Shaymen lost 2-0 on their way to being relegated from the Football League.
A draw will guarantee Town remain top of the table.