SHAYMEN HIT WRIGHT TRACK
MAX WRIGHT bagged a birthday brace as FC Halifax Town moved into the play-off places with victory over Kidderminster Harriers, dealing a blow to the hosts’ hopes of staying in the division in the process.
Wright, who turned 26 yesterday, struck twice in the second half to take the Shaymen up to seventh and leave Harriers a point from safety with only two games to play.
“It was a day when the result was the most important thing” a thrilled Halifax boss Chris Millington said. “We always knew the performance was going to be a difficult one with what Kidderminster are fighting for and the way they play. We knew it would be a real battle and we had to stay in it.”
Charlie Weston was unfortunate not to have opened the scoring for the Harriers halfway through the first half as his rasping half-volley crept wide of the Halifax upright.
The deadlock was close to being broken nine minutes before the break when Amari Morgan-Smith slid his effort wide at the second attempt from Christian Oxlade-Chamberlain’s long throw.
Harriers started the brighter of the two teams after the break and Weston sent another searing drive wide of the Shaymen goal.
The first shot on target in the game came shortly after the hour when Town substitute Jack Evans stung the hands of Harriers stopper Christian Dibble with a piledriver.
Halifax silenced the home crowd when they took the lead in the 66th minute. Tylor Golden’s ball over the top saw Wright time his run perfectly, and as Harriers went to sleep at the back, the former Grimsby man lifted his effort over the advancing Dibble and into the net.
Alex Penny fired over from close range as Harriers went in search of an equaliser, but they failed to register a shot on target throuhgout as they edged closer to the relegation trapdoor.
Halifax sealed the points with a minute left. Wright collected the ball on the halfway line and drove forward unchallenged through the Harriers defence before tucking home a deflected effort from the edge of the box.
Harriers boss Phil Brown said: “The level of inconsistency is beyond me. It was one of the rare opportunities to get out of the bottom four. We set that opportunity up with a great win at Chesterfield.
“To go from that performance to this today is beggars’ belief.” STAR MAN: Max Wright (FC Halifax) ATT: 3,173 ENTERTAINMENT: ★★★★★ REFEREE: Andrew Miller