Tyrone Williams sent off at the Shay

Tyrone Williams earned himself a red card for a rash challenge on a day that the Harriers will want to forget.  An over zealous referee was having a field day dishing out the cards so it was only going to be a matter of time before one yellow card would turn into two for some luckless player from either side.  In the end it was Williams who walked after having already been given a yellow card in a first half that had seen five cards handed out and another one in the second period.

Overall though it was another poor performance from the Harriers and they never really looked like getting anything out of the game against fifth placed Halifax.  They now leapfrog us into fourth place and we drop down to sixth after another win for Tamworth at Harrogate moved then above us.

There was an un-expected change at the back for us when Zaine Francis-Angol missed out with a hamstring injury so Ashley Carter deputised for him.  Ryan Croasdale returned to the side after missing the FA Cup defeat at Blackpool due to suspension and moved into the space vacated by Carter.

Halifax started the game the strongest but the finicky ref was determined to have his time in the spotlight by disrupting the game continuously to hand his cards out.  Jordan Sinnot had the best chance for the home side but wasted it by putting his strike over the bar and into the empty stand.  After that attempt we had two players go into the notebook within the space of a few minutes.  First Jordan Tunnicliffe for bring down Tom Denton and then Williams took his turn to bring the same man down.

It was still a poor game from the referees point of view when he ignored a bad foul on Carter by Denton but not one by Mani Dieseruvwe soon after although he had booked Simon Garner for the Blues in-between.  We still hadn't threatened the Halifax goal and the half came to a close with more bookings than attempts on goal.

The second half was just as poor as the first for both sides but more so for us having Williams sent off and two goals go in against us.  We did save a penalty though but their first goal stemmed from that so it didn't have a silver lining to it.

The home side had the first attempt on goal again and this time Sam Hornby saved Jordan Sinnotts shot but then they were awarded the penalty.  Ash Carter clumsily bought down Denton in the area and Liam King stepped up to take it only for Hornby to get a hand to it and push it away towards the touchline.  Matt Kosylo chased after it and then interchanged passes before shooting from the corner of the area beyond the reach of the Harriers keeper.

Minutes after that Tyrone Williams went in rashly on Josh Wilde and earned himself a second yellow card of the game and the chance to stay at home next Saturday when we play Gainsborough Trinity.  We made some substitutions to re-balance the side but we never looked like getting back in the game.  One of the subs, Liam Truslove, had a shot on goal two minutes from the end of normal time that was never going to trouble Steven Drench in the Halifax goal and that was about it until the ninety third minute of the game.

Former Red Richard Peniket had only been on the pitch ten minutes when he capitalised on most of the Harriers team going for goal to break free with Jake Hibbs and bear down on goal.  He easily slipped the ball beyond Hornby to clinch the points for his side.

Next Saturday we play the unknown Gainsborough and we need the win to keep us up to pace with the leading teams.  We also need to give a couple of fringe players a start like, for instance, Sam Austin, who must be getting tired of only coming off the bench in the last ten minutes of a game and is now crying out to start a game.

 Goals for Halifax: Kosylo (pen) 51, Peniket 93

REFEREE:

Mr S Copeland Merseyside