Goodricke 0 Halifax 0

Halifax lost out on the chance to go top of the table after playing out a tepid 0-0 draw with Goodricke.

In this fairly scrappy game clear-cut chances were in short supply as each team negated the other.

Halifax started the game with a clear attacking intent as they whipped a cross through Goodricke’s six yard box causing goalkeeper Ed Foster to flap at the incoming ball. His weak punch couldn’t clear the danger and ball bounced perilously towards the Goodricke goal line though Halifax didn’t manage to finish the job.

The ‘Fax continued to control the game and for much of the first half Goodricke was pushed onto the back foot. Connor Brennan looked lively throughout the match and found himself in space when he managed to turn defender Chris Grayland. He cut back to play in Ben Rea who then blasted his shot into a melee of players.

Halifax then missed another opportunity to stake a claim on three points when Tom Regan flashed a header narrowly wide.

Although they were on the back foot for much of the game Goodricke were not totally bereft of chances. Ben Smith had the chance to push Goodricke ahead though he couldn’t quite latch onto Sam Lewis’ well-weighted through ball.

Just before half-time ‘keeper Foster put his nervous performance behind him and pulled out a fantastic save to deny Alex Reid.

After half-time Goodricke returned to the pitch as the stronger of the sides and looked far more creative. Grayland and Matt Sutherland went close almost immediately after the restart. By contrast Halifax seemed to have run out of ideas and the men in white were unable to push through the Goodricke midfield.

A through ball from the ever present Dave Coupland played in Ben Smith who managed to beat the ‘keeper but the acute angle and strong winds meant that Smith skewed his shot over the bar.

Goodricke had the best prospect of winning the match after Matt Sutherland was brought down in the box by a clumsy Halifax challenge. Unsurprisingly, and with little ‘Fax opposition, the referee pointed straight to the spot but Ben Smith was ultimately thwarted when ‘Fax ‘keeper Alex Taborda pulled off a top quality save.

After the match Goodricke captain Dave Coupland told reporters: ‘Goodricke had the better of it. Halifax weren’t very good; we’re not worried about them.’

The Halifax captain Mark Lund was slightly more reflective in the face of the draw admitting that it was a ‘fair result’.