Halifax proved to be too strong for Goodricke as they coasted to a 3-1 victory in their first game of the season.
In the opening exchanges, all of Halifax’s play orbited around their captain Garo Heath, playing intelligent balls into the box and getting a few shots away to test the keeper. A couple of times Heath found Elliot Tester, a new addition to the team who had a great first half, darting into the box trying to get on the end of a cross and ultimately unlucky not to come away with a goal for his efforts.
It took Goodricke a while to get into the game, but when they did create a few surges into Halifax territory it was thanks to Matt Jeffery, Billy Bruce and James Lewis, without whom, you’d be looking at a fairly toothless Goodricke side.
Halifax persisted in their dominance of possession, going close a number of times, including an excellent chance for Charlie Dunning, Cruyff-turning away from his marker and sliding the ball across the face of the goal but going agonisingly wide. As the pressure built up Halifax could sense that their chance would come soon enough, and indeed it did. Garo Heath was fouled just past the halfway line and the ball was squeezed further forward by the challenge. In what proved to be a competent piece of officiating, the referee waved play-on to the delight of the away side and it’s supporters. Luke Goldthorpe collected the ball, and crossed it over to the left where Omar Chadli was waiting to cooly slot the ball home to open the scoring.
However, this goal seemed to momentarily take the sting out Halifax’s attacking play, and a lapse in concentration in defence and the arrival of James Lewis in the right place at the right time allowed him to rocket home a shot into the left top corner of the previously undisturbed Halifax net. Conceding an equalizer was in some ways exactly what Halifax needed, as they then returned to the organised, fluid football that characterized their first half performance. Conor McCoy was beginning to come into the game by this point, after having a couple of early chances including a great freekick that tested the Goodricke goalkeeper Alex Wooley who had a great game between the posts for the home side.
Halifax’s second goal of the afternoon would come from a McCoy corner that was somehow converted by Ollie Bull at the back post, much to his team-mates and his own amazement to bring the first half to a close. Halifax had dominated the possession so far and created far more clear cut chances, attacking with pace and numbers.
The second half saw Goodricke come into the game a little more as the effort and commitment provided by a structured Halifax outfit in the first half appeared to be showing in the second. This fatigue also started to exhibited itself in Halifax’s quality in the final third. Garo Heath had numerous opportunities to add his name to the scoresheet, but for all of the quality of his link up play on the front line, he could not repeat this quality in front of goal today.
The second half saw the introduction of George Waring, who made a nuisance of himself for the Goodricke defence. His tireless tracking of opposition balls was rewarded when he picked up the ball to the left of the Goodricke box and found a way through to Heath who was subsequently upended by two Goodricke defenders. The resulting penalty was converted by a deserving McCoy, who was proving to be the catalyst for a succint display of attractive attacking football for Halifax.
Goodricke could not muster up a response and their 3-1 defeat was a fairly accurate representation of the football on display. Although, as Halifax captain Garo Heath pointed out post-match when speaking to Vision: “A little bit more composure in the final third, that could have been 10 or 11 [goals].” Halifax had by far the better chances, utilising their wing backs well and playing some creative through-balls.
It’s not all doom and gloom for Goodricke though, despite lacking an attacking edge today, their work rate was faultless, which captain Aaron Sullivan thinks, “bodes well for the rest of the season.” He also praised Matt Carmichael and the other freshers who “stepped up.”
Goodricke: Woolley, Duffin, Anderson, Carmichael, Thomas, Sullivan (C), Lewis. Tandy, Bruce, Hurst, Jeffery. Subs: Sides, Courtney
Halifax: Blessed, Johnson, Bull, Marsh, Goldthorpe, Tester, Bowden, McCoy, Chadli, Dunning, Heath (C). Subs: Birtles, Gillespie, Waring
MotM: Connor McCoy