FC Halifax Town suffered a narrow defeat at the hands of Aldershot Town, with the visitors securing a 1-0 victory at The Shay Stadium. The match, played in front of 1,642 spectators, was decided by a solitary goal in the third minute, courtesy of Josh Barrett, who was assisted by Theo Widdrington. Historically, the two teams have played each other four times in the last three seasons, with Aldershot Town winning three matches and FC Halifax Town winning one.
The goal set the tone for the remainder of the match, with Aldershot Town defending resolutely to deny FC Halifax Town an equaliser. As the match progressed, both teams created opportunities, but it was the visitors who ultimately emerged victorious. FC Halifax Town’s current standing in the English National League table sees them with three points from two matches, while Aldershot Town move up to eighth, also having played two games and accumulated four points.
The first half saw FC Halifax Town’s Jamie Cooke receive a yellow card in the 20th minute for a foul. In the second half, Aldershot Town’s Cameron Hargreaves, Luke Jenkins, and James Henry all received cautions for fouls, while FC Halifax Town’s Adam Alimi-Adetoro and Aldershot Town’s Theo Widdrington also received yellow cards in the dying minutes of the match.
In terms of substitutions, FC Halifax Town made a double change in the 61st minute, introducing Florent Hoti and Owen Bray in place of Jack Jenkins and Tom Pugh. Aldershot Town responded with a trio of substitutions, bringing on James Henry, Jack Barham, and Maxwell Mullins in place of Kai Corbett, Josh Barrett, and Hady Ghandour. FC Halifax Town also made two further changes, introducing Aaron Cosgrave and Zak Emmerson in the 81st and 82nd minutes, respectively.
Despite a spirited effort from the home team, Aldershot Town held firm to secure a valuable three points on the road. The result leaves FC Halifax Town with three points from their opening two matches, while Aldershot Town’s win pushes them up the English National League standings.