FC Halifax Town secured a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Morecambe at The Shay Stadium this evening in the English National League. The decisive goal came in the eighth minute from William Harris, a strike that ultimately proved enough to earn his side all three points in a match characterised by a determined battle for control in midfield.
From the opening whistle, both teams appeared keen to establish dominance in the central areas. FC Halifax Town adopted a compact midfield formation, aiming to stifle Morecambe’s attacking build-up. This approach paid off early on when a well-executed move saw Angelo Capello provide the assist for William Harris, who found the back of the net to give the hosts the lead.
Trailing by a single goal, Morecambe sought to increase their tempo. However, they found it difficult to penetrate a resolute Halifax defence. The visitors’ frustrations were evident, with Lewis Payne receiving a yellow card in the 29th minute for a foul, followed by Paul Lewis being booked just before half-time for a similar infringement.
The second half saw Morecambe introduce Chris Popov in place of Joe Nuttall in the 55th minute, an attacking substitution intended to bolster their threat. FC Halifax Town, meanwhile, focused on maintaining their defensive shape and seeking opportunities on the counter-attack. They made their first change in the 69th minute, bringing on Florent Hoti for Will Hugill in midfield, and followed this with another substitution in the 70th minute, with Max Wright replacing Owen Bray, suggesting a move towards controlling possession.
Morecambe continued to push for an equaliser, with Ben Tollitt coming on for George Thomas in the 74th minute. Despite their efforts, they struggled to create clear-cut chances against a well-organised Halifax side. FC Halifax Town made a further substitution in the 78th minute, with Jack Jenkins replacing Angelo Capello, the assist provider for the game’s only goal.
The closing stages of the match were marked by a series of bookings, reflecting the intensity of the contest. Chris Popov of Morecambe was cautioned in the 87th minute, followed by Florent Hoti of Halifax in the 90th minute. Further yellow cards were shown to Morecambe’s Miguel Azeez and Halifax’s Jay Turner-Cooke in the dying moments, and Halifax manager Adam Lakeland was also booked for dissent in the 97th minute, as the game entered a significant period of added time. Despite these late interventions, Morecambe were unable to find a way back into the game.
This victory moves FC Halifax Town up to eighth place in the National League table, accumulating 44 points from 28 matches played, placing them firmly within the playoff positions. Morecambe, conversely, remain in 23rd place with 21 points from 27 games, indicating their challenging season.
