7th September 2019

Wasting no time in taking the lead, Gold Omotayo opened his account for the club with just five minutes on the clock before a barrage of attacks somehow didn’t see the lead extended further. 

Courtney Duffus, Carl Dickinson and Matt Worthington all went close as the hosts were left unable to deal with the green and whites’ tenacity across the pitch in the opening 45 minutes.

With the Shaymen lucky to still be in the game they came out reinvigorated and struck the woodwork twice after the restart. 

However, the green and whites showed all the attributes needed to pick up a win on the road as Omotayo grabbed a second of the afternoon on 69 minutes to end Halifax’s 100% record at home.

Coming into the match, Darren Sarll opted to make one tactical change for a first trip on the road in the three. 

Adding bulk to his midfield diamond, Albanian Albi Skendi came in for Academy product Gabby Rogers to sit behind the front two of Duffus and Omotayo. 

Monday’s signing Liam O’Brien started a second match in succession between the sticks whilst QPR loanee Marcin Brzozowski was unavailable due to injury to leave a substitutes bench with no recognised shot stopper. 

Although lacking options in goal, there was no doubting the Glovers’ potency at the other end as Omotayo opened his account in the opening exchanges. 

After Myles Hippolyte’s shot cannoned back off the inside of the post the Swiss was first to react and rifle an unstoppable strike into the roof of the net from the acutest of angles. 

Flooding forward in numbers the hosts continued to be forced back as Matt Worthington fired straight at Sam Johnson from 25 yards, before Omotayo’s strike partner almost got in on the act. 

Receiving the ball wide on the left, Duffus ghosted past Josh Staunton to allow a curling shot from just inside the box that had to be tipped over the bar as the lively start continued.

Successfully subduing the atmosphere inside the Shay, the home crowd were almost brought to life midway through the half with their first meaningful attempt on goal.

Collecting a deflected clearance, Liam Nolan’s effort looked destined for the top corner but for O’Brien to get a fingertip to it at full-stretch. 

Not deserving to be pegged back, the green and whites immediately set about extending their lead and were only denied by a string of fine Johnson saves. 

After Duffus headed over the bar, Omotayo was denied his second of the afternoon when his header was scooped away from under the woodwork before Dickinson had a 20-yard free-kick pushed around the post by the scrambling Halifax keeper. 

Not letting up, the Glovers squandered arguably their best chance to make it 2-0 when Worthington could only direct his header from Duffus’ cross in the vicinity of Johnson, who made yet another reaction save with 31 minutes played.

With their goalkeeper to thank for keeping them in the game, the Shaymen continued to be frustrated in an attacking sense as Sarll’s side caused frustration to be the overriding emotion for the league leaders. 

Unable to test O’Brien any further in the visiting goal it was to conclude as a first-half largely controlled by the Somerset outfit, with the only criticism able to be directed at the Glovers being that their lead was not more than a single goal.

Knowing their lead was only fragile it was almost wiped out within 60 seconds of the restart.

Latching onto a through ball, Tobi Sho-Silva held off the challenge of Luke Wilkinson to slam a low shot from 20 yards off the base of the post.

Not wanting to surrender their perfect start to the campaign at home the onslaught continued from Peter Wild’s side as the woodwork was rattled again.

Michael Duckworth’s cross flew all the way through to Jeff King whose effort back across goal clipped the top of the bar just before the hour-mark.

Surviving the initial wave of pressure from the Shaymen it became a fiery encounter as the home side continually felt aggrieved by the resolute Glovers.

Wasting their energy on bemoaning the officials the green and whites went about doubling their lead on 69 minutes. 

Worthington’s ball into the box couldn’t be gathered by Johnson to give Omotayo the chance to double his and the team’s tally for the day which he did with aplomb from 10 yards. 

As boos rang around the Shay it was almost 3-0 when Hippolyte’s shot from just inside the box didn’t match the weaving run to get there as it flew two yards over.

Taking the sting out of Halifax’s attempted comeback, some committed defending ensured O’Brien’s goal wouldn’t come under attack any further as the side who started the afternoon top of the table were seen off by Sarll’s side who continued their run of good form.

FC Halifax Town: Johnson; Duckworth, Staunton, Clarke, Binnom-Williams; Nolan, Earing (McAlinden 46′); J. King (MacDonald 89′), C. King (Williams 74′), Allen; Sho-Silva.
Bookings: Earing 28′.
Subs not used: Appleyard, Hanson.

Yeovil Town: O’Brien; Hutton (Alcock 62′), Wilkinson, Bradbury, Dickinson; Lee (Tilley 48′), Worthington, Hippolyte, Skendi; Duffus (McCoy 82′), Omotayo. 
Bookings: Worthington 38′, Hutton 44′, Omotayo 77′.
Subs not used: Whelan, Rogers.