Barnet 2 FC Halifax Town 1 - Shaymen slump to defeat at strugglers

The Shaymen’s return to action after two-and-a-half weeks was certainly not worth waiting for as goals from Michael Petrasso and Anthony Wordsworth proved enough for the hosts’ first win in 16 games, and only their third league victory of the season, with Jeff King scoring for Town.

Pete Wild warned it was one of the biggest games of his side’s season, but his team didn’t play like it.

Petrasso, Barnet’s danger man with four goals in nine league games, was given too much time and space on the ball, and took advantage with a low shot from around the edge of the box, which Sam Johnson should have done better to keep out.

But there was nothing the Town keeper could have done about Barnet’s second, with midfielder Wordsworth’s shot poetry-in-motion as it sailed across goal from an angle 40 yards out.

There wasn’t much in the positives column from the opening 45, but Town did at least respond in the right way and halved the deficit before the break as King rifled a shot across goal into the top corner.

For all Halifax’s possession and crosses after the break, precious few chances arrived, other than Hyde heading over from a corner.

Barnet: Loach, Richards-Everton, Judd, Daly, Taylor, Binnom-Williams, Dunne, Wordsworth, Petrasso (Mason-Clark 67), Baker-Richardson (Faal 82), Hooper (McBurnie 90). Unused substitutes: Azaze, Kefalas.

Halifax: Johnson, Byrne, Maher, Bradbury (Hyde 69), King, Woods, Green, Earing (Tear 89), Senior, Allen, Campbell (Williams 77). Unused substitutes: Renshaw, Benn.

Referee: S Gill (England).

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