Debutants shine in dour draw for FC Halifax

In the context of Halifax’s recent run, a draw against Woking was a good result, and a hard-working performance, albeit lacking in quality rather than effort, was encouraging.

There were debuts for Hull City right-back Josh Clackstone and midfielder Harry Middleton, on loan from Port Vale.

Middleton and Hull’s Dan Batty quietly caught the eye with some good touches on the ball that hinted at their Football League schooling.

They combined well just after half-an-hour when the former’s low corner was fired over by the latter.

The game at The Shay itself, though, was bordering on awful, with neither team playing at a quick enough tempo or with fluent enough passing to create anything.

A lovely pass by Middleton released Macdonald down the right 10 minutes after the interval, but his shot from out wide was easily saved by Nathan Baxter.

Tom Denton also squandered a good chance when he dragged his shot wide from 15 yards.

Woking replied with a super effort by substitute Joe Ward from 30 yards that Sam Johnson saved well.

It was not until after 70 minutes that the game moved out of first gear.

Woking finished strongly, with Inih Effiong, Regan Charles-Cook and Ward all going close, but 0-0 was about the right scoreline with Scott Garner the top player for the hosts.

FC Halifax Town: Johnson, Clackstone, Garner, Brown, Wilde (Waring 89), Macdonald, Hotte, Middleton, McManus, Batty (Tomlinson 62), Denton. Unused substitutes: Nicholson, Oliver, Clarke.

Woking: Baxter, Young, Orlu, Wynter, Ralph, Jones, Ferdinand, Appau (Isaac 56), Charles-Cook, Effiong, Philpot (Ward 68). Unused substitutes: Saraiva, Mason, Stoksavljevic.

Referee: P Gibbons.