FC Halifax Town 0 Charlton Athletic 4: Heads can be held up high after Cup hopes are ended

IN the end, Halifax couldn’t uncover a new hero in the mould of Paul Hendrie.

Nor were they able to claim a major FA Cup scalp, unlike almost 32 years earlier when Hendrie’s place in Calderdale football folklore was secured courtesy of the strike that had humbled top-flight Manchester City on a mudbath of a Shay pitch.

Instead, what the town’s biggest crowd in 13 years got yesterday was a lesson in just how cruel professional football can be as three late goals condemned FC Halifax Town to defeat.

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The Shaymen deserved better, as was underlined by the reaction of the 4,601 crowd at the final whistle as the home players were afforded a standing ovation for their Herculean efforts.

Such a response from the Town supporters was fully merited, especially considering the huge gulf that exists between the two clubs.

Charlton may have returned south last night with a four-goal winning margin and the prospect of a home tie against Carlisle United in the next round.

But for the vast majority of an absorbing tie played in murky West Yorkshire conditions there had been very little to separate the League One leaders from their Conference North hosts.

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No surprise, therefore, that Neil Aspin was so pleased by the efforts of his part-time players – something that also drew huge praise from Athletic chief Chris Powell, who admitted afterwards that the final scoreline had “flattered” his men.

Shaymen chief Aspin said: “I was very proud of the players’ performance. For 75 minutes, they did very well.

“In the second half, we were well on top when they got the second goal. That goal then killed the game and probably killed our spirit a little as well.

“The game slipped away and it was disappointing as the players didn’t deserve that – 4-0 sounds a drubbing but it was not a true reflection of the game.”

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With rain falling as the game kicked-off and Halifax shrouded in mist for most of the day, the scene seemed set for a possible Cup shock.

What was absent, however, was the pudding-style pitch that the defunct Halifax Town had spent most of their history toiling on thanks to The Shay now boasting a surface that would put most League One and Two clubs to shame.

Such lush, green turf clearly suited Charlton, whose pleasing- on-the-eye passing style has been a major feature of their storming start to the season.

It also helped the home side, who within the opening few minutes had proved to the watching millions at home that non-League football is not necessarily the kick-and-rush game of common perception.

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Getting the ball down and trying to pass to feet whenever possible, Aspin’s men asked plenty of questions of the League One defence.

This was particularly apparent after half-time when, for the opening half-hour or so, the Shaymen took the game to their illustrious visitors in impressive fashion to threaten the upset ITV clearly craved by selecting the tie for live transmission.

By then, Charlton were ahead thanks to a looping header from Matthew Taylor five minutes before the interval that had given Simon Eastwood in the home goal no chance.

Taylor had earlier been denied the opening goal by, first, a point-blank save from Eastwood and then the whistle of referee Geoff Eltringham, who adjudged the Addicks defender to have fouled Danny Lowe before heading in from close range.

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All three chances had come via Halifax’s vulnerability in the air and the fear at half-time among the home fans in the 4,610 crowd – the biggest since Bradford City’s visit in the League Cup attracted The Shay’s last 5,000 plus attendance in 1998 – was that the second 45 minutes would bring more of the same.

Those fears, though, proved unfounded with it being the minnows who instead took the game to a team who sit 90 places higher in the football pyramid.

The tone was set within 39 seconds of the restart when Jamie Rainford unleashed a ferocious shot that John Sullivan did well to beat away at full stretch.

Halifax continued to probe the visitors’ defence without much luck until the introduction of Jason St Juste.

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Suddenly, the part-timers had the pace to worry Charlton and the substitute was unfortunate to see Lee Gregory fail to reach an inviting 66th minute cross when any form of decent contact would surely have brought the equaliser.

The jet-heeled St Juste was again involved in Town’s next threatening moment when he raced on to a delightful through ball from Simon Garner only to be halted by a stunning slide tackle by Chris Solley.

Athletic’s suddenly very busy right-back was then called upon to stop St Juste again just moments later, this time Gregory having been the provider with a slide-rule pass.

With St Juste’s pace by now having unsettled Charlton, the hopes of the home crowd grew only to be dashed 10 minutes from time when Johnnie Jackson capped a hugely impressive display with a polished finish after the Shaymen had been caught on the break.

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The game really was up now for Town, who conceded two more goals as Danny Hollands and Bradley Pritchard took advantage of tiring legs to finish from close range.

With the late double sandwiching the 85th minute dismissal of Lowe for a lunge at Scott Wagstaff, it meant an afternoon that had promised so much was in danger of ending on a sour note.

Thankfully, the response of the home fans to the final whistle meant yesterday ended on a positive for Halifax, who as a club look to have a bright future as they try to harness the momentum that has brought two promotions in as many seasons since being re-formed.