FC Halifax Town 1 Woking 3: Newton double leaves Halifax empty-handed

There could be no arguments about the result as Woking deservedly moved up to third in the table, and on this form, could be there for some time.

Sean McGinty, making his home debut, had a shaky start with an unnecessary header straight into Scott Rendell’s path, but Matt Glennon saved his shot.

Giuseppe Sole squandered a golden chance from eight yards out when Glennon saved his prod at goal.

But that was just a warning as Sole produced a thunderbolt a couple of minutes later as his free-kick, the awarding of which was questionable at best, arrowed into the top-left corner from 35 yards.

That caused a few murmurs of concern among the more restless Town supporters, and the jitters seemed to spread to the pitch as the usually unflappable Marc Roberts slipped to let in Sole, but Glennon raced off his line to divert the shot.

The feeling it wasn’t going to be Town’s day was then compounded when Rendell’s shot was deflected perfectly into Newton’s path, leaving him with a simple finish.

Town’s opening half was then encapsulated in added time when a mix-up between Scott McManus and Kevin Roberts let in Sole, whose delightful chip over Glennon hit the bar.

Any faint hopes Town had built up since the restart were then all-but extinguished when Newton calmly slotted past Glennon from Chris Arthur’s low cross.

Jamie Jackson at least added some incisiveness after coming on, and from his direct run, Town were given a penalty after James Clarke’s foul, which Paul Marshall duly converted.

Halifax: Glennon, K Roberts, M Roberts, Ainge, McGinty (Schofield 46), McManus, Marshall, Maynard, Smith, Boden (Jackson 64), Peniket. Unused substitutes: Senior, Bolton, Pearson.

Woking: Cole, Newton, McNerney, Clarke, Cestor, Betsy, Payne, Lewis, Arthur, Sole Goddard 77), Rendell. Unused substitutes: Howie, Beckles, Taylor.

Referee: M Coy (Durham).

Luton took advantage of Wycombe not playing until today by beating struggling Tranmere 1-0 at Kenilworth Road to go top of the League Two table. Ricky Miller proved the Hatters’ hero.

Shrewsbury also moved above Wycombe thanks to a 2-0 defeat of Mansfield at New Meadow.

Stevenage were the big winners of the day in a 5-1 thrashing of Cheltenham. Plymouth’s beat Portsmouth 3-0, Morecambe edged out Bury 1-0 and Hartlepool lost 1-0 at Southend.