Halifax punished for squandering chances

Scott Boden’s penalty handed Halifax a dream start but Eastleigh fought back through Jai Reason, Michael Green, Stuart Fleetwood and Ben Strevens as the Shaymen dropped to fifth.

Halifax had Eastleigh on the ropes at 2-1 and can reflect on some costly missed chances to equalise.

Danny Hattersley, making his last appearance of his one-month loan, drew a foul from goalkeeper Ross Flitney after Adam Smith’s shot had been spilled.

Boden’s penalty, his eighth of the campaign, could hardly have been more emphatic, but neither could Reason’s free-kick a few minutes later as it sailed in.

A snap-shot from Danny Schofield was the best Halifax had mustered since Boden’s goal, but the hosts were restricted to little more than left-back Green’s volley over the bar.

Green then found himself in space and kept his composure after a slip by Bolton to fire across Matt Glennon.

Hattersley hit the side-netting with a volley before spurning a glorious chance by side-footing over from three yards.

Halifax continued to hammer at the Eastleigh door, with Flitney saving Ainge’s header before Paul Marshall’s volley was deflected onto the bar.

But those missed chances proved costly as a long-ball fell to Fleetwood and his shot deflected over Glennon’s outstretched arm.

Strevens’s back-post header late on only piled on the disappointment for Halifax.

Eastleigh: Flitney, Reid, Beckwith, Collins, Evans, Green, McAllister (Odubade 74), Stanley, Reason, Strevens, Fleetwood. Unused substitutes: Spence, Todd, Weeks, Lee.

FC Halifax Town: Glennon, Bolton, Ainge, Williams, K Roberts, McManus (Maynard 51), Smith, Marshall, Schofield (Jackson 61), Boden, Hattersley. Unused substitutes: Senior, Pearson, Peniket.

Referee: P Rees.

Man of the match: Paul Marshall.