Salford 1 FC Halifax Town 1: Shaymen fail to hold on to Peniket advantage in play-offs

Halifax came so close to what would have been a magnificent result, but on the balance of play, Salford would have felt hard done by had they not got something from the game.

But Town surely hold the advantage now ahead of Sunday’s second-leg at The Shay, albeit a slim one.

Jordan Hulme had a chance within the first 18 seconds when he tried to chip Sam Johnson, but didn’t get enough elevation on the shot.

Scott Garner was then outpaced and outmuscled by Mike Phenix as Salford came haring out of the traps, and although they failed to maintain their turbo-charged start, Halifax remained pinned back as the hosts carried the greater threat.

Kevin Roberts spoke before the game of Town sitting back for the first 30 minutes and settling the contest down, and that’s exactly what they did, although Phenix nearly ruined the plan when he charged through and flashed a shot across goal and wide.

That miss by Phenix then looked even worse when Peniket struck a superb low left-footed shot into the bottom corner from 20 yards after Denton’s deft lay-off.

Michael Nottingham hit the post with a low shot from 12 yards as Salford started the second-half with more urgency and a faster tempo.

Town replied in kind though when Hotte hit the bar with a fizzing shot before Scott Garner could have done better with a close range shot which he scuffed straight to Jay Lynch from four yards.

Jordan Sinnott nearly added a second with 15 minutes left after exquisitely bringing down Denton’s header, but fired just wide from the edge of the box.

But Town failed to deal with a ball into the box, a rare occurrence on the night, and substitute Poole’s scuffed shot bobbled past Johnson into the same corner as Peniket’s shot.

Salford City: Jay Lynch, Nottingham, Grand, Horsfall, O’Halloran, Johnston (Poole 64), Phenix (Allen 78), Walker, Norris, Hine, Hulme.Unused substitutes: Priestley, Barnes, Haughton.

FC Halifax Town: Johnson, Garner, Brown, Roberts, Wilde, Hotte, Lynch, Sinnott, Kosylo, Peniket, Denton. Unused substitutes: Drench, Hone, Moyo, Charles, Morgan.

Ref: P Gibbons (Cheshire).