FC Halifax Town 0 Tranmere Rovers 2: Defeat for Shaymen

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FC Halifax Town ended their home campaign with a whimper in-front of more than 3,000 fans at The Shay as they lost 2-0 to Tranmere.

First-half goals from Andy Cook and James Norwood put Tranmere in control, a position which they never looked like relinquishing to a below-par Halifax.

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Halifax never really made a game of it, with Matty Kosylo missing a second-half penalty.

It wasn’t that long ago that the Halifax fans were singing of going to Wembley, but the Tranmere supporters’ pre-match chants got even louder when Cook scuffed shot across goal beat Sam Johnson, who arguably should have done more to keep it out.

That heralded a bright start by the visitors, with Norwood, Ollie Norburn and Connor Jennings also going close, as Rovers moved the ball about with sharp, accurate passing.

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By the time the outstanding Norwood glanced a free-kick across Johnson with a free header mid-way through the first-half, the harsh truth was that Tranmere looked in a different league to Halifax. And if they play to their potential in the play-offs, soon could be.

Town created their first clear chance just before the half-hour mark when Mike Fondop-Talom could only head Raheem Hanley’s sensational cross straight at keeper Scott Davies before Connor Thomson put the rebound wide.

Cook should have capped an excellent opening-half from Tranmere but McManus cleared his shot off the line after the striker had muscled a hesitant Sam Graham off the ball.

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Norwood again went close shortly after half-time with another low shot that whistled just wide after a delightful lay-off by Cook.

Halifax’s day was summed up when Kosylo’s penalty was saved after Davies had brought down Fondop-Talom in the box.