Nuneaton Town 0, Halifax 2: Match report

Nuneaton Town’s alarming slide continued as they were dumped out of the FA Cup by Skill Conference Premier rivals Halifax.



Goals from Lee Gregory and Scott McManus were enough – both of them quality strikes – as the home side again failed to turn possession and chances into goals.

A re-shaped side featured Theo Streete moved from right-back to the centre of defence with Phil Trainer recalled from a loan spell at Stratford to play in the heart of midfield.

Wes York pushed up front to partner Louis Moult.

It seemed to be working – for 17 minutes at least – in an even start to the tie.

But then Boro’s luck ran out.

Adam Smith tried to trick his way in on the right and promptly fell over but his unplanned tumble wrong-footed the home defence and he got up quickly to cross waist-high towards Gregory, who volleyed down and in off the post, giving James Belshaw no chance, the striker’s fourth goal in the last two games.

But that setback only seemed to spur the home side on and they were a whisker away from being level when Adam Walker’s swerving shot brought a terrific one-hand save at full stretch from Matty Glennon.

The pressure mounted on Halifax with a succession of corners, one of which – supplied by James Armson –dropped kindly for Moult, whose shot went under Glennon but was stopped on the line by Ryan Toulson and hacked to safety.

Jon Adams then lashed in a long-range drive that took a slight deflection as it fizzed just a foot wide of the target,

Michael Richens was off target with an audacious 40-yard lob while Walker was just over with another 20-yarder.

But that was as close as Boro got and they fell further behind in the 62nd minute.

Danny Lowe clattered into Moult and sent the ball forward to McManus, who left Belshaw grasping at thin air with a stunning 20-yard left-foot finish.

The writing was on the wall and two glancing headers from substitute David Hibbert apart there was little in the way of tangible threat on the Halifax goal.

And but for a late block from Belshaw when a Smith cross dropped nicely for McManus, the margin of defeat would have been greater.