Massive win on the road for Halifax FC as the team beat West Bromwich Albion on a windy afternoon in Birmingham.
The game took place at the Alexander Stadium, the main venue of the 2022 Commonwealth Games, where the navy blue running track surrounds the green football pitch. The vastness of the arena makes every ball retrieval after going out even more difficult, adding a touch of drama to the match. Yet none of this affected the team’s determination. Thanks to Eleanor Ashton’s winner in the second half, the Eagles succeeded in taking the full three points back to Yorkshire.
The first-half stalemate
The audience at the Alexander Stadium did not have to wait long to witness the first captivating moment of the match. As early as the first minute, the opponent made an error at the back to give the ball away to Meg Shaw, whose early long-range attempt was wide. The awakened home side then launched a series of attacks in pursuit of an early opener. In the 5th minute, their shot after making a forward run was saved by our keeper, Maddie Crosbie. Not satisfied with this, they attacked again 10 minutes later as their winger cut in from the left and forced a save from Maddie Crosbie again.
Absorbing the home side’s early pressure, the Eagles bided their time to make a killer counter. In the 16th minute, Dolcie O’Connor delivered a penetrating direct pass from the midfield, and Eleanor Ashton’s attempt after running in behind was parried away for a corner. A similar scenario happened on the other side of the pitch 16 minutes later, with the opponent’s 1v1 with the keeper attempt after a counterattack breakthrough being saved.
The 39th minute saw Dolcie O’Connor’s left-foot volley wide, before the 43rd minute witnessed our consecutive attempts in the box being blocked. None of the teams managed to break the deadlock; the first half ended with a 0-0 stalemate.
Half Time: West Bromwich Albion 0:0 Halifax FC
The match-winner
The key moment, entering just the 6th minute of the second half, proved decisive in this league fixture. Phoebe Hollin received the ball on the right wing before finding Macy Settle with a direct pass. Macy Settle, who was making a forward run, controlled the ball before it reached the byline and made an important cut-back to find Eleanor Ashton in the box, and Eleanor Ashton calmly tapped the ball into the net, marking the winner of this match and also her first goal for the club. The Eagles led 1-0 away.
Rock-solid defence
After that, the opponent launched waves of threatening attacks, but the Eagles built a fortress at the back to hold the score until the end.
The 62nd minute saw Annabelle Cass block West Brom’s close-range effort, while the 66th minute witnessed another brilliant save from Maddie Crosbie to deny the home side’s volley attempt.
The opponent thought they had equalised in the 76th minute, but their goal after running in behind was offside. The most nail-biting moment happens in the 5th minute of the added time, with the opponent’s header following a corner that hits the crossbar. A few inches’ difference sealed the result of this game.
Full Time: West Bromwich Albion 0:1 Halifax FC
Halifax FC took home the crucial three points, which will help them escape the relegation zone after round 11. The second league win marked a good end to the first half of the season. The Eagles will be back at Myra Shay next week to face Hull City.
Written by Dai Xingzhi