FC HALIFAX TOWN 1
(McManus 48)
GRIMSBY TOWN 0
JIM HARVEY tasted success in what is understood to be his last game in charge of FC Halifax Town as the Shaymen beat Grimsby Town to lift the FA Trophy.
Harvey, appointed permanently in December, couldn’t quite keep the club in Non-League‘s top flight and The NLP understands he will be replaced by North Ferriby United manager Billy Heath, similar to yesterday’s situation which saw Louis van Gaal win the FA Cup in his final game in charge of Manchester United.
Heath led the Villagers to promotion through the National League North play-offs and of course won the Trophy himself last season. But it seems as if a move to The Shay has proved too good to turn down.
It was the perfect send off for Northern Irishman Harvey, whose contract won’t be renewed, with the Shaymen ending the season on a high note after the heartache of relegation to Step 2.
Grimsby were aiming to emulate York City‘s 2011-12 campaign by securing a Non-League double at Wembley having won the National League promotion final last Sunday but it wasn’t to be.
The Mariners made two changes from the side that beat Forest Green Rovers to end their six year Football League exile but it was Halifax who had the best chance early on.
Craig Clay got in a muddle and headed the ball back towards his own goal, striker Jordan Burrow got his foot to the ball but could only direct it wide from a tight angle.
The first effort on target came through Padraig Amond, who was named Player of the Year at our National Game Awards this week, but the Grimsby striker’s header was easily held by Sam Johnson.
Neither keeper was really tested in the first half but Halifax’s Johnson was kept on his toes by an Andy Monkhouse header on the half hour which he clawed away.
The second half packed more action into its first three minutes than the entire first 45 managed.
Grimsby just about scrambled Richard Peniket’s low cross away but it fell to Scott McManus and he curled an effort with his weaker right foot over James McKeown from 20 yards in the 48th minute.
The goal sparked the Shaymen into life and they attacked with a new found swagger, skipper Nicky Wroe forcing a save from McKeown.
The Mariners brought on a third striker in Jon-Paul Pittman but it was fellow sub Nathan Arnold who nearly got them back on level terms, the winger seeing a low drive well saved by the legs of Johnson.
The goal gave the Shaymen something to hold on to and they defended brilliantly, heading and blocking every ball that came near their area, clearing a late Amond effort off the line to secure their first ever Trophy success.
Halifax / Grimsby
Shots on: 3 / 7
Shots off: 4 / 4
Corners: 4 / 9
Offsides: 2 / 0
Fouls: 4 / 15
Yellows: 0 / 2
Reds: 0 / 0
FC HALIFAX (3-4-3): Johnson; Brown, Bencherif, Roberts; Bolton, Wroe, Hibbs, McManus (James 73); MacDonald (Walker 62), Burrow, Peniket (Hughes 86) Subs not used: Porter, McDonald
GRIMSBY TOWN (4-4-2): McKeown; Tait (East 81), Pearson, Nsiala, Robertson; Monkhouse (Pittman 68), Disley, Clay (Arnold 62), Nolan; Bogle, Amond Subs not used: Gowling, Venney
Star Man: Scott McManus (FC Halifax)
Match Rating: 2/5
Attendance: 46,781 (both games)
Ref: Lee Mason 6/10
