Report: FC Halifax Town 4 Grimsby Town 0

AS last night's game at Halifax limped to its conclusion, one of the travelling fans stood up to shout 'part-timers four, no-hopers nil'.

Judging on Town's display at the Shay, few could argue with him.

A woefully disjointed performance from the visitors saw them concede three goals in the space of 30 first-half minutes through Marcus Carver and a brace from Dan Gardner, before Adam Smith added a fourth just after half-time.

At the full-time whistle, most of the 518 who had travelled from North East Lincolnshire let their feelings known after a truly abject night in West Yorkshire.

Paul Hurst opted for the same starting XI that defeat Braintree on Saturday, with new signing Ritchie Jones starting his Town career as a substitute after finally receiving international clearance earlier that afternoon.

Once again, there was no place in the matchday squad for Liam Hearn, with Andy Cook and Ross Hannah chosen as the alternatives to Lenell John-Lewis on the bench.

The hosts started well and won two corners within four minutes, the second of which Marc Roberts headed on target to give James McKeown an early touch.

The Town stopper was called into action minutes later to punch away Scott McManus' downward header, but as he sprang up, he could only watch as the make-shift winger flashed a follow-up effort just wide.

Keeping possession impressively, the Shaymen continued to press, and Town were thankful to Clayton McDonald who blocked Matty Pearson's near post effort after the midfielder had too-easily shaken off the attentions of Andi Thanoj in the penalty box.

The Mariners responded well with their own spell of composed possession and the visitors looked as though they might be beginning to settle.

Nothing could have been further from the truth.

When Halifax won possession deep in Town's half, Smith danced past two ailing challenges and clipped a ball to the unmarked Marcus Carver, who nodded down and past McKeown to give his side an 18th-minute lead.

There was no doubting that Town had been poor and they soon found themselves further behind when Gardner turned past Alan Goodall before firing a strike across goal that deflected and bounced in off the post.

By now Town had become disjointed in every area and when Gardner walked through the middle of the park, a simple through-ball set him free on goal.

Under pressure from defenders McDonald and Bignot, the striker's initial effort was repelled by McKeown but the rebound fell kindly and he duly slid the ball into an unguarded net to make it a horror half an hour for the visitors.

As cries of 'you're not fit to wear the shirt' rained down from the Town fans, Hurst made a double substitution with Jones and Hannah coming on for the ineffectual Scott Neilson and Thanoj.

Hurst's side won their first corner of the game with five minutes to go but when that was cleared, Halifax could have been in for a fourth had it not been for Bignot, who got across well on the cover.

With minutes to go before the break, the travelling fans greeted John-Lewis's looping header with ironic cheers as it represented Town's first shot on target all evening.

However, McDonald could have pulled a goal back just before Darren England's whistle, but his half volley from ten yards came back of the post and with that, Town's players trudged off to a chorus of boos after a hopeless first-half performance.

As the players lined up for the start of the second half, few would have thought it could get any worse for Town.

How wrong they were.

With only three minutes gone, Ritchie's under-cooked back pass gifted the ball to Carver. He advanced on Town's goal before sliding in Smith, who finished well in off McKeown's right-hand post before wheeling off into a jubilant home crowd.

It could, and should have got even worse for Town when, with just over an hour gone, Gardner, who was enjoying a fine evening, skipped inside Bignot and rifled an effort that cannoned back off McKeown's post.

Joe Colbeck replaced Rodman and quickly tested keeper Matt Glennon's reflexes with a well-struck effort.

But on the showing, Town did not look like a team capable of mustering anything close to a fight-back, and when Shaun Pearson hauled Carver down for a free-kick on the edge of the area, Marshall nearly added a fifth.

At the other end, Kerr's driven cross-field pass allowed Colbeck to shape a centre that John-Lewis almost got on the end of, while McLaughlin carved a first-time volley well wide from all of 20 yards.

Halifax were knocking at the door for another goal with less than 15 minutes to go but McKeown produced Town's only moment of quality during the clash with a fine, low save to keep out Marc Roberts' downward header on the line.

The only thing to cheer the downcast visiting fans was the hard-working display of Hannah against his former club.

But when Glennon, spilled a routine save to the frontman ten yards out, the striker could only turn and shoot straight at the recovering keeper.

Halifax continued to press, but mercifully, things didn't – some would say couldn't – get any worse for Town as the full-time boos grew louder still.