A devastating attacking display from front pair Cedwyn Scott and Macaulay Langstaff, along with an excellent substitute appearance from Kairo Mitchell, fired us to victory at the Shay.

The duo came to life at the end of a quiet first half, Langstaff sliding in to finish at the back post moments before Scott flicked a header home just before the break.

And they combined in the second half to allow Langstaff to round the keeper, score his second and secure the points.

Harvey Gilmour's late volley was only ever to be a consolation as Mitchell pounced on an error to add gloss to the scoreline.

With Ruben Rodrigues suffering from a virus, Scott was handed his first start alongside his familiar accomplice.

Sam Austin and Jim O’Brien were tasked with operating behind the front pair, with Matt Palmer shielding a back three of Kyle Cameron, Aden Baldwin and Richard Brindley. Adam Chicksen and Aaron Nemane continued as wing-backs.

On a surface which was cutting up under the players’ feet, it wasn’t to be a first half for the neutral as both sides struggled to produce anything of real quality.

The first action of note came on 10 minutes when Cameron saw yellow after following through with a slide challenge.

We were appealing to the referee six minutes later when Langstaff appeared to be pulled back as he tried to race on to Scott’s through ball but Mr Middleton was unmoved.

Luke Summerfield tried his luck from range shortly afterwards, sending the ball well wide of Slocombe’s post, before Baldwin came close to meeting a free-kick he’d won himself, only for the ball to fly beyond him and out for a goal kick.

It had been slim pickings for Scott and Langstaff but the former had a glimpse at goal on 35 minutes when he managed to bring the ball under his spell before twisting away from his marker. Unfortunately, a clump of turf came away from underneath him at the crucial moment and Halifax were able to quell the danger.

A minute later, a poor ball back to home keeper Sam Johnson put him under pressure from Langstaff, who was almost presented the ball by Johnson before the Town man took the safe route by putting it behind.

We were beginning to turn the screw, though, and had the lead on 42 minutes when Chicksen bundled his way past his man and laid the ball off to Austin. The former Kidderminster midfielder bent the ball towards the back post and Langstaff came sliding in from nowhere to turn it home.

And it was double delight inside two added minutes as O’Brien retrieved a half-cleared corner and crossed from the right, allowing Scott to flick a header past Johnson at the near post.

The hosts made a change at the break with new signing Angelo Cappello coming off the bench and the debutant nearly had an assist within five minutes of the restart but could only watch on as Mani Dieseruvwe turned his low cross wide.

And, shortly after the hour, we put the result beyond doubt when Scott and Langstaff’s partnership burst into life once more, the former playing the latter through on goal and seeing him round Johnson and finish into an empty net with his left foot.

Langstaff had a couple of half-chances for his hat-trick following crosses from Nemane and Chicksen, but he joined Scott on the bench on 72 minutes when he made way for Mitchell.

A flurry of half-chances for Halifax followed and they got their consolation when the ball dropped for Gilmour to volley home inside the area.

But any fears of a comeback were soon quashed as a wayward Halifax pass presented Mitchell with the ball and, despite having Austin in space to his right, the forward held off a number of defenders before finding the bottom corner.

STARTING XI: Slocombe; Cameron, Baldwin, Brindley; Chicksen, Nemane (Adebayo-Rowling 68'); Palmer, O'Brien, Austin; Scott (Bajrami 61'), Langstaff (Mitchell 72')

SUBS: Francis, Munakandafa

BOOKINGS: Cameron 10'

ATTENDANCE: 2,371 (773)