FC Halifax: Relegation concerns lead to Kelly being sacked

Kelly leaves having taken charge of only 10 games in all competitions.

Halifax have lost all five games in the league since their 3-1 victory against Altrincham on October 6.

Under Kelly they conceded 37 goals, including two matches in which they conceded seven times – against Cheltenham at home and when visiting Grimsby Town. They lost 6-3 at home to Braintree Town on Saturday.

Halifax’s chairman David Bosworth admitted defensive issues and a fear of relegation contributed to Kelly’s departure.

He said: “The most pressing thing for us was that in the seven league games we played, we had six defeats. We conceded 30 goals in those seven games.

“We had hoped to see an improvement in the results, steadily. We just did not feel, defensively, we were structured enough to stop the flow of goals.

“Our objective is to finish fifth from bottom in the league. We still feel we have a chance to get out of that, but thought it was important to make the change now.”

Previous manager Neil Aspin was only dismissed from the role on September 17, having been in charge for six years.

Jim Harvey, Kelly’s assistant, will take training ahead of Saturday’s game against Gateshead.