FC Halifax Town suffered their first defeat in the Evo-Stik Premier Division with a 2-1 defeat at Chasetown, after leading 1-0 at half-time.

Aspin made three changes from the draw at Frickley Athletic, with Aaron Hardy, Jamie Vardy and Simon Garner replaced by Matt Plummer, Nathan Taylor and Scott Metcalfe as Town lined-up in a 4-4-2 formation.

Both sides were promoted to the Evo-Stik Premier last season, but the Shaymen found their feet far more quickly, forcing a couple of early corners before a superb move involving Danny Holland and Nathan Taylor led to a cross to Scott Metcalfe at the far post but his header flew just over.

A similar move after 20 minutes saw the visitors take the lead when Holland again dropped off the front to good effect, finding Metcalfe on the left and his cross to Taylor was finished high into the net right-footed for the striker's first goal for the club.

It was a deserved opener for Aspin's men after a busy first quarter of the game, with the defensive pairing of Liam Hogan and James Riley just as impressive as the front-pairing of Holland and Taylor.

Most of Chasetown's came up against a luminous green wall all over the pitch, with Town displaying their usual high level of pressing, resulting in a fairly untroubled first-half.

Holland set-up another chance on 36 minutes when he played in Metcalfe down the left, but the winger opted to shot rather than cross where two players were free in the penalty box and his low shot hit the side netting.

Two minutes later, a Tom Baker shot from the edge of the area bounced just in-front of 'keeper Ryan Price, who did well to touch it onto the post before reacting again to Taylor on the rebound, turning his shot behind for a corner.

Gary Birch, Chasetown's top scorer last year, was brought on a few minutes into the second-half in an attempt to turn the tide, but Town still had the upper hand and had a penalty appeal for an alleged handball turned down after Taylor's jinking run into the box.

However, Chasetown began the second-half in much more composed fashion, and after winning the ball in midfield, it was played to full-back Jack Farmer, whose cross curled just too far away for Jonathan Hedge to attempt to catch it but just within the reach of Birch to equalise at the far post.

The home side then had a shot cleared off the line by Liam Hogan as Town came under some increased pressure and the balance of the match swung between the two teams.

Town had another penalty shout rejected following an alleged push on Metcalfe before the Scholars' substitute Grant Ryan executed a superb turn and shot that was well saved by Hedge, diving to his left with the play becoming more and more stretched going from one end to the other as both sides sensed a winner.

There was a third and decisive goal in the offing, and it was another substitute, Ben Jevons, who latched onto a loose ball from a corner and fired the ball high into the roof of the net with five minutes left, leaving too little time remaining for Town to reply.

Chasetown:Price, Farmer, Branch, Cohen, Saunders, Teesdale ©, Smith, Branch, Hay (Birch 51), Perrow (Ryan 42), Swann-Horler (Jevons 75). Subs Not Used: Stevens, Peel,

Goalscorers: Birch (61), Jevons (85)

Shots On Target: 3, Shots Off Target: 1, Corners: 6

Halifax: Hedge, Plummer, Bower ©, Baker, Riley, Hogan, Gray, Winter, Holland (Marshall 69), Taylor, Metcalfe. Subs Not Used: Senior, Phelan, Garner

Goalscorers: (Taylor 20)

Shots On Target: 2, Shots Off Target: 3

Corners: 6

Attendance: 611

Tom Scargill