Jones plea as the scouts close in LAY OFF LONGHURST

BUT DAVE AND DIAMOND FUEL TRANSFER TALK

GRAHAM MARSDEN AT THE SHAY


Halifax Town 1 Exeter City 0

DAVID LONGHURST and new boy Barry Diamond proved potent partners last night as they combined for Halifax Town's match-winner. But Diamond's arrival could yet be the signal for Longhurst to leave the club - if the price is right. A posse of big clubs have had the 20-year-old striker watched this season and Swindon Town boss Lou Macari bid  £18,000 for him in December. Town manager Mick Jones turned that offer down but he admitted after watching the former Nottingham Forest forward score the winner against Exeter City that he would be forced to let him go if big money was offered. At the moment though Jones is adamant that his teenage star is not leaving the Shay. He said: "I'd have to sell him if some big club came in and knocked my head off with an offer. But that has not happened yet and I don't expect it to. "The fact that apart from Swindon's offer I have not received a single inquiry suggests that clubs are applying common sense and having Longhurst watched over a period of time. Jones believes that talk of future stardom for Longhurst doesn't do the player any good or the rest of the team. Said Jones: "Dave's got enough on his plate working for me and he can do without all this other talk. "Also, I've got other players at the club who I value and all they can read about is David Longhurst. It is not just the David Longhurst show here. "The best thing about the player himself is his attitude. He's a good little professional who is wanting to learn. Nothing goes to his head and he trusts me to look after his career. Transfer talk will not go away though. Longhurst by Jones's own admission, is an exciting player who will always catch the eye. And Town need the money to ease debts and improve the team generally. Jones would probably like to make on-loan defender Mick Galloway's move permanent. He showed the skill and composure last night which the centre of the back four has lacked and Jones said: "I thought he was very impressive. Longhurst and Diamond, signed over the weekend after being released by Rochdale, are players of similar small stature and the Shay boss confessed: "Out of choice I would prefer a good big-un and a good little-un.' Jones said he was pleasantly surprised by Diamond's contribution on his debut. "He played better than I expected. And the things I was looking for in the penalty area were there. He went very close with a header. That would have made his night."

Town fans were told not to expect too much flair from their new signing, but it was his creativity that produced the Shaymen's best chances in an opening 20 minutes when they knocked the ball around at will. He played a long ball back to Billy Kellock and ran on for the return before forcing keeper John Shaw to the edge of his area to save after 12 minutes. Then his delicate flick three minutes later left Longhurst with his first sight of goal, but the impressive Shaw saved the striker's close-range effort with his legs. Alan Knill also fired in a low shot which Shaw saved at the foot of the post and lobbed a near post header just over, either side of Diamond's contributions. But Town lost their way as half-time approached and keeper Paddy Roche had to make the best save of the opening period to turn aside a Steve Harrower shot after Danny Keough had found him in the danger zone in the 42nd minute. And within a minute Phil King was allowed too much room as he fired a 20-yard shot just wide. Diamond was just over when he dived in to head Steve Thornber's 47th minute cross, but he was to help Town go in front 15 minutes later. Galloway's long ball looked to be running behind, but Town's new capture refused to give up the chase. His cross was perfectly placed for Longhurst to smash into the net. The goal,however, seemed to set Halifax's jitters in motion and the game swung almost completely Exeter's way. Jim McNichol's 78th minute drive deflected just wide of a post with Roche on his knees, and within a minute the same player saw his chipped shot bounce over off the Town cross-bar. Nicholson almost capped Town's night when his curling shot brought another flying save out of Shaw. But Ray Pratt should have done better from Martin Ling's injury-time cross than to lob his header over after getting away from Knill.

HALIFAX TOWN: Roche, Brown, Ward, Thornber, Knill, Galloway, Sanderson, Kellock (Lowe, 45 mins), Diamond, Longhurst, Nicholson.

EXETER CITY: Shaw, Harrower, Viney, McNichol, Impey, McCaffery, Ling, Keough, Gale, Pratt, King (Jackson, 56 mins).

Referee: N. Ashley (Cheshire).

Attendance ; 1,004.