Halifax Town 1-1 Notts County (National League) 17.11.20

Notts County were only seconds away from victory at the Shay last night as they let a late lead slip to draw one one at FC Halifax Town. A 94^th minute leveller denied Notts a first win in three games as Jamie Allen cancelled out Elisha Sam’s early finish to share the spoils with a point a piece.

The night got off to a perfect start for Notts who scored through Sam seven minutes into his first start for the club after latching on to a Jake Reeves pass and calmly finishing past Johnson in the Shaymens’ goal.

Notts had the better of the early stages in the first half with blocked attempts from O’Brien and Wootton before Woods at the other end had a half chance and Summerfield blasted a 25 yard free kick over.

As Halifax searched for an equaliser Richard Brindley took a hit in clearing his lines under pressure before Sam Slocombe made a good stop with his feet on the stroke of half time to keep County’s slender lead intact.

Ben Turner replaced Alex Lacey at the break and the home side continued to press in the second half. Green raced through to blaze wide before Nepomuceno saw his shot deflected out for a corner.

On 76 minutes Halifax goalkeeper Johnson did well to keep out a thunderbolt effort from Jake Reeves whilst in the dying minutes substitute Cal Roberts shot wide to miss a glaring opportunity to seal the three points as Nepomuceno did the same by firing wide at the other end in search of a leveller.

But as time ran thin and as Notts clung on it was a heart breaking equaliser as Jamie Allen snatched a point for the home side after being played through on goal to squeeze his effort home in stoppage time. Notts defense exposed as Ben Turner slipped in chasing the ball back which allowed the Montserrat International to run through and score.

A distraught Neal Ardley saying after “they have run themselves into the ground for the three points today, probably should have got the second goal and killed the game off, but this is the way it goes when you are trying to get that momentum going. You think you might come away from home and get a one nil win and that might send you on your way and then this happens, and it always happens when things are tough”

Notts now without a win in three stay twelfth in the table with a trip to Chesterfield next up on Saturday.

Halifax Town: Johnson, Woods, Summerfield, Senior, Maher, Hyde (Nepomuceno 70), Green (Earing 70), Clarke, Byrne, Bradbury, Allen.

Notts County: Slocombe, Brindley, Rawlinson, Lacey (Turner 46), Kelly-Evans, Doyle, O’Brien, Reeves, Boldewijn, Sam (Roberts 67), Wootton.

Venue: The Shay

*Main image @FCHTOnline action from the Shay as spoils are shared between Notts and Halifax.