Two-goal cushion not enough to secure victory
HALIFAX LADIES second XI, needing to kick start their first season in the North League and pull away from the relegation zone, fought out a 3-3 draw with Harrogate at Park Lane.
Halifax started brightly and were soon rewarded with a short corner, with a straight strike from Natalie Tyson giving the home side a well-deserved 1-0 lead.
Halifax continued to apply pressure, with a long ball down the left from Stephanie Hoyle to Emily Crowe setting up Rebecca Brown, who fired her side 2-0 ahead at the break.
Harrogate came back fighting in the second half, and just 10 minutes in scored from a short corner.
Halifax continued to threaten on the counter-attack, and the ball found its way to Brown, who did a neat nutmeg past a defender to find Isabelle Crowe, who took on the keeper and scored to re-establish the twogoal cushion.
Harrogate did not back down and their second goal came from an acute angle with a great finish.
Soon after, the visitors bagged the equaliser with a strike from the edge of the circle.
Halifax continued to push for the win, with Beth Manson carrying the ball and crossing strongly from the right but the opportunities were missed and the game ended in a draw.
The point gained saw Halifax move up a place and out of the bottom two.
HALIFAX LADIES third XI emerged from a tough away game against Canalside Terriers with a 0-0 draw.
The first half saw Halifax dominate possession and enjoy most of the chances, but they were unable to convert to go ahead.
Margaret Bottomley, Nicola Boulton and April Hendy helped to keep the key players in the Terriers team at bay which prevented them creating many chances.
Forwards Louise Evans and Helen Williams both came close to putting the away side ahead before the break.
Halifax pushed for a winner in the dying minutes of the game and should have had a penalty flick awarded in the last minute but the offence on the Terriers goal-line wasn’t spotted by the umpires.
Halifax remain in second place in Yorkshire Division Two.
HALIFAX LADIES’S fourth XI beat Bradford 4-1 with an early goal from Angel Bentley setting them on their way.
Against the run of play, Bradford equalised, but Bentley pulled the ball back for Cara Casson to score inside the back post.
Holly Powell rounded two defenders before slipping a pass for Penny Haigh to score.
In the second half, Halifax scored a fourth, Rachel Rosier slipping the ball sideways to Casson.
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