Shaymen stage sensational fightback to shock County
TEN-MAN HALIFAX produced a stunning comeback to defeat Notts County 3-2 in a five-goal thriller at The Shay, courtesy of goals from Jordan Slew, Billy Waters and Matty Warburton.
Halifax had been trailing 2-0 through goals from Ruben Rodrigues and Alex Lacey either side of half-time, and were reduced to 10 following a Tom Bradbury dismissal on the hour mark, but fought back valiantly to secure all three points.
Backed by a loud home crowd, Town always looked dangerous going forward, and went close early on when Kian Spence fired narrowly over the crossbar from just outside the area.
Both sides were limited mainly to half-chances in the early stages of the first-half, with a Jamie Allen shot from the edge of the box being blocked, before a Matty Palmer effort from distance for the visitors fired just over the bar.
However, minutes later, it was a bizarre goal that gave Notts County the lead. Sam Johnson rushed out of his goal in the hope of getting to a long ball before Rodrigues, but County’s Portuguese forward beat him to it, and struck a lobbed effort from 35-yards that nestled into the bottom corner.
After the break, the visitors had their second. A free kick from the left was whipped in by Callum Roberts, and found the head of Alex Lacey, who was a threat all evening in the air, and the defender made no mistake in heading past Sam Johnson to double his side’s lead.
Things then went from bad to worse for the Shaymen when Tom Bradbury was given his marching orders.
Bradbury was challenged from behind by goalscorer Rodrigues, and the two were involved in an altercation after the foul, with Rodrigues going down holding his face and the referee showing the red card.
Tensions boiled over in the aftermath of the incident with players from both teams involved in a resulting melee that saw Kyle Wootton shown one of six second-half yellow cards.
The perceived injustice of the red-card incident seemed to spur the crowd on.
Wild re-jigged his side and brought on Matty Warburton and Elliot Newby in place of Harvey Gilmour and Jamie Allen, with midfielder Kieran Green slotting in at centre-back in a makeshift role.
Despite Town being to tenmen, they continued to hold their own and press for a goal, and it was a piece of individual brilliance that got it for them.
Jordan Slew collected the ball on the left just outside the area, before firing a powerful shot into the bottom corner at the near post, giving the Shaymen a lifeline.
County, perhaps sensing Town were buoyed by their opener, began to slow the game down.
These lengthy stoppages in play threatened to disrupt the Shaymen’s rhythm but they soon found an equaliser.
Debutant Elliot Newby swung in a great cross from the right and Billy Waters made no mistake from close-range, firing home on the volley to score his eighth goal of the season.
It was almost heartbreak for Halifax in the first minute of injury-time when Alex Lacey headed home from a corner, but the referee ruled it out, much to the relief of the home fans.
Then, in the last minute of the ten added, the Town fans were sent into raptures. Matty
Warburton did brilliantly to carry the ball up field, before curling a marvellous effort into the top corner from the edge of the area.
FC Halifax Town: Sam Johnson, Jack Senior,Tom Bradbury, Jamie Allen (Newby 62’), Kieran Green, Billy Waters, Kian Spence, Harvey Gilmour (Warburton 62’), Tyrell Warren, Jordan Slew (McDonagh 80’),Niall Maher.
Subs: Matty Warburton, Gerry McDonagh,
Dom Tear, Javid Swaby-Neavin, Elliot Newby.
Notts County: Anthony Patterson, Richard Brindley (Kelly-Evans 77’), Jim O’Brien, Kyle Wootton, Callum Roberts, Aaron Nemane (Sam 87’), Matty Palmer, Ruben Rodrigues (Mitchell 80’), Ciaran Brennan, Adam Chicksen, Alex Lacey.
Subs: Kairo Mitchell, Ed Francis, Dion Kelly-Evans, Frank Vincent, Elisha Sam
Attendance: 2,023