SHAYMEN ON THE SWOOP TO BREAK RAVENS’ WILL

A JORDAN Preston injurytime goal rescued a valuable point for FC Halifax Town as they continued their steady start to the season.

Preston’s far-post header from Ryan Sellers’ excellent cross ensured Halifax collected their fifth draw in their last seven games, leaving Shaymen manager Jamie Fullarton content with his side’s display.

He told The NLP: “Gaining a point in this league is never a bad point, having come from behind twice and rescuing the game in injury-time you have to be reasonably pleased.

“The balance of the game shifted at different points, but overall I think the point was fair.”

It was Bromley who drew first blood with Frankie Sutherland’s fifth goal and penalty of the season. Referee Sam Purkiss adjudged that Junior OgediUzokwe had been bundled over in the penalty area and Sutherland was able to fire in the rebound after Sam Johnson had tipped the initial effort unto the post.

Halifax should have equalised shortly after, but Dayle Southwell volleyed wastefully wide after good work from Ryan Sellers.

Both sides continued to spurn good opportunities in the remainder of the half with Jonathan Edwards heading wide for Halifax and Joan Luque volleying wide for Bromley.

Bromley had been forced into several changes just prior to kick-off with goalkeeper David Gregory and Richard Brindley injured in the warm-up, then Omar Bugiel going off after 30 minutes and Sam Wood pulling up on the stroke of half-time. Halifax took advantage with an equaliser on the hour; substitute Josh Staunton heading home James Berrett’s deep cross. That goal seemed to wake Bromley from their second-half slumber and a period of pressure saw both Ogedi-Uzokwe and Luque have efforts cleared off the line with 15 minutes remaining. Bromley did, however, make the pressure tell with a wonderfully worked goal in the 81st minute. Sutherland’s inch-perfect throughpass was volleyed home first time by George Porter. The goal was one of the highest quality and looked likely to win the game, but Jordan Preston ensured that the goal was just a subscript with his last gasp goal proving to be the denounement. Despite the late leveller that denied his side the three points, Ravens manager Neil Smith was proud of his charges, saying: “We lost Gregory in the warm-up and had to give a league debut to Max Huxter, then we lost Brindley as well and had to change it again before kick-off. “I can’t fault any of the players; they gave me absolutely everything and all things considered it’s a creditable point. STAR MAN: Frankie Sutherland (Bromley) ATT: 1,143 ENTERTAINMENT: ★★★★★ REFEREE: Sam Purkiss 7/10