Gateshead 2 FC Halifax Town 2: Maynard at the double for Shaymen

Maynard has now scored six goals in as many games and has eight for the season, already surpassing his tally for last season.

Maynard twice gave Halifax the lead in the first half, but first John Oster and then Danny Wright equalised.

The second half featured a high number of chances, but no further goals. Halifax came under severe pressure but survived to claim a very creditable draw against a fellow play-off contender.

Gateshead fell behind when Maynard directed an excellent header past Adam Bartlett from Marc Roberts’s floated cross.

But Gateshead equalised after some neat build-up play saw Albanian Valentin Gjokaj’s low cross converted by Oster who was left unmarked six yards out.

Gateshead gifted Halifax the advantage again when Bartlett badly misjudged Maynard’s speculative effort from 25 yards and let it fly past his outstretched arm.

But parity was again restored when James Bolton brought down the lively Rob Ramshaw in the box.

Wright sent Matt Glennon the wrong way from 12 yards with a dinked shot, although Halifax protested to referee Ryan Johnson at his stop-start run-up.

Gateshead hit a post through Michael Rankine following Craig Baxter’s superb cross as the Halifax defence creaked but refused to buckle.

Oster should have scored again but finished meekly after a delightful pass by Ramshaw sent him clear.

Rankine then skied their next chance from six yards out before Jackson missed Halifax’s opportunity for a smash-and-grab win when he slid the ball wide after a delightful through ball by Hatfield.

Gateshead: Bartlett, Curtis, Clark, Baxter, Ramshaw, Allan, Pattison (Rankine 46), Oster, Turnbull, Gjokaj, Wright. Unused substitutes: Jones, Chandler, Shaw, Guy.

Halifax Town: Glennon, Pearson (Smith 59), Bolton, M Roberts, S Williams, McManus, Jackson, Maynard, Schofield, Hatfield, Boden (Peniket 76). Unused substitutes: Senior, Ainge, Marshall.

Referee: R Johnson (Bolton).

Man of the match: Jamie Jackson.