FC Halifax 2 Southport 2: Burrow to rescue for managerless Halifax

Halifax were 2-0 down with 15 minutes remaining due to Matty Brown’s own goal and a debut effort from Southport’s Cole Stockton.

But a double from top-scorer Jordan Burrow rescued a point for Halifax. McClelland said: “I thought we were lucky, we didn’t play to our full potential.

“We need to be a lot sharper with the ball and ask more questions of the back four, especially when they went down to 10 men. I was hoping for a bit more.

“But they broke away twice, they got a bit of luck with the own goal and the second one was a mistake and we got punished for it. We’ve got a lot of work to do.”

A change of management did not result in a change of fortune for Halifax, whose task seemed to have been made a lot easier when Mike Phenix was shown a straight red for a challenge on Connor Hughes.

But Louis Almond’s cross was soon turned into his own net by the stretching Brown.

Stockton then beat Julian Banton to a long ball forward before confidently stroking the ball past Matt Glennon.

Halifax were awarded a lifeline for a foul on Banton by Liam Nolan, with Burrow scoring the resultant penalty.

With time running out, Burrow salvaged a point with a close-range header following a corner.

FC Halifax Town: Glennon, Bolton, Brown, Banton, McManus, Tuton (Brooks 46), Hibbs (Bencherif 72), James, Hughes (Macdonald 59), Burrow, Hamilton. Unused substitutes: Porter, Bencherif, Roberts.

Southport: Coughlin, Challoner, Thompson, Nolan, Davies, Phenix, G Jones, Rutherford (A Jones 56), Wright, Almond, Stockton (Allen 86) Unused substitutes: Cameron, Viscosi, Joyce.

Referee: S Bennett (Staffordshire).

Man of the match: Jordan Burrow.