FC Halifax Town 1 Barnet 1: Late leveller deservedly rescues Shaymen
LOIS MAYNARD scored for the second time in two games as his dramatic added-time equaliser earned FC Halifax Town a point against table-toppers Barnet at the Shay.
Curtis Weston had scored at the Shay for the second season running and looked to have given Barnet all three points.
But a dramatic late fightback from The Shaymen rescued a deserved point, with Barnet defender David Stephens seeing red in an action-packed spell of added time.
Weston almost scored in the first half after a beautifully-weighted through-ball by Mauro Vilhete, but Matt Glennon rushed off his line to block the shot.
The Shaymen forced a seemingly-incessant run of corners midway through the first-half and somehow failed to score from them, with Richard Peniket twice denied by Graham Stack from close-range.
Sloppy defending from Town then allowed Vilhete a sight of goal, but his drilled shot crashed back off the far post.
John Akinde fired straight at Glennon after latching onto a hopeful long pass before Weston then headed in a near-post corner with a quarter of the game to go.
Town responded well to the setback, with substitute Jack Muldoon bringing a fine save from Stack and Peniket only denied a clear chance by a last-ditch tackle.
Stephens was sent-off in added time for a crude challenge on Matt Pearson earned the Barnet man a second yellow.
From the resulting free-kick, Peniket’s effort came back off the post before being scrambled in by Maynard for his 11th goal of the campaign.
FC Halifax Town: Glennon, Bolton, M Roberts, Hutchison, McManus, Smith (Muldoon 64), Maynard, Pearson, Marshall (Hattersley 88), Jackson, Peniket. Subs not used: Senior, Williams, K Roberts.
Barnet: Stack, Yiadom, N’Gala, Stephens, Muggleton (Cook 58), Vilhete, Togwell, Johnson, Weston, Clifford (Gash 46), Akinde (Saville 90). Subs not used: Cowler, Villa.
Referee: Ross Joyce (York)