Aldershot 1-1 FC Halifax Town

George Fowler had put the hosts in the lead after only 48 seconds, with Aldershot going on to enjoy the better of the game.

But The Shaymen battled back, gradually assuming superiority as the second-half went on, and capping their best spell of the contest with their equaliser.

An uncharacteristically loose clearance by Nathan Clarke was pounced on by Alefe Santos, whose shot was deflected for a corner, from which, it was all too easy for Fowler to nod back across goal and in at the back post.

The Town fans in attendance must have been fearing another 3-0 already.

Two goal-bound efforts by Matty Brown were blocked from a corner, but The Shaymen were second-best.

Town were looking unusually vulnerable at the back - Connor Shields should have done better than fire wastefully over after the hosts broke upfield, and the forward then saw a shot whistle narrowly wide from 25 yards.

Liam McAlinden, Town's only change in place of Tobi Sho-Silva, spurned a good chance when he pounced on a poor back header and rounded keeper Mitch Walker, but sent the ball into the side netting from a tight angle.

Halifax couldn't get play-maker Cameron King into the game as Aldershot's midfield worked hard to cut off his supply, and Town couldn't find any inspiration from other sources.

When King did get on the ball, he looked out-of-sorts, but was shadowed unstintingly by Alfy Whittingham, who probably followed him into the Halifax dressing room at half-time.

Town's chances of their own making were almost non-existent, with McAlinden starved of service and too isolated up-front.

A poor cross by Binnom-Williams near the left corner flag led to an Aldershot break, from which the impressive Whittingham shot wide.

Jeff King had earlier wasted a good position when he dribbled into the box but opted not to shoot, and the chance went.

And he again failed to seize a chance when he won the ball high up the pitch, but hesitated. By the time he did shoot, he was too close to Walker, who turned it behind.

Town had a lucky escape when Liam Nolan's poor pass was intercepted, and from Shamir Mullings' through ball, Shields' dinked shot over Sam Johnson came back off the post, who then kept out Santos' effort moments later.

It had been far too easy at times for the hosts to produce a shot or a cross, and far too easy for them to deal with Halifax going forward.

By half-time, Aldershot had had 13 efforts to Halifax's four.

Yes, The Shaymen could have been level, but Aldershot had been hungrier and sharper than Town, right from the first minute when Santos latched onto Clarke's header.

Shots by the Shots continued to rack up - Shields was given too much time to curl a shot over moments after the restart, while 10 minutes later, Santos curled a shot just wide cutting in from the left.

Tobi Sho-Silva and Jack Earing were brought on to try and turn the tide, but Jamie Allen was next to hesitate when in a good shooting position, and fired over the angle of post and bar from too tight an angle when he did try for goal.

Aldershot's earlier exertions were catching up with them, with the hosts no longer playing at the same tempo, and mistakes starting to creep into their game.

Sho-Silva was giving Town more of a presence up-front, with the ball sticking further up the pitch.

And Town's improved display was eventually rewarded when, after Allen's deflected shot was hooked off the line, Binnom-Williams powered in a header from the resulting corner.

Josh Staunton should have completed the turnaround but headed McAlinden's terrific cross wide from close range.

Aldershot: Walker, Tinkler, Rance, Finney, Kinsella, Eyoma (Panayiotou 82), Whittingham (Lyons-Foster 86), Santos (Chislett 79), Fowler, Shields, Mullings. Subs: O'Dwyer, Rowe.

Scorer: Fowler (1)

Shots on target: 3

Shots off target: 12

Corners: 5

Halifax: Johnson, Duckworth, Clarke, Brown, Binnom-Williams, Staunton, Nolan (Earing 65), C King, Allen, J King (Sho-Silva 58), McAlinden. Subs not used: Appleyard, Odelusi, Hanson.

Scorer: Binnom-Williams (82)

Shots on target: 4

Shots off target: 7

Corners: 6

Attendance: 1,539 (69 away)

Referee: Benjamin Speedie

Town man of the match: Matty Brown