Grimsby Town 1-1 FC Halifax Town: Added time equaliser denies Shaymen victory

Kian Spence had put The Shaymen in-front, but after several waves of pressure, the hosts finally made the breakthrough.

Grimsby had lost eight of their last nine games, but apart from a slow start, didn't play like it, subjecting The Shaymen to barrages of pressure at different points.

Defeat would have been an injustice on the home side, who battered Halifax at times, but The Shaymen deserve credit for holding out for so long, and in the end, taking another more than acceptable point at a promotion rival.

Jack Senior's illness necessitated Jay Benn starting for the first time since September 11, and Tyrell Warren moving to left-back.

The Shaymen settled quickly, seeing more of the ball and spraying it around nicely.

All the second balls seemed to be falling to Town, with Kieran Green and Spence controlling midfield.

Jordan Slew was heavily involved too, and saw a couple of early goal-bound shots blocked from the right of the box.

Halifax looked quicker and sharper than their hosts, who got into some decent crossing positions out wide but lacked Town's greater penetration.

The Shaymen were happy and comfortable with the ball in tight areas, playing out exclusively from defence, while Billy Waters and Matty Warburton were constantly alive to nicking the ball high up and starting a counter-attack, like coiled springs.

The hosts were patient and probing on the ball, and looked a threat in wide areas, from which they forced Halifax into some desperate defending just before the half-hour mark with a couple of blocked efforts.

By now, Grimsby had grown into the game after their more timid start and had more purpose and energy about them.

Waters' first-half was encapsulated when he broke free behind Luke Waterfall and Shaun Pearson but couldn't get the ball out of his feet and the chance went.

Substitute Alex Hunt skewed a shot wide from the edge of the box before Ben Fox miscued a header from Michee Efete's cross as The Mariners ended the half the stronger side.

The lively Erico Sousa's shot was then brilliantly blocked by one of two flying Halifax bodies as The Shaymen held on to half-time amid mounting pressure.

There hadn't been a shot on target by half-time, but the second-half exploded into life when Jordan Maguire-Drew's curling shot cracked off the post, and from a corner moments later, Pearson's header was cleared off the line by Spence.

Halifax hit back with Warburton's free kick that was tipped over by Max Crocombe.

The Shaymen then produced that counter-attack they'd been threatening, from which Slew's shot from range parried into Spence's path by Slocombe, and the midfielder was left with an easy finish.

Grimsby responded well to the goal, pushing Halifax back.

Pearson's shot whistled just wide before Ryan Taylor's header was cleared off the line. Somehow, The Shaymen survived, but you weren't sure how.

Fox fired over after Sam Johnson's punch fell to him on the edge of the area, prior to referee Martin Woods turning down a huge penalty appeal for an alleged trip by Niall Maher, adding more fuel to the fire for the home fans already unhappy at the official's display.

There were more blocks, more deep defending and wave after wave of attacks from the hosts, with Johnson saving Maguire-Drew's effort.

It was Chesterfield all over again, with The Shaymen increasingly desperately preserving their fragile lead; another Johnson save kept out Maguire-Drew.

Matty Stenson was brought on for his first appearance since November 2020 to try and hold the ball up, but it just kept coming back.

And eventually, Town's resistance, that had held firm thanks largely to superb defending by Maher and Tom Bradbury, finally caved when Maguire-Drew headed a cross from the left back across goal and in.

Grimsby: Crocombe, Efete, Pearson, Waterfall, Crookes, Maguire-Drew, Coke (Hunt 38), Fox (Bell 86), Clifton, Sousa (Wright 78), Taylor. Subs not used: Longe-King, Revan.

Scorer: Maguire-Drew (90)

Shots on target: 8

Shots off target: 16

Corners: 7

Halifax: Johnson, Benn, Maher, Bradbury, Warren, Green, Spence, Gilmour, Warburton (Woods 66), Slew (Stenson 82), Waters. Subs not used: Vale, Debrah, Summerfield.

Scorer: Spence (54)

Shots on target: 2

Shots off target: 3

Corners: 2

Referee: Martin Woods

Attendance: 5,027 (380 away)

Town man of the match: Kian Spence. His goal capped an all-action display in midfield, one minute closing down and regaining possession, the next minute finding space on the ball and dictating play.