Johnson saves last-gasp penalty as Shaymen draw at Dagenham and Redbridge

The Shaymen came into the game as the form team in the National League over the last five games, but failed to hit the heights of recent weeks in a drab game.

The Daggers hadn't kept a clean sheet at home in 11 games but weren't really tested enough by a Halifax team who had scored in each of their last six outings.

Something as exciting as a goal rarely looked on the cards here though in the first of The Shaymen's three final auditions for Wembley.

Even when Dagenham had a last-gasp penalty, they fluffed their lines.

It quickly became apparent that the contest had the air of two teams with nothing to play for in the league, lacking in intensity and tempo, neither side stringing much together.

Inih Effiong and Tylor Golden produced the only efforts of a stale, plodding opening 20 minutes or so.

More interesting was what Town could take from it looking ahead to Wembley. The answer was not that much.

Festus Arthur, one of four to come in as well as Jamie Cooke, Mani Dieseruvwe and Golden, was deputising for Jack Senior as the left centre-back, and was strong defensively but lacked his replacement's finesse in bringing the ball out from the back.

Front two Dieseruvwe and Rob Harker weren't linking up effectively as a pair in their possible dress rehearsal for Wembley, not really imposing themselves against Dagenham's back three. Lacking service but also creating nothing on their own.

Both teams were better off the ball than on it, working hard, pressing well, stopping attacks before they properly started.

Neither had any prolonged spells of possession, although Dagenham came into the match more as the opening 45 went on, with efforts on target from Effiong and Jay Bird.

Town's half was encapsulated when a long ball broke kindly to Cooke in space 30 yards out but his first touch was too strong and the ball ran away from him.

Golden was the visitors' best player, defending superbly, looking sharp for his recent dip out of the action. And he'd had Halifax's only shot.

The Shaymen were missing the sparks of electricity from Milli Alli, not enough of a link from midfield to attack, not enough playing through the thirds.

It was all very different from the vibrant and vivacious first-half against Bromley.

This was two mid-table teams cancelling each other out, all a bit safe and unadventurous.

Dagenham tried to up the tempo after half-time but couldn't increase their quality on the ball in what remained a scrappy, unpolished contest.

Far too many forward passes from the home side drifted out of play or missed their target.

Town's best move of the game so far resulted in Harker firing a shot just off target from the left of the box just before the hour mark.

An even better move should have resulted in Sam Ling putting Dagenham ahead a couple of minutes later, but Sam Johnson raced off his line to keep out the shot.

They were against the grain though in a contest otherwise patently lacking in quality or cohesion.

The latest example being Bird trying a back flick to a team mate near the byline but failing to make contact with the ball.

Cooke had a stinging shot from 25 yards tipped over by Elliot Justham, with Town looking a little brighter having brought on Harvey Gilmour and Milli Alli.

Chris Millington got his second booking in two games for protesting too strongly after a crunching tackle by Elliot Johnson on Alli in-front of the dugouts.

There was late drama when, after Johnson tipped Mo Sagaf's shot behind, The Daggers won a penalty for handball by Arthur, but the Town keeper, as is his wont, guessed right to keep out Effiong's spot kick.

Dag & Red: Justham, Phipps, Onarise, Johnson, Hare (Saunders 25), Long-King, Ling, Weston (Balanta 71), Sagaf, Bird (Ibie 90), Effiong. Subs not used: Robinson, Strizovic.

Shots on target: 5

Shots off target: 6

Corners: 5

Halifax: Johnson, A Senior, Stott, Arthur, Golden, Hunter (Gilmour 63), Warburton, Capello, Cooke (Wright 87), Dieseruvwe, Harker (Alli 71).

Shots on target: 3

Shots off target: 3

Corners: 4

Attendance: 1,606 (65 away)

Referee: Elliott Swallow

Town man of the match: Tylor Golden. Another solid game from the right wing-back, didn't really put a foot wrong. Got to be one of the first names on the team sheet for Wembley.