Rousing second-half comeback sees Town earn 2-2 draw at home to Eastleigh

The Shaymen were 2-0 down at the interval and staring down the barrel of a hugely underwhelming home defeat.

But they dug deep, clawed their way back into it and got the point they ended up deserving - they arguably deserved all three - which looked like a dot on the horizon at half-time.

Of Town's starting 11, Angelo Cappello was the only outfield player at the club last season, an indication of the player turnover at the club and the time needed for so many new faces to gel.

Town have won only twice in their first nine league games, yet they’ve been in worse positions than this in recent seasons and gone on to recover.

But they can't afford many more first-halves like they had here. Their second-half was excellent, but it had to be in order to get anything from the game.

Eastleigh keeper Nick Townsend reacted well early on to prevent the ball deflecting in after David Kawa was played in down the left of the box.

Josh Hmami was then unable to get a shot away when well placed in the area moments later.

It was a decent start, but it didn't last.

Adam Lakeland stressed the importance in midweek of not going behind in games, but it happened again - for the eighth time in ten outings - with Eastleigh's first shot of the match.

Zavier Massiah-Edwards got beyond the Town midfield, and with the hosts' defence backing off and backing off, he was able to beat Sam Johnson from just inside the box at his near post.

Halifax repeatedly looked for the pace of David Kawa down their left flank, but with diminishing results.

When that didn't come off, there didn't seem to be a Plan B other than some aimless long balls, while a lack of pressure from the front players caused some howls of frustration from the home fans.

As did referee Dale Baines, after a shirt pull on Kawa went unpunished, before Eastleigh defender Aaron Pierre was only booked after appearing to shove Josh Hmami in the face, who was also cautioned after a tussle with the player.

It went from bad to worse for Town after half-an-hour when Luis Fernandez directed a free-kick into the box - the kind of delivery Town seemed incapable of replicating - across goal and into the top corner.

Sam Johnson came racing out of his goal and screamed at his team-mates after Harvey Saunders had found it too easy to run towards goal and fire off target not long afterwards.

Earlier, Jevon Mills had waved his arms in frustration at his lack of options after passing the ball back to Johnson.

Eastleigh hadn't been amazing, but had found it far too easy to be two goals ahead.

The Shaymen had regresssed horribly, with their only effort on target of the first-half a tame header straight at the keeper by Owen Devonport.

And Halifax's malaise was summed up by Devonport just before the break, as he sent a poor cross straight to the keeper despite being unmarked and in a potential shooting position on the right of the box.

Jay Turner-Cooke then sent a simple pass to Cappello, five yards in-front of him, out for a throw-in.

Half-time couldn't come soon enough.

It was better after the break, with a big chance for Cappello - Town's best player and biggest threat - from Hmami's low ball across the box, but his shot was brilliantly blocked by Sonnie Davis.

Half-time substitute Owen Bray then had a sensational effort come off the underside of the bar before a cross from Bray nearly sneaked in but was tipped over.

Town had threatened more in the first ten minutes of the second-half than the whole of the first.

Halifax were in the ascendancy now and building momentum, but needed a goal to show for it.

Cody Johnson fired inches wide after Devonport's lay-off amid mounting pressure, but the only effort at goal Town could muster was a tame looping header by Kawa that was easily saved by Townsend, who simply wasn't tested enough.

Devonport could hardly miss though when a low cross fell to him five yards out with eight minutes to go, setting up a grandstand finish.

Sam Walker was booked for his protests as Baines gave an Eastleigh a pressure-relieving free-kick.

But Halifax wouldn't be denied, and substitute Thierry Latty-Fairweather drilled the ball in low from six yards to restore parity.

Cappello then nearly capped a man-of-the-match display with a winner in added time but his shot came back off the post.

Halifax: Johnson, Crowe (Latty-Fairweather 81), Hobson, Mills, Cappello, C Johnson, Hugill (Bray 46), Turner-Cooke, Hmami (Cooke 81), Kawa (Harris 68), Devonport. Subs not used: Ford, Latty-Fairweather, Griffin, Tarima.

Scorers: Devonport (82), Latty-Fairweather (88)

Shots on target:

Shots off target:

Corners:

Eastleigh: Townsend, Brindley (Vokins 79), Fernandez, Eweka, Pierre, Davis, Tayor (Humphries 79), Cousins, Massian-Edwards (McCallum 57), Saunders, Blair (Waruih 68). Subs not used: McNamara, Underhill, Holzman.

Scorers: Massiah-Edwards (15), Fernandez (30)

Shots on target:

Shots off target:

Corners:

Referee: Dale Baines

Attendance: 1,352 (36 away)

Town man of the match: Angelo Cappello. Plenty of Town fans will feel his first start was overdue, and he gave everything he had down that left flank, offering a constant threat second-half.