Match Report | FC Halifax Town 1-1 York City

Image by Tom Poole

The Minstermen drew 1-1 against FC Halifax Town in the Vanarama National League at The Shay Stadium on Tuesday night.

Dipo Akinyemi’s 74th minute strike was cruelly cancelled out by Rob Harker in the 90+3rd minute, seeing both sides take a share of the points in the end.

Adam Hinshelwood’s side saw two changes following injury to Rory Watson in the warm up.

Sam Fishburn made his starting debut for City, whilst George Sykes-Kenworthy also returned in net.

The Shaymen’s Rob Harker guided a header wide, from close range, inside the opening handful of minutes.

Dan Batty went forward not long after, working the space to hit a shot that drew a routine save from experienced goalkeeper Sam Johnson.

Clear cut chances were few and far between for both sides throughout the fixture, with Alex Hunt having a bullet shot blocked before it reached goal in the 22nd minute.

Halifax’s Andrew Oluwabori skipped past a City defender in the 27th minute, unlocking the space to thump a shot wide of the mark.

A minute later, Dipo Akinyemi produced similar. The forward worked around the Shaymen defence before bobbling a shot narrowly wide of Sam Johnson’s right-hand post.

Harker again saw a chance fall to him inside the area, this time in the 38th minute. The number nine was stretching to plant a boot and produce a volleyed effort, which blasted wide of Sykes-Kenworthy’s left-hand post.

City won two corners to close out the first half but failed to produce any set piece magic on the corner front.

York restricted the hosts to very little throughout the majority of the second half too, although found themselves struggling for the perfect moment at the other end too.

Danny Amos won an attacking free-kick in the 55th minute after dummying the Shaymen defender and being clipped down in the process.

Akinyemi struck the set-piece but saw the wall deflect it away from danger.

Luke Summerfield rattled the crossbar through an in-swinging free-kick in the 58th minute, with play halted in the process as City picked up a free-kick for a foul.

Akinyemi continued to look dangerous for City, again finding a pocket of space to strike wide from the centre of the pitch, just outside the area.

Substitute Jamie Cooke had only been on for seconds before becoming a nuisance towards the City backline, flicking the ball off of Ryan Fallowfield and into the path of Sykes-Kenworthy to save.

Marvin Armstrong slipped in the ever-present Maz Kouhyar down the left-hand flank in the 66th minute, drawing a standard save from Johnson.

Armstrong then won a free-kick in a crossable position, on the right-hand flank, in the 74th minute. Hunt crossed the dead ball initially, and found himself receiving it back before beating a man and plating an gaping goal for Akinyemi.

The forward raced in to meet the cross of Hunt and got City ahead, sending the 1,006 ecstatic.

The Shaymen had a penalty shout waved away immediately by referee Michael Crusham after Cooke went down under the 82nd minute challenge of Fallowfield.

It wasn’t to be for City in the end however, FC Halifax Town’s late coming pressure saw an equaliser fall for Chris Millington’s side right at the death.

Harker was on location to tap in the chance from a handful of yards out, in the 90+3rd minute, after substitute Quevin Castro’s clearance fall awkwardly at Sykes-Kenworthy.

City did hold on to take a point from the tie, with Hinshelwood’s side heading into back-to-back Saturday home fixtures now four unbeaten.

FC HALIFAX TOWN: Johnson ©, Golden, Stott, Senior, Galvin, Summerfield (69’ Thompson-Sommers), Hunter, Hoti, Harker, Wright (75’ George), Oluwabori (63’ Cooke).

UNUSED SUBS: Evans, Jenkins.

YORK CITY: Sykes-Kenworthy, Fallowfield, Akinyemi (85’ McLaughlin), Kouhyar, Howe ©, Batty, Chadwick, Amos, Hunt, Armstrong (85’ Castro), Fishburn (67’ John-Lewis).

UNUSED SUBS: Siziba, Smith.

ATTENDANCE: 2,734 (1,006 York City supporters)