FC Halifax Town 1, Guiseley 1

JIM Harvey had lifted Halifax up from the foot of the Vanarama National League table with back-to-back victories but they could not slay Guiseley as their neighbours took a point from a tight local derby.

The Shaymen had enjoyed a 4-1 win at Gateshead and beaten Dover 4-2 at The Shay before Saturday but there was little chance of them extending their four-goals-a-game run against Mark Bower's well-drilled Lions side.

Yet the former Bantams centre back and skipper was not happy that his side had conceded even one goal.

The Guiseley boss said: "I was disappointed with the result because when you're winning going into the last ten minutes, you expect to hold on for all three points.

"I thought we were good and dominated spells of the game but the conditions made things difficult.

"If I'm being critical, I would say that we should have been better with our decision-making when they had us under pressure late on.

"We restricted them to one goal – from a free-kick that we didn't think was one.

"I asked Locky (centre back Adam Lockwood) after the game and he said the ball hit his shoulder, not his arm.

"Drenchy (keeper Steve Drench) had it covered but a deflection took it away from him and three points becomes one."

There was an open start to the game, which suited the visitors, and it was the Lions who made the early running.

Anthony Dudley had a glorious chance to give Guiseley the lead but, with only Shaymen keeper Sam Johnson to beat, he side-footed wide.

Halifax suffered a blow midway through the first half when Keil O'Brien was injured and had to be replaced by Kieran Sadlier.

Johnson palmed a free-kick from Oliver Norburn round his post but the home side responded when Sadlier sent in a shot that rattled Drench's bar.

The deadlock was finally broken in the second minute of the second half when Dudley atoned for his earlier profligacy by slotting in after Gavin Rothery played him through.

An Adam Boyes shot clipped a post before Sean Tuton rounded Lockwood but fired wide for Town.

The home side had a double chance shortly after the hour mark, when Jordan Burrow hit the bar with a shot from inside the area and Scott McManus clipped a post from the rebound.

Harvey sent on Sam Walker for Josh MacDonald in the 70th minute and 12 minutes later he grabbed the Shaymen's equaliser with the free-kick from the edge of the area which dipped over the wall and went in off the underside of the bar.