A tense encounter at The Bolt New Lawn saw Forest Green Rovers’ lead at the top of the National League narrowed after a hard-fought 1-1 draw with FC Halifax Town. Despite dominating possession for extended periods, Forest Green were ultimately pegged back by a resilient Halifax side who snatched a late equaliser.
From the first whistle, Forest Green’s intricate passing game probed the Halifax defence, but clear-cut chances were at a premium in the opening half. Both sides struggled to penetrate the opposition’s backline, with the first 45 minutes characterised by tactical fouls and half-chances. While Halifax occasionally threatened on the counter-attack, they lacked the final ball to truly test the Rovers’ goalkeeper.
The game sprung to life just after the hour mark. In the 63rd minute, a slick passing move culminated in Tom Knowles sliding a perfectly weighted pass to Kyle McAllister, who calmly slotted the ball home to give Forest Green the lead. The goal seemed to energise the home side, who continued to press for a second.
Halifax manager Chris Millington responded with a triple substitution, aiming to revitalise his attack. The tactical switch paid off in the 86th minute. Substitute Owen Bray, moments after entering the field, delivered a pinpoint cross to fellow substitute Andrew Oluwabori, who finished with aplomb to level the scores, silencing the home crowd.
The late equaliser sparked a frantic final few minutes as both sides searched for a winner. Further substitutions from both managers introduced fresh legs, but neither team could find the decisive goal. The 1-1 draw saw Forest Green maintain their position at the top of the table on 42 points from 20 games, although their lead was reduced. Halifax, meanwhile, consolidated their mid-table position in 8th place on 30 points.