At the Shay Stadium, FC Halifax Town snatched a late draw against Woking, courtesy of a 91st-minute penalty from Josh Hmami, which cancelled out Harry Beautyman’s earlier penalty for the visitors. Referee Aaron Jackson oversaw a match that concluded with a flurry of cautions as tensions escalated.
The first half was a tightly contested affair, with neither side able to establish control. The midfield battle proved to be a stalemate, with clear-cut chances at a premium. In an attempt to invigorate his attack, FC Halifax Town coach Adam Lakeland made a double substitution in the 58th minute, introducing Angelo Capello and William Harris in place of Thierry Latty-Fairweather and Owen Bray. Woking’s coach, Neal Ardley, responded in the 63rd minute by bringing on Josh Kelly for Sam Ashford.
The game ignited in the 69th minute when Woking were awarded a penalty. Harry Beautyman converted the spot-kick, putting the Cardinals ahead 0-1. Halifax responded in the 73rd minute by replacing Sean Tarima with Jake Griffin, aiming to reinforce their defence while pursuing an equaliser. Woking then substituted Jake Forster-Caskey for Tim Akinola in the 79th minute.
As time dwindled, Halifax’s urgency increased. The 84th minute saw tempers fray, resulting in yellow cards for Jake Griffin of Halifax and Timi Odusina of Woking. The Shaymen made a further change in the 88th minute, with Tom Pugh replacing Jamie Cooke.
The decisive moment came in added time when FC Halifax Town were awarded a penalty. Josh Hmami stepped up and converted, levelling the score at 1-1. The drama continued, with Hmami receiving a yellow card in the 95th minute, followed by cautions for Adam Alimi-Adetoro of Halifax and Olatunji Akinola of Woking in the final moments. Woking made two late substitutions in the 96th minute, introducing Chinwike Okoli and Josh Osude for Jack Turner and Harry Beautyman.
The draw leaves FC Halifax Town in 14th place in the National League table with 8 points from 7 games, while Woking sit in 21st place with 5 points. The Shaymen have demonstrated resilience in their recent fixtures, remaining undefeated in their last two and scoring in their last five. Woking are also undefeated in their last two games, having scored in both. The single point does little to improve either team’s standing in the league.
