FC Halifax Town and Sutton United shared the points in a dramatic 1-1 draw at The Shay, with both goals arriving deep into stoppage time. Halifax appeared to have snatched victory when Max Bardell’s header was diverted into his own net by Will Nightingale in the 94th minute, only for substitute David Ogbonna to equalise almost immediately for Sutton.
The opening stages were closely contested, with Sutton creating the first clear opportunity when Charlie Carter cut in from the left and attempted to squeeze an effort inside the near post, only for Halifax goalkeeper True Grant to turn the ball behind. The visitors continued to threaten from set pieces and Grant was called into action again to tip Temi Babalola’s goalbound effort over the crossbar.
Halifax gradually found their way into the contest and created opportunities of their own. Ben Tollitt tested Sutton goalkeeper Spike Brits with a low effort before Cody Johnson fired narrowly over from distance. Dylan Crowe and Johnson were both cautioned for Halifax during the first half, while Sutton’s Ben Brookes received a yellow card in stoppage time as the teams went into the interval level at 0-0.
Both managers made changes after the break. Sutton introduced Besart Topalloj for Brookes in the 49th minute, while Halifax brought on Tristan Gill for Deniche Hill shortly afterwards. David Ogbonna replaced Brandon Njoku on the hour for the visitors, a substitution that would ultimately prove decisive.
Clear opportunities remained at a premium as the second half developed. Halifax enjoyed one of their better spells when Tayt Trusty met Tollitt’s pull-back but directed his effort straight at Brits, while Alex Kirk produced an important block to deny substitute Zak Gilsenan. At the other end, Sutton substitute Charlie Bell tested Grant with a powerful effort that the goalkeeper managed to turn wide.
With the match seemingly heading towards a goalless draw, Halifax were awarded a free-kick midway inside the Sutton half in the fourth minute of stoppage time. Gilsenan delivered towards the far post, where Bardell headed goalwards. Nightingale attempted to clear but could only divert the ball beyond his own goalkeeper, giving Halifax a dramatic 1-0 lead.
The celebrations had barely subsided when Sutton produced an immediate response. From the restart, the visitors launched one final attack and eventually worked the ball back into the penalty area. Jake Taylor lifted it towards the far post, Carter headed across goal and Ogbonna reacted quickest, diving in to turn the ball beyond Grant in the 95th minute and make it 1-1.
The final whistle followed shortly afterwards, confirming a remarkable share of the points. Halifax had been seconds away from securing all three, but Sutton’s immediate response earned them their first draw of the National League season and preserved a point from a match in which they had enjoyed the greater territorial advantage.
The draw moved FC Halifax Town onto 13 points from nine matches, while Sutton United finished Saturday in sixth place with 16 points from nine games. For Sutton, the result followed four wins from their previous five league fixtures, while Halifax were left to reflect on how close they had come to turning a tight contest into a valuable home victory.
