On Saturday, AFC Halifax played their latest game in the IFA League, entertaining supporters of a former club, hitherto known as Chester City, who turned up with just the required amount of men - that's eleven, for the uninitiated - to make up a team.

A pluckier bunch you could not wish to find, and they could consider themselves unfortunate not to go away with maximum points as the sides played out a 5-5 draw, the game not as entertaining as such a score line would normally indicate.

AFC manager John Barker concerned himself with the fact that some of his players had their minds, understandably some might argue, on the big game in the afternoon. But then again, the AFC players were only watching the FC Halifax Town/Lancaster City top of the table clash and not actually playing in it. But whatever was affecting some of the players, it spread throughout the team, and showed itself in a disorganised manner, slow out of the blocks, slow at picking up and generally not playing in the fashion AFC have been accustomed to.

Mind, that didn't stop them eagerly going out to get their first goal, which came after only five minutes courtesy of skipper Ashley Addy, who breezed through the Chester defence before planting home the ball. The AFC lads had a 'first goal' celebration to act out, to the surprise of Barker and first half keeper Nigel Walker, who arrived at the game by train from his Barnsley home. This involved rolling over an Airfix-type life-size wall put together by Matt Blackburn, re-enacting an hilarious sight at Garforth on Wednesday when both Barker and Walker were seen to disappear over the perimeter fence whilst celebrating Town's astonishing last-gasp 4-3 victory.

But even prior to Addy's early strike, Chester had served notice that they were a force to be reckoned with, a couple of raids causing some worry in the AFC back four. And having gone a goal behind, they came at AFC again and again, with Walker being forced to push behind at full-length a shot destined for the bottom corner. Walker, who arrived by train - have I mentioned that? - was by far the busier keeper (a contrast to the game at Whitby the previous week when he was mistaken for a gargoyle), and was called up on repeatedly to deal with several menacing crosses.

But AFC couldn't hold out for ever, and following a corner, half-cleared, the ball was delivered back into the box through the crowd and found its way in, with Walker possibly unsighted.

Having conceded, AFC responded in great style, and actually had the audacity to forge 3-1 ahead. Addy, at the hub of most of AFC's attacking moves, made the opening for Adam Robinson, who had the easy task of slotting home to restore AFC's lead within a minute of Chester's goal, and following Robinson's in-swinging right wing corner, Andrew Hemblys headed the ball into the danger area where Johnny Meynell span on a sixpence (pre-decimal) in the fashion of Gerd Muller, and rammed the ball home with his left foot to become, at 46 years and 61 days, AFC Halifax's oldest scorer.
AFC now had some daylight, but not for so long. Lee Casalino, who acted as a useful left-wing outlet, ran into trouble in the centre of the park, the ball was transferred swiftly to the inside-left channel, and Wallker, having arrived by train, was beaten by a stinging shot.

A half-time lambasting from gaffer Barker didn't have the impact it should have served. Within five minutes of the restart, the scores were level, the big centre forward getting his head to the ball, and looping it over second half keeper Chris Wigglesworth and in. Wiggy was later called upon to deal efficiently with a one-on-one situation, pulling off a terrific save, but when he came to the left hand side of his box to try to snuff out further danger, he was beaten to the ball and the Chester forward fired towards an unguarded net, with a team mate on hand to make sure. Suddenly for the first time, Chester were in front.

AFC lacked ideas, but were given a lifeline, Chester conceding an unnecessary penalty after Addy had rescued the ball from going over the by-line. Moving away from goal, he was given a helping hand - or rather, a shove - and the penalty award was a formality. Cometh the hour, cometh the man, and Hemblys fired crisply and neatly into the bottom left corner. 4-4.

It was then AFC's turn to be charitable. Debut sub Alex Crossley contested a ball down the inside-right channel but was adjudged to be over-excessive in his desire to win the ball. The Chester lad went down, the referee awarded the spot kick, which in turn was converted, and the visitors had regained the lead with time running out.

Indeed, there were less than five minutes remaining when Addy forced another attack, skipping past defenders and avoiding challenges as he approached the box. The mis-timed tackle that upended him may have been outside, so Chester claimed, but the ref saw it differently, and awarded AFC their second 'get out of jail card'. Cometh the second hour, cometh the same man - and the same result. Hemblys wrong-footed the keeper, the ball hit the net, and AFC had contrived a draw they scarcely deserved.