FC Halifax Town found a bit of home comfort with a 1-1 draw against Colwyn Bay at The Shay and produced a performance that possibly merited more.
Neil Aspin gave Scott Phelan and Richard Marshall their first starts of the season, with Jamie Vardy and Nathan Taylor playing either side of Danny Holland up-front, and there was also the welcome sight of James Dean's name among the substitutes after a prolonged absence through injury., but more of him later.
It was Phelan who had Town's first shot of the game after 15 minutes, his low drive comfortably saved by Christopher Sanna, but not before the visitors had given Halifax a couple of early scares when Ian Sheridan saw his shot clip the bar and Jon Newby capitalised on a short back-pass to find himself clean through, but his low shot screwed just wide.
Holland found himself in a similar position ten minutes later after good work from Vardy pressurised Samma into a weak clearance that landed nicely for the striker, but his shot rolled agonisingly wide of the far post.Marshall also had a left-footed effort fly just wide as Town responded well to Colwyn's early pressure.
Sanna was busy again five minutes later after Vardy's right-wing cross found Scott Metcalfe after the 'keeper parried the ball to him, but Sanna showed good reactions to block his and Holland's shots from close-range.
After a fairly even first ten minutes, The Shaymen had dominated the rest of the first-half, but came up against a determined Colwyn defence, as evidenceda few minutes before the interval when Metcalfe's cross was begging to be tapped in at the back post by Vardy, but Michael Lea's last ditch clearance kept the scores level going into the break.
Vardy almost ensured the scores weren't level for much longer just after half-time with a jinking run down the left and a curling right-foot shot, but Sanna produced a good full-stretch save.
However, the deadlock would be breached soon afterwards when Marshall bravely attacked a high ball, beating the on-rushing Sanna to it and deftly heading it into the unguarded net, although it did come at a price as he joined the 'busted nose' club with Nathan Taylor, who had been taken off earlier after a nasty collision.
Metcalfe then picked up the attacking baton with a couple of bustling runs down the left as Aspin's men came flying out of the traps and looked like taking control of the match.
The introduction of James Dean 20 minutes into the second-half was greeted by almost as much jubilation as the goal, as he immediately formed a potentially productive partnershp with Vardy up front.
But, it was at the other end where the next goal was to be found after Colwyn forced two consecutive corners, and from the second, the loose ball fell to Daniel Grannon to prod home from five yards out for an equaliser against the run of play.
There was time for Lee Davey to go close for the visitors and Tom Baker's free-kick to skim the roof of the net before full-time, but a while point may represent a slightly frustrating afternoon, the performance certainly offers encouragement for the coming weeks.
Halifax: Hedge, Plummer, Bower ©, Baker, Riley, Hogan, Taylor (Metcalfe 28), Phelan (Winter 78), Holland (Dean 65), Marshall, Vardy Subs Not Used: Senior, Garner,
Shots On Target: 6, Shots Off Target: 3, Corners: 4
Colwyn Bay: Sanna, Denson, Lea, Challinor, Grannon, McGraa, Sheridan (Davey 75), McLachlan, Noone (Titchener 73), Newby, O'Sullivan. Subs Not Used: Allen, Bailey, Brandreth
Shots On Target: 2, Shots Off Target: 4, Corners: 7
Attendance: 1,561
Tom Scargill
