Colne snatched victory with a dramatic late winner just one minute from full time against National League side FC Halifax Town on Saturday. The Reds had battled all the way and having been pegged back after taking an early lead in the first half they refused to play second fiddle and got their reward in the end.
In a lively end-to-end game, both sides looked to attack and after five minutes Halifax striker Angelo Cappello tested Colne keeper Hakan Burton with a 20 yard pile driver. Two minutes later, at the other end, the Reds took advantage of hesitancy in the visitors defence and Lucas Weaver put Colne ahead with an angled shot into the far corner of the net.
As Colne pressed forward looking for a second goal, Jack Doherty saw his goal-bound shot blocked by a defender in the visitors’ area.
Halifax looked dangerous going forward and Millenic Alli made a series of penetrating runs up the left wing and his cross after 21 minutes found Rob Harker whose first time shot was blocked by Burton on the goal-line. Eight minutes later, ex-Red Jamie Cooke made a good run through the middle but again Burton was equal to the final shot.
And as Halifax continued to attack, they forced an equaliser after 33 minutes when Harker made a run through the middle and finished with a rising shot off the underside of the bar to level the scores at 1-1.
A free kick two minutes later gave Colne a sight of goal but Doherty’s strike flew just over the angle of the Halifax goal. And as play switched to the other end, Alli looked to be about to score as he broke clear on one of his lightning runs but Burton got down to claim the ball at his feet with a superbly timed interception.
Colne began the second half on the attack and forced a series of corners which Halifax keeper Tom Scott and his defence did well to clear under pressure. At the other end, Burton was again in action to save goal-bound shots by Alli as he continued to threaten the Colne defence.
But the Reds came close after 68 minutes when Doherty’s chip over the keeper bounced inches wide of the far post of the Halifax goal.
In the closing stages, it was Halifax who pushed forward looking for a winner but the Colne defence held firm with Burton again making good saves. With time running out, play switched to the other end where Colne won a free kick on the right wing and when the ball was delivered to the far post by Adam Mayor, Aaron Turner rose above the Halifax defence to send a downward header into the net for the winning goal.
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