Halifax 2 Gravesend & N 1

ANDY Farrell headed home a 59th minute winner to seal the Conference points for Halifax in an ill-tempered affair, blighted by six yellow cards and two reds.

Both teams have suffered from disciplinary problems all season, hence, it was no surprise when Halifax midfielder Phil Clarkson was sent from the field, reacting to a heavy tackle from Che Stadhart on the half hour.

Minutes earlier, Ryan Mallon had given the home team the lead, picking up the loose ball in midfield and crashing a right-footed drive past Paul Wilkerson in the visitors’ goal. Wilkerson, outstanding throughout the game, had already denied Halifax striker Brian Quailey, producing a string of reflex saves to keep the Fleet in the game, However, the keeper could do little with Mallon’s effort.

Despite having little of the play, Fleet equalised on the stroke of half-time, skipper Jimmy Jackson beating keeper Lee Butler with a 25-yard drive.

Tempers flared again in the second-half, with Akpo Sodje sent off for bringing down Farrell, his second bookable offence of the game, having earlier gone in the book for kicking the ball away at a Halifax free-kick.

The dismissal marked the fifth red card of the season for Andy Ford’s team. Gravesend rallied towards the end of the match in search of an equaliser, with Craig Wilkins coming close with a powerful header that was scrambled off the line by Butler in the Halifax goal.

Gravesend: Wilkerson, Coyle, Watts, Wilkins, Lee, Booth (Carter 78mins), Barr, Bentley (Barnett 74mins), Jackson, Sodje, Stadhart.