HALSTEAD TOWN 1-1 ROVERS

A LATE Kane Gilbert penalty helped Halstead Town draw 1-1 with Great Wakering Rovers in their latest Essex Senior League match.

The Humbugs were facing the Rovers for the first time in more than 20 years - their only ever previous meeting - and the first time in a league match.

Great Wakering made the brighter start and within three minutes could have been in front. A header from a corner rebounded back off the bar and Halstead scrambled it to safety.

However, the visitors didn’t have to wait long to take the lead as a defence-splitting ball found Maximillian Gnandi and he took the ball in his stride and slid it passed the advancing goalkeeper, Jack Cherry.

Halstead were looking to get a foothold in the game but the opening ten minutes saw only a speculative Gilbert effort from a 40-yard free kick as output for their efforts.

Gnandi almost got his second on 18 minutes as Jake Gordon's cross saw him free but he couldn’t get over the ball and his header drifted over.

Coppen’s return was cut short following a clash of heads with Gordon which resulted in the Halstead defender needing to be replaced by Ben Young.

The contest sprung into life on 32 minutes as Jordan Palmer headed into the path of Alfie Cleal, whose headed attempt was foiled by Shamshoum’s fingertips.

The ball went straight up the other end and Gnandi went down under Cherry's challenge, prompting the referee to point to the spot.

Ben Search stepped up but Cherry diving to his left to make a great save. Search sliced wide from the edge of the box and Jordan Palmer’s effort at the other end was blocked, as the visitors went in at the break ahead.

Cherry clawed Gordon's effort away for a corner early in the second half and Great Wakering almost capitalised as Young and Cherry failed to clear, with the ball running wide and out of Gordon's reach.

Gnandi got into a dangerous position and saw his effort superbly saved by Cherry and as the visitors tried to bundle home the rebound, somehow Ryan Carter and the post combined to deny them.

With 13 minutes to go, Halstead had a golden opportunity to level as Joel Older got down the left wing and crossed superbly from the byline but Palmer headed wide when he should have done better.

However, Halstead were awarded a penalty when substitute Julien Simon-Parsons was tripped in the box and Gilbert sent Shamshoum the wrong way to equalise.

Gilbert smashed home minutes later after Palmer headed on Cleal's free-kick but the home fans' jubilation was abruptly halted by the assistant's flag.

Both sides went for a winner in the closing stages which saw some hefty challenges going in but the game ended all square, which was a fair reflection of the play.