Halifax showed their attacking intent from the first whistle, and Goodricke goalkeeper Tom Neill was forced off his feet when Jake Mundy’s low free-kick slipped through a crowd of players, on target for the bottom corner.
It was a Mundy throw, minutes later, that bounced in the box before finding Fraser Moyle – one of the shortest players on the pitch – who scored a fine header. Goodricke were left to rue their defensive organisation, despite having a 1st team stalwart, Sam Astbury, at centre-back.
The closest Goodricke came in the first half was when Nick Dheir’s cross-come-shot almost looped into the top corner; Halifax goalkeeper Josh Fisher was spared the David Seaman moment as the ball whistled past the post.
Halifax came back on the offensive through Mundy, who had a shot deflected out of the JLD, and headed just over the bar. Moyle almost doubled his tally, but had a goal-bound shot cleared off the line.
Goodricke had few chances, but were clinical in front of goal. Nick Dheir swung in a corner from the left, and Christian Hammer volleyed back across goal to equalise: 1-1.
Not satisfied with the point, Halifax pushed again in search of a winnner. The closest they came in the last half-hour was a 30-yard belter from Moyle, which left the crossbar trembling even after having some of the sting taken out by goalkeeper Neill.
Time was called on the game at 1-1. By putting up such a fight against the likes of Dheir and Astbury, Halifax 3rds proved they have a decent chance of progressing from one of the tournament’s more open groups.