Halstead Town draw with Sawbridgeworth Town in Essex Senior League

The Humbugs travelled just across the Hertfordshire border to The Crofters knowing that this would likely to have a big impact on the relegation battle, as their Step 5 campaign hit the midway point.

The two sides were third and fourth from bottom going into this match with two to go down and Clapton - just below them - showing signs of a resurgence.

It was the hosts who showed first when their winger got the ball under control but he put his effort wide this within the opening two minutes.

Halstead also created early chances and a Jordan Blackwell corner saw Robbie Bennett head it back across the area which was then headed wide by the well-placed Matt Travell, and moments later Blackwell again crossed but Adam Hampson volleyed wide.

After that hectic opening play settled down a little and with a quarter of an hour gone Halstead keeper Jack Cherry denied a home forward twice whilst at the other end Alfie Cleal dragged his effort wide from distance.

The first half played out with attacks being shared, and almost the sides taking turns.

The hosts were the closest to breaking the deadlock when they hit the bar on 35 minutes and Halstead also needed Cherry to react quickly to prevent the rebound being turned home.

Halstead had a couple of half chances with Joel Older and Hampson unable to cause the home keeper any major issues.

The half ended scoreless after an even 45 minutes with Halstead having come close on a couple of occasions but also grateful to Cherry for keeping their goal intact.

The second half saw a repeat of the start to the first with Sawbridgeworth had the first attack, although Cherry saved comfortably and Michael Brothers immediately responded for the visitors but he went narrowly wide with his effort.

As the game approached the hour mark, Sawbridgeworth got a crowd goal as the side netting was rustled from distance - but the outside of the netting.

Then Halstead had their best chance to that point with Blackwell playing in Brothers, whose effort was well saved by the home keeper who then did superbly to save from Hampson, who had got onto the rebound.

The next to threaten the home goal was Ryan Carter, from just inside the box, but again his effort was superbly repelled by the hosts number one.

It was Halstead at this point who were edging the game and Brothers again went close with an effort going just wide of the upright as they looked to make their possession count.

The home keeper was in action again as he just got to the ball before Joel Older pounced and the game moved into the final ten minutes with everything all square and all to play for.

There was then a great by Ryan Carter, he drove into the box, played in the recently introduced Tom White but he couldn’t get a strong enough connection and his effort goes narrowly wide.

As the game moved into the final five minutes Cherry pulled off a superb save to deny a Sawbridgeworth forward from no more than six yards, the striker firing an effort at goal and the Halstead stopper saving with an outstretched foot.

The end-to-end nature of the game continued in the final minutes as both sides looked to force a result and Halstead again went close, Brothers dragging his effort just wide of the upright.

The final minutes saw White about to go through on goal but he was bought down by a home defender, costing the Sawbridgeworth man a booking rather than his team a goal.

That was to be the final action of the game and Halstead returned with a point but maybe felt deserved more as they dominated much of the second half play, but this may well be a vital point and was the Humbugs' first draw of the season.