Halifax 2-2 Rochdale: Dramatic late comeback, fans clash with stewards and police

Halifax staged a dramatic late comeback to draw 2-2 with Rochdale, video footage also emerged as fans clash with stewards and police.

Rochdale scored 15th and 84th minute goals to take a two-goal lead, but bottled it and lost top spot of the National League to York who beat Scunthorpe 3-0.

Goals from Halifax’s Will Harris and Tom Lavery in the last three minutes meant that Dale drew a third game in their last four to drop two points behind York.

Rochdale boss Jimmy McNulty said: “The players are human beings, and they are allowed to show signs of fatigue in a game, which is the first time in a long time that I can remember,” commented McNulty.

“We’ll recover the minds, recover our bodies and do what we need to do to get that freshness and conviction ready for the start line of the next game, like it has been all season.

“The players’ mentality is top. The disappointment will turn into determination very quickly. They have been very good at that all season long.

“There are great leaders throughout the changing room, and they’re all pulling in the same direction.

“We’ll recoup, and we’ll go again.”

Halifax’s Adam Lakeland said: “I thought we were fantastic, to be honest. I thoroughly enjoyed watching my team play tonight. I thought we were the better team.

“I think at the time when they’ve scored their goal, I felt we were playing well, executing what we wanted to execute pretty much to the team. They just played for us that one occasion, showed the quality that they’ve got. It looked borderline offside, I haven’t had the chance to see it back.

“And then, kind of very similar to Saturday really, where we’d started quite well, conceded a goal and you think, how is that going to affect us? And thought we showed real composure, calmness to our game, a discipline, better level of discipline certainly than we had at York. And we just stuck in there, thought we had a lot of possession, a lot of control in the game, thought some of our play was very good at times, probably without asking enough questions.

“Second half we thought we were great, the way that we were just, you know, we had them virtually locked in their half for large spells.

“Their keeper’s made a good save off Will Harris, that was probably our best chance of the half at 1-0. And then obviously, the longer the game goes on, you’re taking more risks and against a very good team, you turn it over, they have a break. We got fortunate where Sam’s made a good one-on-one save initially.

“And then obviously we’ve just made an error, played the ball into a trap that they’d set, they break, they score the second goal. And, you know, you think it’s going to be another tough one for us to take this. But then every credit to the players, not just the players who started the game, the lads who came into the game.

“And we just kept going and obviously managed to half the deficit with Will Harris’ goal. And it felt there was that belief and that energy inside the ground and on the pitch with the lads. And in the end, for me, we’ve got the lease that we deserved by getting a point.

“And we’ve got to take tremendous confidence from not just, you know, the way we’ve come from 2-0 down to get a draw against a very, very, very good team. And we’ve got to take great, great confidence from the way that we played.”

Here’s the reaction online after Halifax staged a dramatic late comeback to draw 2-2 with Rochdale, and video footage also emerged as fans clash with stewards and police…

@AdamPro_Actor: Bunch of chavs – I remember my first beer as well 🤣

@roguez9: Hahaha the Dale boys didn’t take it very well at f/t

@SuperJoeFelix: “We won’t be moved. We are top of the national league” 😂😂

@FatherJack74: This is why you don’t let kids go out unsupervised 😂

@ShaymenHXFC: Someone check up on whatmuff please he gave it biggun far too early 😂 Cheers for the 4 points and we’ll see you next year 👍🏻

@Navixl20: Stick that in your pipe and smoke it. Hope whatmuff has a lovely trip home and doesnt cry for too long x

@Rossbaker2: Whatmuff giving it the Big’un at 2-0 – that came back to bite petty quick. Wouldn’t even come get his stuff at full time, sent one of the coaches 😂😂

@georgekeen45327: Someone tell whatmuff to come collect his bottle he left in his goal

@CobyPeacock96: Some bottle that fuck me

@JacobWo00068375: hahahahaha whatmuff life comes at you fast doesn’t it dickhead 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

@abottomley89: Absolute bottlejobs 🤣🤣🤣 McNulty and whatmuff absolute bellends. Thanks for the 4 point’s. See you next season Rochdale and @ManiD10

@JamieCairns31: Whatmuff what’s the score? Ahaha bottle jobs

@Nwrighty18: 😂 tell Whatmuff he left his bottle behind as his arse fell out in the 85th minute x

@JRWalsh: What knob Whatmuff is though eh! Conducting the chants at 2-0. 10 minutes later he’s conceded two.