0-2 down after 15 minutes, HARWICH & PARKESTON COMEBACK TO EARN POINT IN LOCAL DERBY AT HALSTEAD

Ricky Gardner and Joel Older put Halstead 2-0 up but in the 34th minute an Adam Hampson goal brought Harwich back into contention.
Half time score Halstead Town 2 Harwich & Parkeston 1.
The Shrimpers were up against it again when Elwen Lartey received a second yellow card in the 68th minute but after 85 minutes Brad Westley scored an equaliser.
The match finally ended after 98 minutes.

Report by Tony Armstrong:-

Harwich brought new signings into their line up following their poor performance at Wivenhoe in midweek. Into the defence came returning
centre half Dan Clark with also returning to the Club Michael Schofield at left back. Both had influential performances and improved the worrying defensive shortfalls from the Wivenhoe match which Harwich lost 4-0. Charlie Pepperell also made his second appearance of the season in goal. Eliminating the first 15 minutes when Harwich found themselves 2-0 down the Shrimpers probably gave their best performance of the season when they recovered superably to deservedly get a share of the points despite having Elvin Lartey being sent off midway during the second half and the game finishing 2-2.
Conditions were certainly not going to be conducive to flowing football with a strong wind and a very heavy playing surface. Halstead gave very early indications as to how they were going to adapt as right from the outset it was clear that their tactics were to get the ball forward in a very direct fashion. After only 7 minutes those tactics gave them the lead. A long ball over Nicky Palmer saw Charlie Pepperll race off his line but failed to get the ball first and Harwich went in arrears. Ten minutes later it was worse for Harwich. A long ball downfield from the home goalkeeperwas headed on and left a Halstead forward clear to race through and shoot home. It could have been that Harwich collapsed after this disastorous start but such was the determination of the team it didn't happen and Harwich stuck to their task. Good flowing play did create chances and it didn't come as a surprise when Harwich reduced the arrears on the half hour mark. A great ball wide to Jamie Beecham saw him cut in from the by line to pull the ball back to the advancing Adam Hampson who fired low into the net from ten yards out. The remainder of the half saw play swing from end to end but the half time whistle saw Halstead hanging on to their interval lead.
Harwich came out for the second half in determined fashion knowing that they could get a result and in the very opening minute deserved an equaliser when an angled shot from close range was partially saved by the home keeper and with Charlie Miller racing in to score a home defender seemed to bring him down with the ball virtually on the goaline. Harwich appeals fell on deaf ears such is the Harwich luck at the moment. Worse was to come when Elwin Lartey was shown a second yellow card after a late challenge and got sent off. Harwich brough on Ollie Law for the tiring Jamie Beecham and a great pass from him on the left flank saw Miller race clear on the right but sadly no shot on goal resulted. Halstead did put a lot of pressure to on the Harwich defence and did get the ball in the Harwich goal when Pepperell paried the ball into the net but fortunately for the Shrimpers the Referee was in the right position to spot a push on the Harwich keeper. Brad Westley had dropped back to help out his defence following the sending off and both him and Dan Clark did very well in thwarting the continuous aerial attacks from Halstead. Harwich withdrew Karl Andrade who had also tired in the conditions and brought on their third new signing Reece Keating coming on in a forward role. In fact it was deserved when Brad Westley became the Harwich hero when he equalised in the 83rd minute. A good break down the left by the dangerous Hampson saw Harwich win a corner on the left. Ollie Law did the right thing with the reultant corner by keeping it well away from the towering Halstead keeper and Westley found time and space to fire home to deservedly equalise Harwich supporters held their breath with the minutes ticking away as it would have been a tragedy if the didn't hold on to point their tremendous efforts deserved. In the fourth minute of injury time Halstead won a free kick on the edge of the penalty area but the effort of all Harwich players, Management team went over the bar and Harwich took home their deserved point. Management duo of Michael Wallace and Gary Kioussis deserve praise for immediately bringing in new players after the poor performance at Wivenhoe and certainly on this showing more points will be won once the matches resume. Every member of the team gave maximum effort and showed great character and team spirit in this performance and with the knowledge that the first win is not far away.

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