It was a point they just about deserved after dominating for spells in the game and it leaves the Cumbrians with the positive stance of looking forward to next season with six games remaining.

A jubilant Roddy Collins said after the game: “We are now mathematically certain. No matter what happens now we are in the Football League next season with the luxury of six games to go.

“I am happy, but disappointed with the performance. Over a thousand Carlisle supporters travelled to see us but they will go home happy and hopefully forgive us for the lack of performance.

“I thought Halifax were far superior. They were sharper, they were brighter and in the final third they caused us too many problems. In the middle of the park we had a big hole and we didn’t push on enough.

“But we still got a draw and scored two goals away from home, but you have to feel sorry for Halifax because that might have been us”

Halifax dominated the early exchanges with Graham Mitchell heading wide from a Paul Harsley corner and Neil Readfearn forcing Peter Keen full length to save his 25 yard shot.

On six minutes Keen again was again at full stretch to turn an Ian Fitzpatrick shot for a corner and a minute later Fitzpatrick crossed for Mitchell to head wide.

Halifax pressure brought a deserved opening goal with 22 minutes gone. Steve Bushell played a one two with Craig Midgeley on the edge of the box before crossing for Andrew Woodward to sweep home from eight yards.

As the early Halifax pressure began to wane Carlisle came into the game and Foran’s left foot shot, after Jonny Allan had played him in, was well saved by Barry Richardson.

Carlisle’s equaliser came on 34 minutes when Allan fed Foran down the left and his cross from the by-line was clipped home by Ian Stevens.

Foran then had a shot blocked for a corner and Will McDonagh’s shot was well saved by Richardson as the Cumbrians finished the half in the ascendancy.

Immediately after the break Allan again fed Foran down the left but his accurate pull back was blazed over the bar by Michael Jack.

Lee Andrews then got forward, running fifty yards from his own half before disappointingly firing over the bar.

Against the run of play Halifax regained the lead with 57 minutes gone. Midgeley played a wide ball out to the left for Fitzpatrick to cross to the near post, with Readfearn on hand to power a header past Keen.

Midgeley then went close for the Shaymen, heading narrowly wide from a Harsley free kick.

But Carlisle took control of the game in the final fifteen minutes and Murphy shot narrowly wide, followed by a goalbound McDonagh header which was diverted for a corner by Woodward.

With two minutes remaining a deep Birch cross was headed onto the bar by Foran, but Carlisle’s leading scorer was not to be denied as he rescued a point three minutes into injury time with his fourteenth goal of the season. A deep Jack corner was turned back in by McDonagh for Foran to react quickest to stab home from close range.

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