IT WAS as though the defences dissolved in the Yorkshire rain as Halifax and Cambridge United traded blows in more ways than one in an action-packed thriller. But for the heroics of both goalkeepers, there could have been twice as many goals, and if luck had not been on United's side in the frantic last 10 minutes the home team might have finished a couple better off.

Yet no-one at the Shay could have questioned Roy McFarland's men's right to yet another away point. Reduced to nine at one stage by a frightening clash of heads, they twice battled back from behind.

They had to re-arrange their line-up at half time when injury put John Taylor out of the game, and they held out in the last few minutes with Jamie Campbell wondering what week it was after being felled by an off-the-ball head butt which went unpunished.

There was an eight-man brawl just before that incident, and the always ultra-competitive clash concluded with the players pushing and jostling their way down the tunnel.

Once again rookie goalkeeper Shaun Marshall was a key man for United. The 20-year-old player could only think at the end of the game about the mistake which led to Halifax's third goal, but he prevented what looked like two certain goals with astonishing saves.

The commitment to attack which has made United the third division's most dangerous opponents away from home again brought its reward. But their back four struggled to cope with the pace and skill of Halifax's nippy little front pair, Jamie Paterson and Mark Williams, who were always snapping at their heels like a pair of hyperactive Yorkshire terriers.

"They were very difficult to contain," admitted McFarland. "They both have a lot of knowledge of the game. But I thought we showed a lot of character tonight. It's not easy to come back twice away from home."

His opposite number, player-manager Kieran O'Regan described United as, "probably the best team that's come here." He added: "We should have won it because we had more chances late in the game, but they never let you relax, and the young lad in goal pulled off a couple of blinders."

The nature of the game was established in the opening 10 minutes with the door of each defence swinging open. Williams outpaced United's centre-backs, racing on to a long ball down the middle to slam a shot against the foot of a post.

Then a quickly taken throw-in produced the goal the entire United team has been yearning for, Martin Butler back on the scoresheet after eight blanks.

The seventh minute lead put United in control until Paul Wanless and John Taylor slammed into each other as they went for a high ball near the halfway line in the 18th minute.

While they were both off the field receiving treatment for head wounds Halifax equalised, then took the lead five minutes later, both goals confirming United's vulnerability when high balls are knocked into the box at set-pieces.

With former United skipper Peter Butler backing Paterson and Williams, Halifax looked like ending the half on top until Alex Russell gave his team a vital lift with the equaliser five minutes before the break.

There was no sign of the match tightening up after the interval. Steve Guinan broke clear in the 53rd minute, but Marshall timed his run off his line well, stood up and stopped the shot with an outstretched left foot.

His sliced clearance gifted Paterson Halifax's third on the hour, but after substitute Ian Ashbee lashed home the second equaliser, Marshall somehow deflected Guinan's fierce drive through a pack of players up and over the cross bar while he was sitting on the floor.

Three minutes after that, in the 78th, United almost regained the lead when Campbell fed Tom Youngs, who tormented the home defence with his jinking runs through the middle. The Mildenhall teenager struck his shot well, but it was the turn of goalkeeper Lee Martin to produce a wonder save.

United took a battering in the last 10 minutes, Guinan firing wide from six yards in the 87th minute, and Williams allowing Marc Joseph to get in a tackle in the 89th after he received the ball yards clear of the centre-back.

A great game -- missed by 800 or so home fans who stayed in to watch TV Euro soccer -- had an ugly end unfortunately as an O'Regan/Neil Mustoe flare-up led to a sickening reaction from Halifax centre-back Mark Sertori, who appeared to butt Campbell to the ground as the sides lined up for a free kick, and somehow got away with it.

Don't bother going to Alton Towers, there is all the excitement of the rollercoaster each and every time Cambridge United take to the field.

Once again Cambridge United, and their opposition, dished up a display of attacking football to treat the tiny crowd huddled inside the Shay, and confirmed their status as the best team away from home in the football league.

Martin Butler gave the U's the lead after 6 minutes as he neatly curled the ball home from 12 yards to score for the first time in 7 matches to begin what was to be a fine all round display.

To say United were cruising at 1-0 however would not be true, as it was only by a lick of paint that Halifax were denied the equaliser. O'Regan found himself one on one with Marshall and hit a shot, which bounced back off the inside of the right hand post.

Then came a vital and pivotal clash, which would affect the whole match. John Taylor and Paul Wanless hit heads and were both polaxed lying motionless on the pitch. The referee amazingly allowed play to continue and awarded Halifax a corner before he halted play to allow the trainers onto the pitch. Wanless was put in the recovery position by the club doctor and Taylor was lead away into the changing room to receive treatment for a severe gash to the head.

Five minutes later Taylor came back on to the pitch, in which time United had conceded two goals as Halifax turned the game on its head. They scored first direct from the corner kick as Paul Stoneman rose above the nine men to drill a header in at the near post. Paul Wanless then re-entered the play just in time to watch Andy Thackeray capitalise on indecisive defending to put the Shaymen 2-1 as he drilled the ball home from 8 yards.

This did not throw United though, as they continued to attack with the vision and creativity which has made them such a dangerous force away from home. Indeed it only took United 15 minutes to get themselves back level as Alex Russell slotted away his third goal of the season to level the score on 40 minutes.

Taylor then was unlucky not to give United the lead as he controlled the ball superbly on the edge of the box, and hit a volley which looked in all the way before Halifax keeper Martin scrambled across his goal line to deny the in-form striker.

Ashbee replaced Taylor at half time, and Jamie Campbell was pushed up front as we had no strikers on the bench. The make-shift centre forward looked out of his depth, and at the back United looked unfamiliarly shaky as Halifax tore us apart by playing lofted balls over the back which gifted then with many gilt-edge chances to put the game out of United's reach.

Shaun 'superman' Marshall was once again in breathtaking form as he pulled off three astonishing saves. On 60 minutes though, after a needless backpass from Ashbee, Marshall sliced his clearance to the feet of Jamie Paterson who took the ball on and drilled it past the helpless keeper to put Halifax back into the lead.

Once again though the lead was short lived, as seven minutes later Ian Ashbee drilled a deflected shot past Martin to level the scores once again. Indeed for a short spell after that goal United looked the most likely winners as they demonstrated why they have scored in their last 13 consecutive matches and only failed to score on one occasion all season.

The expectation of another away win though was short lived as Halifax began to tear United to shreds at the back, looking like they were going to score every time they went forward. Williams chased a long ball forward and tripped Mark Joseph from behind but was allowed by the referee to take the ball on to goal and blaze over from 8 yards much to the amazement and anger of the United bench.

Marshall was credited with the save, but I am unsure that he got a touch. Overall though, he confirmed that his performance against Cardiff was no one off, he has obviously been working on his game hard and is reaping the benefit. Had he not been on such fine form he might have injured his back picking the ball out of the back of the net on numerous occasions.

Mustoe had another storming game in midfield, along with the quick thinking and finishing Russell who showed his class. Tom Youngs up front showed glimpses of what he might be capable of, but looks lightweight and too powder-puff to make it at league level at this moment in time.

In the last 10 minutes it was back against the wall against one of the best attacking teams in the division who also boast the second best defence. Be it with a bit of luck, a bit of bad finishing on Halifax's part and a lot of heart the United team held on to the point they deserved against one of the best teams we have faced this season.

Just before the final whistle there were ugly scenes on the pitch, followed by ugly scenes in the terraces. Mustoe and O'Regan had a confrontation in which twenty players got involved which underlined the inert referee's inability to install any respect or discipline in to the game.

Roy McFarland described this section of the season as vital prior to these two tough away fixtures. He must be delighted at the way the United team has risen to the challenge and underlined that we have one of the best team sprits in the country, and a fair bit of class as well.

United were unchanged for tonight's game while Halifax were without striker Dave Hanson and skipper Kevin Hulme though injury. They included former United players Peter Butler and Jamie Murphy, who had a spell at the cub last season.

The game kicked off in slippery conditions after heavy rain in Halifax, and United had an early escape in the fifth minute. Marc Williams got on the end of a through ball and was one-on-one with Shaun Marshall, but the young 'keeper stood up well and Williams' shot hit the post. United went ahead a minute later when John Taylor flicked on a Ben Chenery throw-in and Martin Butler ran on to the ball and curled it around Lee Martin and low into the corner. It was the striker's first goal for six weeks and will come as a big relief to him after he has worked hard for no reward in recent weeks, and saw his penalty kick saved at Cardiff on Saturday.

Most United fans are uneasy when the U's take an early lead and those fears were realised soon afterwards. In the 18th minute Paul Wanless and John Taylor accidentally clashed heads, leaving Wanless out cold and Taylor with blood pouring from his head. Both obviously required treatment, but to the fury of United's players and the concern of both benches, the referee let play continue until a United player booted the ball into touch.

While United were down to nine men play was restarted in the 20th minute with a corner which in the confusion was not properly cleared, allowing Paul Stoneman to meet a Peter Butler cross to equalise with a header into the corner that just evaded Marshall's outstretched hand.

Wanless returned to action but John Taylor was still off the pitch when Halifax took the lead. There was terrible confusion in the United area and Andy Thackeray was able to turn and strike the ball through a crowd of players and past the unsighted Marshall. Taylor returned with his head heavily bandaged shortly afterwards and play continued to flow from end to end in an exciting game.

The U's were on level terms before the break after a quality strike from Alex Russell, another man who has not scored for six weeks despite going close from free-kicks. The 40th minute goal came after some great build up play involving excellent one-touch football, and Taylor and Butler combined well to set up Russell who slipped his marker and scored from the edge of the box.

There were four minutes of injury time and in the third Butler did some good work down the right before crossing into the box, and Taylor's curling shot was well-held by the 'keeper. (Half-time 2-2)

At half-time John Taylor was replaced by Ian Ashbee who returned to first team action after a six week lay-off. He slotted in at left-back while Jamie Campbell was pressed into service as an emergency striker, a position he sometimes filled for previous club Barnet. The second half picked up where the first half left off, with more end to end football and chances a-plenty. In the 48th minute Patterson's low drive was parried by Marshall, and three minutes later Guinan beat Andy Duncan to go one-on-one with Marshall and forced a great save from the young 'keeper.

The Shaymen took the lead in the 59th minute when Ashbee's backpass was sliced by Marshall. The ball fell to Ben Chenery but the defender was promptly robbed by Jamie Paterson who coolly slotted home. United fought back again to level through comeback-man Ian Ashbee in the 65th minute. A Butler free-kick from 20 yards was hit into the wall, but it rebounded to Ashbee 22 yards out and the midfielder's trademark long-range shot was deflected into the roof of the net.

19-year-old Tom Youngs nearly scored his first goal for United in the 78th minute when his excellent shot on the turn was well-saved by Martin, while at the other end Marshall made several good saves to keep Halifax at bay. In the 87th minute a cross into United's box could have found either of two lurking Halifax players but Ian Ashbee hacked the ball clear at the vital moment.

It was unfortunate that this entertaining match was marred by an incident in the 92nd minute after Neil Mustoe fouled Shaymen player-boss Kieran O'Regan. They exchanged blows and both were booked, but the incident rapidly escalated into a 20-man punch-up and even after the free-kick had been taken, Jamie Campbell was flattened off the ball. Neither the referee Mr Laws or his assistants saw the incident and the guilty player was not identified, but there was more pushing and shoving in the tunnel as the players trooped off at the final whistle.