Ebbsfleet United v FC Halifax Town preview

Venue: Stonebridge Road

Date: Saturday, August 31

Kick-off: 3pm

Referee: Stuart Morland's only other National League game this season was Boston's 2-0 win at York on Monday, in which he showed three yellow cards. He took charge of Town's 2-2 draw with Oldham in April, their 2-2 draw at Fylde in January and their 0-0 draw with Gateshead in August last year.

Odds: Ebbsfleet win 11/8, draw 23/10, Halifax win 17/10

In the league this season

Ebbsfleet: 24th - PL5 W0 D1 L4 F4 A13 GD-9 Pts1

Halifax: 17th - PL5 W1 D2 L2 F4 A5 GD-1 Pts5

Results so far

Ebbsfleet: Gateshead (a) L 5-1, Barnet (h) L 2-1, Yeovil (a) L 3-2, Woking (h) L 3-0, Braintree (a) D 0-0

Halifax: Barnet (h) W 2-1, Aldershot (h) L 1-0, Gateshead (h) D 1-1, Dag & Red (a) D 1-1, Solihull (h) L 1-0

Manager: Danny Searle guided Ebbsfleet to safety last season having succeeded Dennis Kutrieb, who led them to promotion the season before last. Searle has also previously managed Aldershot in the fifth tier and has worked in the League of Ireland and at Premier League academy level.

One to watch: 30-year-old former Leeds, Bradford and Oldham striker Dom Poleon has been at Ebbsfleet since February 2021 and was a key man in their promotion during the 2022-23 National League South season, scoring 36 goals and winning the club's players' player of the year and supporters' player of the year. He also netted 16 times last season to help the club stay up.

Head-to-head: Played 21, Ebbsfleet wins 10, draws 3, Halifax wins 8

Last time they met: The teams drew 0-0 at Accrington Stanley's Wham Stadium in April.

Match facts: Halifax and Ebbsfleet are both yet to score a goal in the first-half a game this season.

Ebbsfleet's goalless draw at Braintree on Monday was their first clean sheet of the season.

Ebbsfleet have failed to score in six of their last nine National League games.

The Fleet have the worst defensive record in the division this season and are the only National League side still to win a game this campaign.

Saturday's National League fixtures:

Gateshead v Eastleigh Barnet v Tamworth Aldershot v Maidenhead Altrincham v Oldham Boston Utd v Yeovil Ebbsfleet v Halifax Rochdale v Woking Hartlepool v Braintree Fylde v Southend Solihull M v Wealdstone Dag & Red v York Sutton Utd v Forest Green