FC Halifax Town v Chesterfield preview

Here is our preview of FC Halifax Town's National League game against Chesterfield.
Akwasi AsanteAkwasi Asante
Akwasi Asante

Venue: The Shay

Date: Monday, April 18

Kick-off: 5.20pm

Referee: Thomas Kirk has only taken charge of three National League games this season, showing seven yellow cards. This is his first season officiating at National League level, and he has never taken charge of a Halifax game before.

Odds: Halifax win 6/4, draw 12/5, Chesterfield win 31/20

Season so far

Halifax: P44, W25, D9, L10, F68, A42

Chesterfield: P38, W22, D13, L7 F74, A46

Last five games

Halifax: King's Lynn (a) L 2-0, Wealdstone (h) W 2-0, Solihull (h) D 0-0, Woking (h) W 2-1, Altrincham (a) D 1-1

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Altrincham: Maidenhead (h) W 1-0, Altrincham (a) L 1-0, Notts Co (a) D 1-1, Grimsby (h) L 4-1, Wealdstone (a) W 2-1

Scorers

Halifax: Billy Waters (20), Matty Warburton (12), Jordan Slew (10), Kian Spence (5), Tom Bradbury (4), Jack Vale (3), Kieran Green (2), Niall Maher (2), Zak Dearnley (2), Luke Summerfield (2), Jesse Debrah, Martin Woods, Tyrell Warren, Elliot Newby, Jamie Allen, Gerry McDonagh, Aaron Martin

Chesterfield: Kabongo Tshimanga (25), Akawsi Asante (7), Danny Rowe (5), Saidou Khan (5), Liam Mandeville (4), Alex Whittle (4), Jeff King (4), Laurence Maguire (3), Jim Kellerman (2), George Carline (2), Jamie Grimes (2), Emmanuel Oyeleke (2), Curtis Weston, Jack Clarke, Gavin Gunning, Fraser Kerr, Calvin Miller, Joe Quigley, Nathan Tyson, Stefan Payne, Luke Croll

Manager: This is Paul Cook's second spell in charge of The Spireites, having previously managed them between 2012 and 2015, taking them to the League Two title in 2014. Best known for playing spells with Wolves and Burnley, Cook has also managed Portsmouth, Wigan and Ipswich among other clubs.

Last season: 6th in National League

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One to watch: Striker Akwasi Asante followed previous Chesterfield boss James Rowe to Derbyshire from Gloucester City in November 2020 and scored ten goals in 22 league games over the second half of last season. But a serious injury then kept him out until December last year. Since then he has scored seven goals in 21 games, and has helped soften the blow of top-scorer Kabongo Tshimanga's injury.

Match facts: Only Stockport County have won more National League games this season than Halifax (22).

Halifax have won more home games (15) than any other National League side this season.

Only Boreham Wood have conceded fewer goals in the National League this season than Halifax (29)

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No team in the National League this season has conceded fewer home goals than Halifax (10).

Ten of Halifax's last 13 goals have come in the second-half of games

Only Stockport have conceded fewer away goals in the National League this season than Chesterfield (17)

Chesterfield have only won once in their last six away games.

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No team in the National League has lost fewer games this season than Chesterfield (6)

Last time they met: Chesterfield's Jack Clarke scored a late equaliser to deny Halifax all three points after Matty Warburton gave The Shaymen a first-half lead.

Monday’s National League fixtures:

Weymouth v Yeovil

Torquay v Eastleigh

Dover v Woking

Wrexham v Altrincham

Bromley v Maidenhead

Barnet v Southend

Aldershot v Dag & Red

Stockport v Solihull M

King's Lynn v Grimsby

Wealdstone v Boreham W

Halifax v Chesterfield