FC Halifax Town v Dover preview

Venue: The Shay

Date: Saturday, March 12

Kick-off: 3pm

Referee: Adam Herczeg has shown 36 yellow cards but no red cards in ten National League games this season. Took charge of Halifax's 2-0 win at home to Altrincham in August and their 1-0 defeat at Solihull in October.

Odds: Halifax win 2/7, draw 4/1, Dover win 8/1

Season so far

Halifax: P35, W20, D7, L8, F57, A34

Dover: P34, W1, D6, L27, F23, A75

Last five games

Halifax: Dagenham and Redbridge (a) W 3-1, Notts County (FAT h) L 2-1, Notts County (a) D 1-1, Barnet (h) W 1-0, Weymouth (a) W 2-0

Dover: Stockport (a) L 1-0, Torquay (h) L 3-1, Aldershot (a) D 0-0, Grimsby (h) L 3-1, Barnet (a) L 6-0

Scorers

Halifax: Billy Waters (16), Jordan Slew (10), Matty Warburton (8), Kian Spence (4), Tom Bradbury (4), Jack Vale (3), Kieran Green (2), Niall Maher (2), Jesse Debrah, Martin Woods, Tyrell Warren, Elliot Newby, Luke Summerfield, Jamie Allen, Zak Dearnley

Dover: Alfie Pavey (4), Aaron Cosgrove (4), Jake Goodman (3), Koby Arthur (3), Ben Williamson (2), Ryan Hanson (2), Henry Woods, Thomas-James Bramble, Harry Ransom, Travis Gregory

Manager: Andy Hessenthaler is a former midfielder who played for Dover, as well as Watford, Gillingham and Barnet, and is in his second spell in charge at Dover, where he helped them to back-to-back promotions into the Conference South. He was reappointed in October 2018, guiding the club to 13th that season and then 11th the season after.

Last season: 23rd in National League

One to watch: Striker Alfie Pavey is on loan from National League South Maidstone but is well versed at this level, having left Barnet at the end of last season. Where Pavey goes, goals normally follow and that was certainly the case at Dartford when he was named National League South player of the year in 2017/18 Spells at Havant and Dover followed before he moved to Barnet in 2019, but a leg injury early on took time to get over.

Match facts: Dover have lost 13 of their last 15 games, and have won just once all season

Their last away win was at Stockport on February 1, 2020

Dover have scored the least and conceded the most goals of any team in the National League this season.

Only Boreham Wood have conceded fewer goals in the National League than Halifax (22).

Only Chesterfield and Boreham Wood have lost fewer National League games than Halifax (6).

Dover haven't scored a goal in seven hours of football away from home.

Alfie Pavey and Jake Goodman are the only players to have scored for Dover so far in 2022.

Only Grimsby have won more home games in the National League this season than Halifax.

Only Boreham Wood have a better defensive record at home in the National League this season than Halifax.

Last time they met: Billy Waters scored twice, while Kieran Green also found the net, as Town won 3-1 at Dover in November.

Follow all the action from the game on Saturday with our live blog on the Courier website, where there will also be an on-the-whistle match report and post-match reaction from Town boss Pete Wild.

Saturday’s National League fixtures:

Woking v Maidenhead

Yeovil v Grimsby

Altrincham v Eastleigh

Halifax v Dover

King's Lynn v Torquay

Wealdstone v Weymouth

Boreham W v Chesterfield