FC Halifax Town v Eastleigh preview

Venue: The Shay

Date: Saturday, September 30

Kick-off: 3pm

Referee: Paul Cooper, who is in his first season officiating at National League level, has shown 26 yellow cards and six red cards in four games this season, brandishing two red cards in his last two games.

Odds: Halifax win 21/20, draw 5/2, Eastleigh win 11/5

In the league this season

Halifax: PL12 W3 D6 L3 F10 A10 GD0 Pts15

Eastleigh: PL12 W3 D5 L4 F13 A19 GD-6 Pts14

Last five games

Halifax: Rochdale (a) W 1-0, Southend (h) D 1-1, Dorking (h) L 1-0, Chesterfield (a) L 3-2, Barnet (a) D 0-0, Dag & Red (h) D 0-0

Eastleigh: Gateshead (h) L 6-0, Fylde (a) W 2-1, Oxford City (h) D 2-2, Kidderminster (h) W 2-1, Bromley (a) L 1-0

Scorers

Halifax: Harker (3), Senior (2), Alli (2), Evans, Cummings, Summerfield

Eastleigh: McCallum (5), Boldewijn (3), Quigley (3), Taylor, Maguire

Manager: Richard Hill is now back in permanent charge of the side following the dismissal of Lee Bradbury earlier this season. Hill was the manager who guided Eastleigh into the National League back in 2014, and has also guided them into the play-offs at this level. This is his third spell in charge at the club for Hill, who has also managed Stevenage and Whitehawk.

Last season: 10th in National League

One to watch: Striker Paul McCallum is in his second spell with the Spitfires, having previously made 67 appearances for the club, scoring 35 goals between 2017 and 2019. He scored ten goals last season for Dagenham and Redbridge, having netted 20 times the season before.

Head-to-head: Played 17, Halifax wins 4, draws 6, Eastleigh wins 7

Last time they met: Rob Harker scored a last-gasp equaliser to cancel out Kairo Mitchell's opener at The Shay on the final day of last season.

Match facts: Only bottom side Kidderminster have won fewer home games this season in the National League than Halifax (1).

Only Solihull Moors have conceded as few goals in the National League so far this season than Halifax (10).

No team has scored fewer away goals in the National League this season than Eastleigh (3).

Only Maidenhead and Kidderminster have scored fewer goals in the division so far this season than Halifax (10).

Eastleigh have failed to score in four of their six away matches this season.

Halifax have only scored once in their last four home matches and have only scored four goals in their six home games this season.

Saturday's National League fixtures:

AFC Fylde v Woking

Aldershot Town v Dagenham & Redbridge

Bromley v Gateshead

Ebbsfleet United v Boreham Wood

FC Halifax Town v Eastleigh

Hartlepool United v Dorking Wanderers

Kidderminster Harriers v Barnet

Maidenhead United v Chesterfield

Rochdale v Southend United

Wealdstone v Oldham Athletic

York City v Solihull Moors

Oxford City v Altrincham