FC Halifax Town v Maidstone preview

Venue: The Shay

Date: Saturday, April 15

Kick-off: 3pm

Referee: Steve Copeland has shown 58 yellow cards and one red card in 16 National League games this season. He was in charge for Town's 2-0 home win over Dagenham and Redbridge in October and their 1-1 draw with Solihull Moors in February. Also officiated Maidstone's 2-0 win at Scunthorpe in November.

Odds: Halifax win 11/20, draw 16/5, Maidstone win 19/4

In the league this season

Halifax: PL41 W14 D10 L17 F43 A46 GD-3 Pts52

Maidstone: PL43 W5 D10 L28 F43 A92 GD-49 Pts25

Last five games

Halifax: Chesterfield (a) L 2-0, Aldershot (h) W 2-0, Altrincham (FAT a) D 1-1 (Halifax won 3-2 on penalties), Wrexham (h) W 3-1, York (a) W 3-0

Maidstone: Woking (h) L 2-1, Bromley (h) L 3-2, Boreham Wood (h) L 4-0, Southend (a) L 2-0, Barnet (h) D 0-0

Scorers

Halifax: Mani Dierseruvwe (13), Milli Alli (10), Rob Harker (6), Jamie Cooke (6), Harvey Gilmour (3), Jordan Slew (2), Kian Spence (2), Jesse Debrah (2), Matty Warburton (2), Tylor Golden (2), Jamie Stott (2), Angelo Capello, Festus Arthur, Yamen Osawe

Maidstone: Jack Barham (10), Regan Booty (10), Roarie Deacon (5), Same Come (4), Josh Shonibare (4), James Alabi (2), Ryan Galvin (2), Christie Patterson (2), Jerome Binnom-Williams, Joe Ellul, Reiss Greenidge, Bivesh Guring, Dominic Odusanya, Sha'mar Lawson

Manager: After a spell as caretaker boss, George Elokobi was given the job until the end of the season on March 24. Elokobi joined Maidstone as a player in summer 2019, and has been captain for three seasons. Alongside his first-team commitments, he worked at the club’s football academy for three years and his name was in the frame when the managerial vacancy came up in January.

Last season: 1st in National League South

One to watch: Former Huddersfield youngster Regan Booty has impressed in a forgettable season for Maidstone, earning himself an England C call-up recently and the midfielder, who has nine goals this season, looks set to be prised away from the club in the summer having attracted plenty of interest from elsewhere.

Head-to-head: Played 12, Halifax wins 6, draws 3, Maidstone wins 3

Last time they met: Roarie Deacon scored a 90th minute equaliser to cancel out Mani Dieseruvwe's opener in a 1-1 draw between the teams in October.

Match facts: Only Yeovil have scored fewer goals in the National League this season than Halifax and Maidstone (43)

Halifax have only lost once in their last 10 games and have only lost once in their last six home matches.

Maidstone have won fewer (5), lost more (28) games and conceded more goals (92) than any other team in the National League this season.

Maidstone have also lost more away games (17) and conceded more away goals (53) than any other team in the fifth tier this term.

Maidstone have gone more than five hours of football since their last goal.

Maidstone have only won once in their last 22 games, excluding penalties, and are without a win in their last 22 league matches.

Saturday's National League fixtures:

Barnet v Wrexham

Torquay v York

Gateshead v Bromley

Southend v Dag & Red

Aldershot v Scunthorpe

Boreham W v Wealdstone

Oldham v Maidenhead

Chesterfield v Eastleigh

Halifax v Maidstone

Dorking W v Altrincham

Solihull M v Yeovil

Notts Co v Woking