FC Halifax Town v Oxford City preview

Venue: The Shay

Date: Saturday, August 19

Kick-off: 3pm

Referee: David Mcnamara is in his first season refereeing at National League level. His only other game in the division this season was the 1-1 draw between Altrincham and Dagenham and Redbridge on August 5, in which he showed four yellow cards.

Odds: Halifax win 4/6, draw 13/5, Oxford win 10/3

Season so far

Halifax: Bromley (h) W 2-0, Boreham Wood (a) L 2-0, Oldham (a) W 2-1

Oxford: Aldershot (a) L 5-2, Rochdale (h) L 1-0, Chesterfield (h) L 2-1

Scorers:

Halifax: Evans, Alli, Harker, Senior

Oxford: Parker (3)

Manager: Former Watford midfielder Ross Jenkins guided Oxford to promotion via the play-offs last season, helping them reach the fifth tier for the first time in their history. Jenkins was forced to retire as a player aged just 28 and became part of the coaching set-up at Oxford City, and at 32, is one of the youngest managers in the country.

Last season: 3rd in National League South

One to watch: Forward Josh Parker's 17 league goals helped Oxford earn promotion from the National League South last term, and he already has three in three this season.

Head-to-head: Played 2, Halifax wins 1, draws 1, Oxford wins 0

Last time they met: James Bolton and Dan Gardner scored for Town in a 2-2 draw at Oxford City under Neil Aspin in April 2013 on the way to Town earning promotion to the National League via the play-offs.

Match facts: Halifax have only lost once in their last 13 games, winning eight

Oxford have conceded first in each of their three National League games this season

Halifax are unbeaten in their last eight home games and have only lost once in their last ten matches at The Shay

Oxford have only kept a clean sheet twice in their last 12 away fixtures.

The Shaymen have only failed to score in one of their last 11 home matches.

Saturday's National League fixtures:

Chesterfield v Oldham

Gateshead v Ebbsfleet

Barnet v Woking

Southend v Hartlepool

Aldershot v York

Altrincham v Boreham W

Maidenhead v Dag & Red

Rochdale v Eastleigh

Kidderminster v Bromley

Halifax v Oxford C

Wealdstone v Fylde

Solihull M v Dorking W