FC Halifax Town v Southend United preview

Venue: The Shay

Date: Saturday, September 11

Kick-off: 3pm

Referee: Andrew Miller last took charge of a Halifax game in January 2020, when The Shaymen beat Dover 4-2 at home. Last season he showed three red cards and 30 yellow cards in 10 National League matches. He has officiated only one fifth tier game so far this season, brandishing five yellow cards in Dagenham and Redbridge’s 3-1 win at Stockport on August 21.

Odds: Halifax win 8/5, draw 12/5, Southend win 8/5

Season so far

Halifax: Maidenhead (h) L 2-1, Woking (a) W 3-2, Altrincham (h) W 2-0, Yeovil (a) L 1-0

Southend: King’s Lynn (a) W 1-0, Stockport (h) L 1-0, Wealdstone (a) D 0-0, Wrexham (h) D 2-2

Scorers

Halifax: Billy Waters (3), Jesse Debrah, Martin Woods, Jordan Slew

Southend: Sam Dalby (2), Rhys Murphy

Manager: Former Halifax captain Phil Brown is in his second spell in charge at Roots Hall. Brown led the club to promotion ino League One in 2015, but was unable to prevent relegation into the fifth tier at the start of his current spell, re-joining them when they were six points from safety with six games to go last season.

Last season: 23rd in League Two

One to watch: The 21-year-old striker joined Southend from Watford this summer and already has two goals in four games.

Match facts: Southend have only lost one of their five away games under Brown since he was re-appointed.

Halifax have won only one of their last five home matches.

Only Dover and Stockport have scored fewer goals in the National League so far this season than Southend (3).

Last time they met: Andy Woodward’s late own goal cancelled out Gary Jones’ first-half opener as the teams drew 1-1 at The Shay in January 2002.

Follow all the action from The Shay 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:

Torquay v Grimsby

Dover v Chesterfield

Wrexham v Woking

Bromley v Boreham Wood

Barnet v Eastleigh

Aldershot v Solihull M

Halifax v Southend

Stockport v Yeovil

Wealdstone v Altrincham

Weymouth v Notts Co

King’s Lynn v Dag & Red