FC Halifax Town v Wealdstone preview

Venue: The Shay

Date: Saturday, November 18

Kick-off: 3pm

Referee: Richard Aspinall took charge of Town's 0-0 draw at home to Dagenham and Redbridge on September 26. He has shown 38 yellow cards and two red cards in six National League games this season, and has awarded three penalties.

Odds: Halifax win 23/20, draw 12/5, Wealdstone win 11/5

In the league this season

Halifax: PL19 W7 D7 L5 F21 A18 GD3 Pts28

Wealdstone: PL19 W6 D5 L8 F23 A27 GD-4 Pts23

Last five games

Halifax: Marine (FAC h) L 1-0, Kidderminster (h) W 2-1, Hartlepool (h) W 2-1, York (a) D 1-1, Maidenhead (a) L 1-0

Wealdstone: Kidderminster (a) L 1-0, Boreham Wood (h) D 1-1, Oxford City (h) W 3-1, Solihull (a) L 1-0, Rochdale (h) W 3-2

Scorers

Halifax: Alli (4) Harker (3), Senior (3), Hoti (2), Evans, Cummings, Summerfield, Keane, Cappello, Golden, Wright

Wealdstone: Campbell (5), Bowen (5), Allarakhia (3), Adarkwa (3), Smith (2), Cook (2), Ferguson (2), Kretzschmar (2), Mundle-Smith

Manager: Stuart Maynard was appointed in March 2021 after a spell as caretaker boss. Played for the club in the late 1990s and returned in May 2019, working with Dean Brennan to secure the National League South title in their first season at the club. His management at Wealdstone has seen him develop a growing reputation in the game.

Last season: 13th in National League

One to watch: Attacking midfielder Max Kretzschmar was an eye-catching signing for Wealdstone when he joined from Woking last summer. He won Woking's player of the season and players’ player of the season awards in 2021/22. The midfielder netted six times last season in 30 National League games and is capable of creating and scoring goals at this level.

Head-to-head: Played 6, Halifax wins 4, draws 0, Wealdstone wins 2

Last time they met: Two goals from Jamie Stott and one each by Jamie Cooke, Tylor Golden and Milli Alli saw Town thrash Wealdstone 5-0 at The Shay in February.

Match facts: Only Southend have conceded fewer home goals in the National League this season than Halifax (8)

Wealdstone are one of only two teams yet to win an away game in the National League this season, failing to win any of their nine league matches this season, with their last away league win coming at Torquay on March 11.

Halifax will move up to sixth in the table if they win and Gateshead and Aldershot fail to win.

No team in the fifth tier has conceded fewer goals this season than Halifax (18) but only Maidenhead and Kidderminster have scored fewer than Town (21)

Wealdstone have only kept one clean sheet in nine away league games this season.

Saturday's National League fixtures:

Woking v Oldham

Bromley v Fylde

Barnet v Gateshead

Southend v Chesterfield

York v Hartlepool

Ebbsfleet v Oxford C

Rochdale v Aldershot

Kidderminster v Dag & Red

Eastleigh v Altrincham

Halifax v Wealdstone

Dorking W v Boreham W

Solihull M v Maidenhead