FC Halifax Town v Wealdstone preview

Venue: The Shay

Date: Saturday, September 28

Kick-off: 3pm

Referee: Steven Copeland was in charge for Town's 2-1 win at Oldham last season, and their 2-2 home draw with Fylde, when he sent off Danny Whitehead. He showed 54 yellow cards and four red cards in 15 games last season. So far this campaign he has shown seven yellow cards and awarded a penalty in his one mach in charge.

Odds: Halifax 9/10, draw,12/5 Wealdstone 14/5

In the league this season

Halifax: 10th - PL11 W4 D4 L3 F10 A8 GD2 Pts16

Wealdstone: 23rd - PL11 W1 D4 L6 F7 A15 GD-8 Pts7

Last five games

Halifax: Hartlepool (a) D 0-0, Oldham (h) D 1-1, Eastleigh (h) W 3-1, Maidenhead (a) W 1-0, Braintree (a) L 1-0

Wealdstone: York (h) L 2-0, Woking (a) L 1-0, Forest Green (a) D 2-2, Barnet (h) L 3-0, Southend (h) D 1-1

Manager: Matt Taylor played in the Premier League for Portsmouth, Bolton and West Ham. His first senior role in management was at Walsall in League Two, where he lasted less than a season having been appointed in May 2021. He was also appointed head coach of League One side Shrewsbury in June 2023 but was sacked in January 2024. He was appointed as Wealdstone boss in May.

Last season: 16th in National League

One to watch: Winger Enzio Boldewijn once cost Notts County a six-figure sum and his signing was something of a coup for Wealdstone in the summer, having produced some scintillating performances for Crawley, County and Eastleigh.

Head-to-head: Played 8, Halifax wins 5, draws 0, Wealdstone wins 3

Last time they met: Aaron Henry and Tahvon Campbell scored as Wealdstone beat Halifax 2-0 at Grosvenor Vale in January.

Match facts: No team in the National League has won fewer games this season than Wealdstone (1)

Only Braintree have scored fewer goals than Wealdstone (7) in the fifth tier this season

Only York City have conceded fewer goals in the division this season than Halifax (8)

If Halifax lose on Saturday, it will be the first time since February they will have suffered back-to-back defeats.

Wealdstone have kept just one clean sheet in 11 games this season.

Striker Callum McFarlane is the only Wealdstone player to score in their last six games.

Saturday's National League fixtures:

Forest Green v Hartlepool Woking v Sutton Utd Barnet v Fylde Southend v Gateshead Yeovil v Aldershot York v Eastleigh Boston Utd v Maidenhead Rochdale v Braintree Halifax v Wealdstone Tamworth v Altrincham Dag & Red v Solihull Ebbsfleet v Oldham