FC Halifax Town v Woking preview

Venue: The Shay

Date: Saturday, April 9

Kick-off: 3pm

Referee: Aaron Jackson has shown 40 yellow cards and one red card in 14 National League games this season. Took charge of Halifax’s 0-0 draw at Barnet in October and Town’s 4-0 win at home to Eastleigh in January. Also officiated the game between the teams at The Shay last season, which finished 1-0 to Halifax.

Odds: Halifax win 17/20, draw 12/5, Woking win 14/5

Season so far

Halifax: P42, W24, D8, L10, F65, A40

Woking: P39, W14, D4, L21 F52, A55

Last five games

Halifax: Torquay (h) W 2-0, Wrexham (a) L 3-1, King's Lynn (a) L 2-0, Wealdstone (h) W 2-0, Solihull (h) D 0-0

Woking: Maidenhead (h) W 1-0, Barnet (a) W 2-0, Weymouth (h) W 2-0, Solihull (h) L 3-2, Boreham Wood (a) W 1-0

Scorers

Halifax: Billy Waters (20), Jordan Slew (10), Matty Warburton (9), Kian Spence (4), Tom Bradbury (4), Jack Vale (3), Kieran Green (2), Niall Maher (2), Zak Dearnley (2), Luke Summerfield (2), Jesse Debrah, Martin Woods, Tyrell Warren, Elliot Newby, Jamie Allen, Gerry McDonagh

Woking: Tahvon Campbell (now of Rochdale, 14), Inih Effiong (13), Max Kretzschmar (11), Rohan Ince (2), Joe McNerney (2), Moussa Diarra (2), Jamar Loza (2), George Oakley, Kane Thompson-Sommers, Jordan Maguire-Drew, Tyreke Johnson, Nicke Kabamba, Kyran Lofthouse

Manager: Darren Sarll began his coaching career with Stevenage. He worked under Andy Scott at Brentford and Rotherham before returning to Stevenage, where he eventually became first-team manager. He was appointed at Yeovil in summer 2019, guiding them to 4th in his first season, before losing to Barnet in the play-offs, leaving The Glovers to join Woking last month.

Last season: 20th in National League

One to watch: Woking striker Inih Effiong has scored 13 goals in 34 National League appearances this season, although he has only netted two in his last eight matches for The Cards. This is Effiong’s second spell with the club, who he left for Ross County in January 2018. A decent spell at Dover earned him a move to the Football League Stevenage Borough, but he rejoined Woking last summer after failing to hold down a first-team place at Stevenage.

Match facts: Only Stockport County have won more National League games this season than Halifax (21).

Only Boreham Wood have conceded fewer goals in the National League this season than Halifax (28), and only Boreham Wood have conceded fewer home goals.

Halifax have won more home games in the National League this season (14) than any other team.

Halifax have kept five clean sheets out of their last six home games.

Woking are on their best run of form of the season, having won four of their last five games

Woking haven't conceded a goal in their last three away matches

Last time they met: Goals from Jesse Debrah, Billy Waters and Martin Woods saw Halifax win 3-2 at Woking in the second game of the season.

Saturday’s National League fixtures:

Aldershot Town v Boreham Wood

Barnet v Solihull Moors

Bromley v Dagenham & Redbridge

Dover Athletic v Maidenhead United

FC Halifax Town v Woking

King's Lynn Town v Yeovil Town

Torquay United v Notts County

Wealdstone v Chesterfield

Weymouth v Grimsby Town

Wrexham v Eastleigh

Stockport County v Southend United