FC Halifax Town: We must retain our focus in-front of the cameras, says Heath

Halifax boss Billy Heath has warned his players not to get distracted by the BT Sport cameras ahead of their televised clash with Guiseley on Saturday.
Football - FC Halifax Town v Carlisle. Billy HeathFootball - FC Halifax Town v Carlisle. Billy Heath
Football - FC Halifax Town v Carlisle. Billy Heath

The game will be screened live on BT Sport at 12.30pm, the first time Halifax have been on TV since their FA Trophy final win against Grimsby last May, and the first time a league game has been screened live since Halifax’s win over Altrincham last March.

As the home team, Halifax will get £6,000 for being shown live, while Guiseley will get £2,000 as the away side.

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Heath, who said Adam Morgan had not made himself undroppable after his match-winner last Saturday, is not expecting a one-nil result and reckons there will be goals on Saturday.

Asked if he thought the game would be have an extra edge being a West Yorkshire derby, he said: “It might do, and it might add something to it for the supporters, but we’ll go about our business in the same way.

“We have to be focused and not get carried away with the situation because it’s an early kick-off and because it’s on BT. We need to play the way we have been doing.

“You don’t want to start doing things you don’t normally do because you’re on TV.

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“We will stick to what we do. We don’t want to be overdoing things.

“It’s not a regular occurrence for these boys but we just want to play our normal game and not over-egg the pudding.”

Heath says his team must maintain their focus after finally securing their first win of the season last Saturday at Solihull.

“They’re maybe a bit more relaxed because we’ve got that first win,” he said.

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“But that’s one game and we have to make sure we get another result, by hook or by crook.

“At the beginning of any season you always want to get that first win out of the way, but we can’t just think we’ll relax now. Every game is massive and you have to be up for it every game.

“The players know in this league you have to be a full tilt every week. That is the demand this league places on you.

“Defensively we’ve been fantastic. In the second-half at Solihull I was proud of the lads because we had a patched up side and we were carrying a lot of injuries.

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“Our defence is as good as anyone’s at the minute - we’re right up there for fewest goals conceded.”

Town then travel to Neil Aspin’s Gateshead on Bank Holiday Monday, but Heath says his focus is entirely on Saturday’s match.

“We’ve got to be mindful of the game against Gateshead but I’ve always been a big believer in the game that comes next is the most important,” added the Town boss.

“We’ll be putting our strongest team out, although that’s dictated sometimes by injuries.

“It’s a quick turnaround so there might be changes for Monday, or there might not.”

Read more from the Town boss in Friday’s Halifax Courier.