FC Halifax Town v Boreham Wood preview

The Shaymen beat Barrow 2-1 in the FA Trophy on Saturday, and host Sutton on Saturday, but between those games, take on 11th placed Boreham Wood in the National League.

By the time Town play against Braintree on January 5, The Shaymen will have played seven games in 22 days, and with a far from full-strength squad.

Jamie Fullarton welcomed back Ben Tomlinson from injury on Saturday, and the forward marked his first appearance in three-and-a-half months with the winning goal from the bench at Barrow.

Fullarton also handed midfielder James Ferry his debut after he joined on a three-month loan from Stevenage.

But Halifax are still without long-term injury-victims James Berrett and Josh Macdonald, while Cameron King is also currently out injured.

Defender Joe Skarz and winger Matty Kosylo both missed the Barrow game through injury, and Kosylo is suspended for the Boreham Wood game, as is Josh Staunton, who will also miss the Sutton game on Saturday.

Boreham Wood go into the game on the back of a 3-1 win at home to Torquay in the FA Trophy, in which Justin Shaibu notched a hat-trick, with Wood winning after extra-time.

That is Wood’s second win in-a-row after an impressive 1-0 victory against league leaders Leyton Orient the previous Saturday.

That win followed a run of six games without a win in which they only scored twice.

Only Aldershot have scored fewer away goals in the league than Luke Garrard’s side, who have won two, drawn three and lost six of their away league matches so far - their last away win was a 4-0 victory at Sutton on September 18.

Halifax have won three, lost two and drawn one of their last six games, and only Solihull have a better defensive record on their own patch in the division.

Boreham Wood beat Town 2-1 in the return game earlier in the season, but Halifax will go up to 14th if they win.