FC Halifax Town v Ebbsfleet preview

Fifty points - plus a decent goal difference - has been enough to guarantee safety in the National League over the past decade.

Back-to-back wins over Eastleigh and Barnet have propelled Town onto 46 points, which could already be enough to keep them in the division.

But a win on Saturday may extend the gap to the relegation zone to 14 points.

Town keeper Sam Johnson (pictured) has not conceded a home league goal since New Year’s Day, and has kept five clean sheets in Halifax’s last six home outings.

Remarkably, Town have kept seven clean sheets in their last eight matches, and have not conceded a goal in just under eight hours of football.

The Shaymen recorded back-to-back wins this week for the first time since August, and scored three goals in a game for the first time since August too.

In contrast, Ebbsfleet have only scored in one of their last six games.

Only Leyton Orient and Fylde have lost fewer away games in the division than Ebbsfleet though, while only Fylde, Leyton Orient and Wrexham have conceded fewer away goals.

Ebbsfleet are 10th in the National League, with 52 points, having won 14, drawn 10 and lost 12 league matches this season.

Garry Hill’s side have only won once in their last six matches, only scoring in that win at Harrogate. Before then, they had won four out of their previous five.

Ebbsfleet’s absentees on Saturday are expcted to include club captain and centre-half Dave Winfield, who is close to coming back from a knee injury, striker Cody McDonald, who is out for the season with a knee injury, and suspended midfielders Andy Drury and Dean Rance and left-back Chris Bush.

Ebbsfleet beat Halifax 4-0 in the reverse fixture in November, with goals from Michael Cheek (2), Bush and Danny Kedwell.

Saturday’s National League fixtures:

Leyton Orient v Wrexham

Barrow v Aldershot Town

Boreham Wood v AFC Fylde

Braintree Town v Harrogate Town

Chesterfield v Eastleigh

Dagenham & Redbridge v Bromley

FC Halifax Town v Ebbsfleet United

Gateshead v Barnet

Hartlepool United v Dover Athletic

Maidenhead United v Sutton United

Maidstone United v Havant & Waterlooville

Salford City v Solihull Moors