Adam Lakeland says Town need to stop conceding avoidable goals ahead of Saturday's home game with Eastleigh.

Halifax fell behind again in Tuesday's 2-1 National League Cup win over Middlesbrough under 21s, and have kept just one clean sheet in their first nine matches of the season, conceding first in seven of them.

"We said that to the players (after the win over Middlesbrough), we can't keep going behind in games," Lakeland told the Courier.

"We've gone behind on Tuesday and won.

"The Boston game, we went ahead and won, the Yeovil game we went ahead and won, despite going 2-1 down.

"Some of the goals we're conceding, I'd like to think we're not going to continue conceding those goals.

"We've had some individual errors, some little bits of bad luck and I think all good teams, at any level, they're built on having a solid back line, and a consistent back line.

"We've not been able to do that at all this season, we're having to make changes game to game and it doesn't help anybody.

"It doesn't help the individuals, it doesn't help the team generally.

"That's no criticism of the players who've been playing because they're giving everything and they've had some very good games.

"But when we can get that stability in the back line, and that continuity and consistency of selection, I think we'll become defensively stronger.

"And then if we can continue to play some of the football we're playing - plus we've scored in virtually every game, which is a big plus for us - then I'm sure we'll continue to get points."

It looks like Town will be without injured duo Shaun Hobson and Dylan Crowe for Saturday's game.

"I think it's going to be too soon for them," said Lakeland.

Ceentre-back Adam Adetoro, who didn't feature in midweek, is suspended for the game.

"He's been struggling a bit with his ankle for a few weeks but due to our issues at the back, he's just been getting on with it," the Town boss said.

"But he's suspended for the Eastleigh game and we felt, with us not having a midweek game next week, there was an opportunity to let it settle down and get some strengthening work into it.

"It's nothing severe but probably not right to play on Tuesday."

Cody Johnson and Josh Hmami were both rested, while there was also no Tom Pugh or Zak Emmerson.

On midfielder Pugh, Lakeland said: "Tom knows what his situation is.

"He's a good lad and a good pro but there's five or six players that are ahead of him.

"As a lad who's got experience of this level, the league above and the league below, at the age he's at, he should want to be playing week in, week out and that's not goin to happen here so we'll continue to assess the options available to him."

Lakeland added on Saturday's game: "It's important we prepare and perform well in that game.

"After you lose, you want to win your next one and we've done that.

"But we want to win our next league game.

"That won't be easy but we've managed to get some rest into a few and hopefully we'll be fresher come the weekend, we can get a good performance and that will lead to a good result."