Southend United v FC Halifax Town preview

Here is our preview of FC Halifax Town's National League game against Southend United.
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Venue: Roots Hall

Date: Saturday, April 23

Kick-off: 3pm

Southend's Sam DalbySouthend's Sam Dalby
Southend's Sam Dalby

Referee: Robert Massey-Ellis, husband of female referee Sian Massey-Ellis, has shown 70 yellow cards, one red card and five penalties in 18 National League games this season. Took charge of Southend's 2-0 defeat at Yeovil in March but has never officiated a Halifax game before.

Odds: Southend win 31/20, draw 12/5, Halifax win 6/4

Season so far

Southend: P43, W16, D8, L19, F48, A65

Halifax: P45, W26, D9, L10, F, A42

Last five games

Southend: Yeovil (a) L 2-0, Notts County (h) L 3-0, Stockport (a) L 5-0, Wealdstone (h) L 1-0, Barnet (h) W 3-1

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Halifax: Wealdstone (h) W 2-0, Solihull (h) D 0-0, Woking (h) W 2-1, Altrincham (a) D 1-1, Chesterfield (h) W 2-0

Scorers

Southend: Sam Dalby (10), Rhys Murphy (9), Matthew Dennis (8), Jason Demetriou (4), Harry Cardwell (3), Noor Husin (2), Nathan Ferguson (2), Tom Clifford (2), Nathan Ralph (2), Jack Bridge, James Dunne, Shaun Hobson, Callum Powell, Louis Walsh

Halifax: Billy Waters (20), Matty Warburton (13), Jordan Slew (11), Kian Spence (5), 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, Aaron Martin

Manager: Kevin Maher made more than 400 appearances for Southend as a player, going on to play for Oldham, Gillingham and Dagenham and Redbridge. Has previously been under 21 manager at Southend, but replaced ex-Halifax player Phil Brown as manager at Roots Hall in October last year, leaving his coaching role at Bristol Rovers, and has guided the club away from the relegation zone and comfortably into mid-table.

Last season: 23rd in League Two

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One to watch: Striker Sam Dalby joined Southend from Watford this summer and has netted 10 goals in all competitions, but is without a goal in his last eight matches.

Match facts: Only Stockport County have won more National League games this season than Halifax (23).

Halifax have the best defensive record in the National League this season, having conceded only 30 goals

Twelve of Halifax's last 15 goals have come in the second-half of games

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Halifax have only kept one clean sheet in their last 11 away matches

Southend have only won once in their last six games, losing the other five

Southend have only scored in one of their last five matches, and have only kept one clean sheet in their last eight games

Last time they met: Jordan Slew, Billy Waters and Niall Maher scored as Halifax beat Southend 3-1 at The Shay back in September.

Saturday’s National League fixtures:

Notts Co v Weymouth

Southend v Halifax

Yeovil v Stockport

Altrincham v Wealdstone

Boreham W v Bromley

Grimsby v Torquay

Chesterfield v Dover

Eastleigh v Barnet

Solihull M v Aldershot

Dag & Red v King's Lynn

Woking v Wrexham