Weymouth v FC Halifax Town preview

Venue: Bob Lucas Stadium

Date: Saturday, March 5

Kick-off: 3pm

Referee: Elliot Swallow has shown 34 yellow cards in eight National League games this season, including five in Halifax’s 3-2 win at Woking in August, a game in which he also awarded the home side a penalty. That is one of three penalties he has awarded in the league this season, another being Matty Warburton’s spot kick in Town’s 1-0 win at Wealdstone in December.

Odds: Weymouth win 3/1, draw 13/5, Halifax win 3/4

Season so far

Weymouth: P34, W6, D7, L20, F33, A57

Halifax: P34, W19, D7, L8, F55, A34

Last five games

Weymouth: King's Lynn (a) L 3-0, Chesterfield (h) D 1-1, Eastleigh (h) W 1-0, Bromley (h) D 2-2, Stockport (a) L 1-0

Halifax: Boreham Wood (h) L 1-0, Dagenham and Redbridge (a) W 3-1, Notts County (FAT h) L 2-1, Notts County (a) D 1-1, Barnet (h) W 1-0

Scorers

Weymouth: Josh McQuoid (7), Brandon Goodship (4), Bradley Ash (3), Josh Leslie-Smith (3), Tyler Cordner (3), Ben Thomson (2), Cameron Murray (2), Sean Shields (2), Tom Bearwish (2), Ahkeem Rose, Taofiq Olomowewe, Omar Mussa

Halifax: Billy Waters (16), Jordan Slew (10), Matty Warburton (8), Kian Spence (4), Jack Vale (3), Tom Bradbury (3), Kieran Green (2), Niall Maher (2), Jesse Debrah, Martin Woods, Tyrell Warren, Elliot Newby, Luke Summerfield, Jamie Allen

Manager: David Oldfield was appointed as Weymouth boss on a two-and-a-half year deal in January, leaving his job as Oxford City boss. Oldfield is a former Leicester, Manchester City and Luton midfielder who has also been in temporary charge of Oxford United and Peterborough. He had guided Oxford City to fourth in the National League South.

Last season: 18th in National League

One to watch: Striker Brandon Goodship scored the winner against Eastleigh recently, his fourth league goal of the season. Goodship joined last summer from Southend, where he had been a first-team regular for them in League Two. Is a capable finisher and has the potential to be a thorn in Halifax's side.

Match facts: Only Boreham Wood have conceded fewer goals in the National League this season than Halifax (22).

Only bottom two King's Lynn and Dover have won fewer matches and lost more matches in the National League this season than Weymouth.

Only Boreham Wood and Chesterfield have conceded fewer goals away from home in the fifth tier this campaign than Halifax (14).

Weymouth have only won once in their last 12 games and have only kept a clean sheet in one of their last 12 games.

Halifax have lost only once in their last eight away matches.

Last time they met: Goals from Jordan Slew and Kian Spence saw Halifax win 2-0 at The Shay back in October.

Follow all the action from the game on Saturday with our live blog on the Courier website, where there will also be an on-the-whistle match report and post-match reaction from Town boss Pete Wild.

Saturday’s National League fixtures:

Barnet v Dover Athletic

Chesterfield v Southend United

Eastleigh v Wealdstone

Grimsby Town v Woking

Maidenhead United v Altrincham

Notts County v Yeovil Town

Solihull Moors v King's Lynn Town

Torquay United v Bromley

Weymouth v FC Halifax Town

Aldershot Town v Stockport County