AFC Fylde v FC Halifax Town preview

Venue: Mill Farm

Date: Tuesday, January 23

Kick-off: 7.45pm

Referee: Stuart Morland

Odds: Fylde win 6/4, draw 2/1, Halifax win 2/1

In the league this season

Fylde: 22nd - PL27 W6 D7 L14 F39 A50 GD-11 Pts25

Halifax: 9th - PL27 W10 D10 L7 F30 A27 GD3 Pts40

Last five games

Fylde: Dag & Red (h) D 1-1, Rochdale (a) L 2-0, Rochdale (h) W 2-0, Hartlepool (h) W 2-1, Aveley FAT a) L 1-0

Halifax: Gateshead (a) W 2-0, Rochdale (h) D 2-2, Altrincham (a) W 2-1, Altrincham (h) D 0-0, Southend (a) L 3-0

Scorers

Fylde: Ustabasi (8), Haughton (7), Davis (4), Omotayo (3), Charman (3), Ormerod (2), Barrett (2), O'Kane (2), Whitehead (2), Jarrett-Evans, Conlan, Obi, Whitmore, Ligendza, Kay, Graham

Halifax: Alli (7) Harker (4), Senior (4), Hoti (2), Cosgrave (2), Thomson-Sommers, Evans, Cummings, Summerfield, Keane, Cappello, Golden, Wright, Hunter, Stott, Cooke

Manager: Former Bury and Carlisle boss Chris Beech took temporary charge of the first-team, combining his duties as Fylde's director of football, after the dismissal of boss Adam Murray in October and was appointed as permanent boss until the end of the season just before Christmas.

Last season: 1st in National League North

One to watch: Attacker Jon Ustabaşi joined Fylde in the summer after netting 15 goals for Chorley in the National League North. Is described as pacey, direct and having an eye for goal and has the capacity to cause Halifax problems, especially on quick counter-attacks.

Head-to-head: Played 8, Fylde wins 3, draws 2, Halifax wins 3

Last time they met: The teams drew 2-2 at The Shay in a dramatic game on November 21, with Taelor O’Kane scoring his second of the game late on to earn Fylde a point after goals from Jack Hunter and Rob Harker looked to have won it for Halifax.

Match facts: Halifax have the best defensive record in the National League, conceding just 27 goals this season, and no team has conceded fewer away goals than them (15)

Only bottom side Kidderminster have won fewer games in the National League this season than Fylde (6)

Halifax have failed to score in four of their last seven games in all competitions

Fylde have only won two of their last 12 games in all competitions.

A win for Halifax could move them back into the top seven, while a win for Fylde could lift them out of the relegation zone.

Fylde have only lost once in their last seven home matches, also only failing to score once in those seven fixtures

Only Ebbsfleet have conceded more goals in the division this season than Fylde (54), while only Hartlepool United and Oxford City have conceded more goals at home than Fylde (24)

Tuesday's National League fixtures:

Gateshead v Solihull M

Aldershot v Bromley

Maidenhead v Ebbsfleet

Oldham v Barnet

Chesterfield v Woking

Hartlepool v Kidderminster

Oxford C v York

Fylde v Halifax

Wealdstone v Southend

Dag & Red v Dorking W

Altrincham v Rochdale