FC Halifax Town News, Previews and Reports are back in Buildbase FA Trophy action on Saturday, as Gary Johnson’s side take on FC Halifax Town at Plainmoor, with a place in the last sixteen at stake.
Plenty of Blues fans will tick a new stadium off the list on Saturday, and we go there hoping for a first win in four games to send supporters back down the M40 happy.
Southend have never played at Oxford City’s Raw Charging Stadium before, and 1,200 fans are set to make the trip west to witness just the second meeting between the two teams.
The Shrimpers lost narrowly to Gateshead and York in their last two games, following up a defeat to runaway leaders Chesterfield.
However, we now go into a remarkable run of fixtures, with nine games coming up in the next 32 days.
With five home fixtures in that run, Blues have to be confident that they can pick up a good amount of the possible 27 points available and move up the National League table.
Oxford City are up against it to avoid relegation in their first season at this level.
Sitting seven points away from safety, the Hoops have lost six of their last seven games, with the only win in that run coming against Ebbsfleet.
They did have a sequence of seven games unbeaten in August and September when Ross Jenkins’ men put nine goals past Boreham Wood and Hartlepool and also picked up points away at Halifax and Solihull.
The Hoops will need a similar run between now and April if they are to make it a second season in the National League.
They’ve suffered disappointment in both cup competitions too, losing to National League North Scarborough in the FA Cup, and National League South Chelmsford in the FA Trophy.
Jenkins’ side were without 11 first-team players in their defeat to Dagenham last week; Josh Parker, Nya Kirby and Tafari Moore among those missing.
Oxford City are up against it to avoid relegation in their first season at this level.
Sitting seven points away from safety, the Hoops have lost six of their last seven games, with the only win in that run coming against Ebbsfleet.
They did have a sequence of seven games unbeaten in August and September when Ross Jenkins’ men put nine goals past Boreham Wood and Hartlepool and also picked up points away at Halifax and Solihull.
The Hoops will need a similar run between now and April if they are to make it a second season in the National League.
They’ve suffered disappointment in both cup competitions too, losing to National League North Scarborough in the FA Cup, and National League South Chelmsford in the FA Trophy.
Jenkins’ side were without 11 first-team players in their defeat to Dagenham last week; Josh Parker, Nya Kirby and Tafari Moore among those missing.
Oxford City are up against it to avoid relegation in their first season at this level.
Sitting seven points away from safety, the Hoops have lost six of their last seven games, with the only win in that run coming against Ebbsfleet.
They did have a sequence of seven games unbeaten in August and September when Ross Jenkins’ men put nine goals past Boreham Wood and Hartlepool and also picked up points away at Halifax and Solihull.
The Hoops will need a similar run between now and April if they are to make it a second season in the National League.
They’ve suffered disappointment in both cup competitions too, losing to National League North Scarborough in the FA Cup, and National League South Chelmsford in the FA Trophy.
Jenkins’ side were without 11 first-team players in their defeat to Dagenham last week; Josh Parker, Nya Kirby and Tafari Moore among those missing.
On Oli Coker, Maher said: “He had a little setback at the start of the week but he’s back out doing work with the physio now. We’re monitoring him and we’ll see how he is come the weekend.”
On Callum Powell, he added: “Powelly’s one of them that if he’s told to go in the gym twice a day, he’ll go three times, so it’s no accident that he’s ahead of schedule. He had an appointment yesterday and then gave him good news to kick on and do some more work, but he’s still got a lot to do.”
Finally, the gaffer was asked about Harry Taylor. “He’s had a scan because he had a lot of bruising around his hamstring, so we’re waiting on the results of that.”
The latest update, on Wednesday, stated that we had sold 1,120 tickets, meaning just 80 were left at the time.
John Mulligan referees his first Blues fixture on Saturday. Mulligan has officiated 11 National League matches in 2023/24, showing 39 yellow cards and two reds.
His assistants are Sam Wesson and Adam Wilson, and the fourth official is Joe Woolmer.
All 24 National League clubs play on Saturday, with two of the top seven meeting live on TNT Sports, Aldershot and Altrincham.
The top two clash in south London as Bromley look to reduce Chesterfield’s lead to 20 points, while AFC Fylde aim for a fifth consecutive win against Barnet.
Eastleigh look to snap a winless run as they travel to Ebbsfleet, and Phil Brown’s Kidderminster could
