Preview: Halifax Town vs. Dorking Wanderers - prediction, team news, lineups

The home side are now up to 14th in the league standings, while the visitors are in 16th, and would rise above their opponents with a victory.

Match preview

Halifax have been a much better side in recent weeks, really turning around their disastrous form at the start of the season, in which they lost four and drew one of their opening five games.

In their last eight league games, Chris Millington's side have been defeated on just one occasion, although that came in a difficult trip to top-of-the-table Wrexham, a team that have won every home league game this season.

Other than that, there have been very promising signs for the Shaymen, who now look a well-organised unit in defence, picking up two clean sheets in their last three games, one of which coming in a very good 1-0 win away at playoff-chasing Solihull Moors.

Last time out, Halifax were again 1-0 winners, this time against Boreham Wood at the Shay on Saturday, with Robert Harker scoring the only goal of the game just before the hour mark.

The Shaymen's games have tended to be low-scoring affairs of late, and they are the league's joint-second lowest scorers, so it will be interesting to see them take on a side that are prolific in front of goal, but have severe defensive frailties.

Indeed, Dorking seemingly want to put on a show in their inaugural season in the National League, as they have scored the most goals of any team outside of the playoff places.

However, when you implement a gung-ho style of play, there are inevitably going to be questions asked in defence, and Marc White's men have conceded 45 goals, the highest figure of any side in the league.

When these attacking tactics were working, it would have been very entertaining for the Dorking supporters, however they are now on a run of five games without a win, after falling to a 3-2 defeat against Bromley on Saturday.

The manner of the defeat will be particularly frustrating for White, as his side had a man advantage for the majority of the game, with Corey Whitely being dismissed near the end of the first half.

However, Bromley raced into a 3-1 lead, and an 85th-minute Ryan Seager goal proved to be too little too late to offer the Wanderers a way back into the game.

Halifax Town National League form:

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Halifax Town form (all competitions):

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Dorking Wanderers National League form:

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Team News

Halifax could be boosted by a triple return on Tuesday night, with Jordan Slew, Festus Arthur and Jordan Keane all edging closer to a return from injury, and real possibilities to make the squad.

However, one player that Millington will have to do without for the foreseeable future is Tom Clarke, as the defender has suffered an Achilles injury.

The Shaymen boss may not want to tinker too much with a winning formula, but top-scorer Emmanuel Dieseruvwe may well come back into the frontline after serving his one-game suspension, replacing Jordan Cooke.

James McShane has been Dorking's talisman this season, registering 12 league goals up to this point, and he is likely to partner Saturday's scorer, Ryan Seager, in attack.

In the last match, Joe Walsh made his first appearance in goal since joining on loan from Queens Park Rangers, however he did not fare well, conceding three goals on his debut, so White faces a dilemma about whether to bring Slavomir Huk back in between the sticks.

Halifax Town possible starting lineup:

Johnson; Golden, Debrah, Stott, Senior; Capello, Spence, Summerfield, Gilmour; Harker, Dieseruvwe

Dorking Wanderers possible starting lineup:

Walsh; Philpott, Cook, Gallagher, Jebb; Moore, Taylor, Pattenden, Taylor; McShane, Seager

We say: Halifax Town 2-1 Dorking Wanderers

Both teams are usually on the scoresheet in Dorking matches, but Halifax's recent form indicates that they will just about manage to get over the line with a victory. The Shaymen will have more chances than usual, and should have the quality to extend their unbeaten league run to five games.

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