Dorking Wanderers v FC Halifax Town preview

Venue: Meadowbank

Date: Saturday, March 4

Kick-off: 3pm

Odds: Dorking 7/4, draw 11/5, Halifax 13/10

Referee: Jason Richardson is in his first season at National League level and has shown 44 yellow cards and two red cards in nine games in the fifth tier this season. Took charge of Dorking's 3-1 home win over Notts County in September.

In the league this season

Dorking: PL33 W9 D6 L18 F48 A77 GD-29 Pts33

Halifax: PL34 W11 D7 L16 F34 A42 GD-8 Pts40

Last five games

Dorking: Aldershot (FAT a) L 1-0, Bromley (a) L 2-0, Torquay (h) W 3-2, Wrexham (a) L 3-1, Boreham Wood (a) L 1-0

Halifax: Southend (a) L 2-1, Boreham Wood (a) D 1-1, Solihull (h) D 1-1, Maidenhead (h) L 1-0, Wealdstone (h) W 5-0

Scorers

Dorking: James McShane (17), Ryan Seager (13), Harry Ottaway (5), Jimmy Muitt (3), Bobby-Joe Taylor (3), Dan Gallagher (2), Alfie Rutherford (2), Seb Bowerman, Luke Moore, Adam Mekki, Niall McManus, Nick Wheeler, Josh Taylor

Halifax: Mani Dierseruvwe (10), Rob Harker (6), Jamie Cooke (6), Milli Alli (4), Jordan Slew (2), Kian Spence (2), Jesse Debrah (2), Tylor Golden (2), Jamie Stott (2), Harvey Gilmour, Angelo Capello, Festus Arthur, Matty Warburton, Yamen Osawe

Manager: Manager and chairman Marc White formed Dorking in 1999 with a group of friends, playing in a park, and has guided the club to 12 promotions in a run of success similar to his boyhood club Wimbledon. White led Dorking to four promotions in five seasons in one spell, with Dorking reaching the National League South in 2018.

Last season: 2nd in National League South

One to watch: Only Paul Mullin and Macauley Langstaff have scored more goals in the fifth tier this season than Dorking's James McShane. Impressively, McShane, who is one of Dorking's longest-serving players, netted a hat-trick at home to Notts County in September

Last time they met: Goals from Kian Spence, Jamie Cooke and Tylor Golden helped Town to a 3-1 win at The Shay back in December in the clubs' first ever meeting.

Match facts: Only Yeovil have scored fewer goals in the National League this season than Halifax (34)

Only three teams in the National League have lost more away games than Halifax (10)

Dorking have the worst defensive record in the National League this campaign, having conceded 77 goals, while no team in the division has conceded more home goals this season than Dorking (35).

Dorking have only kept one clean sheet in their last 16 matches, and have conceded 12 goals in their last four home games.

Halifax's 5-0 win over Wealdstone on Tuesday was the first time they had scored more than three goals in a game this season.

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

Dorking have only won once in their last seven games, losing the other six. Halifax have also only won once in their last seven games.

Saturday's National League fixtures:

Gateshead v Chesterfield

Bromley v Notts Co

Yeovil v Woking

Aldershot v Torquay

Oldham v Boreham W

Dorking W v Halifax

Wealdstone v Altrincham

Scunthorpe v Eastleigh

Solihull M v Maidstone

Dag & Red v York

Maidenhead v Wrexham