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First Team

Sutton United: Match Preview

Posted by FC Halifax Town
Posted on Thu 1 Mar 2018
Posted in First Team

FC Halifax Town will host Sutton United on Saturday in what will be Jamie Fullartonโ€™s first home game in charge.

The new manager will be hoping to get off to a flying start in front of the supporters in the Vanarama National League fixture.

It will be the former Notts County bossโ€™ 2nd game with his new charges following the 0-0 draw down in Eastleigh last Saturday.

A win against Sutton would be a signal of intent from the new man in the dugout, with the Londoners currently occupying 2nd position in the league table.

The Shaymen themselves at the moment sit in 17th position, 5 points from the relegation zone, a much healthier place than they were only weeks earlier.

This is in part thanks to the side grabbing 4 points in their last 2 games. The before mentioned game at Eastleigh saw them take a point and a clean sheet, while a first victory in 8 against Hartlepool at the Shay have boosted their chances of safety.

Paul Doswellโ€™s men, on the other hand, find themselves hot on the heels of league leaders Macclesfield Town, after spending the majority of the season vying for a promotion play-off spot.

Their current position is the reward to a fine start to 2018. Since the beginning of the New Year, the Amber and Chocolates have been unbeaten in the 8 games they have played, winning 5 of them.

The form of Tommy Wright has helped keep Sutton within the promotion chase all season. The 21 year old centre forward has found the target on 11 occasions this campaign.

Him and the 37 year old veteran, Craig Dundas, who has scored 7 times himself, will be the danger men for the visitors that Matty Brown and company will have to keep an eye on.

Having missed the previous two fixtures, there are questions marks over whether Tom Denton will regain his starting berth at the point of the home sideโ€™s attack.

Absence to the 10 goal hit man leaves winger Matt Kosylo as the main creative outlet for Halifax, with the number 7 scoring 6 goals himself, including a penalty against Ebbsfleet United in recent weeks.

The last game between the two was a real classic for the neutral on the 3G pitches of Gander Green Lane as Sutton edged it out in a 3-2 win.

Goals either side of half time from Ross Lafayette and Dundas put their side up 2-0 before Dentonโ€™s 64th minute strike halved the deficit.

However, Lafayette, who is currently on loan at Maidstone United, restored the two goal lead less than 10 minutes later for the hosts.

Brown would be presented with the opportunity to get his side back in it from the penalty spot but the Scouser smashed his spot kick off the cross bar shortly.

His defensive partner, Scott Garner, would instead claw Halifax back into the game with a goal 5 minutes before time but despite the late come back Sutton would hold on for all 3 points.

Match Officials

Referee: Matthew Donohue

Assistants: Daniel Woodward/Lewis Raper

Fourth Official: Ian Gittins

Follow the Game

There will be live updates and audio commentary available on the club website and Shaymen TV. You can also follow the action via Townโ€™s official Twitter account, @FCHTOnline.

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