The Coasters return to action against FC Halifax Town at Mill Farm, following Saturday’s postponed visit to York City, under the floodlights, so we’ve pulled together everything you need to know on The Shaymen.
The Lowdown:
The Coasters come into this clash with Yorkshire rivals Halifax looking to extend their unbeaten league form in 2024 despite only playing 2 games. After Saturday’s postponement with York, the Coasters are now playing catchup in terms of games which could be seen as a disadvantage.
The Shaymen come into this game without a win in 2024 and finding goals hard to come by. A defeat away to Southend last time out saw the Shaymen lose momentum on the chasing playoff pack however with plenty of football to be played, Chris Millington will still believe that they can finish in the playoffs.
The Manager: Chris Millington
Millington may not be the most well known of managers within the National League however he has done well with a limited budget in a small amount of time.
Millington made a name for himself in his playing career with the likes of Crewe and York before he started his coaching career at Altrincham. He found his craft starting with the youth teams and enjoying good runs in the FA Youth cup but never got the chance of being a first team manager. From Altrincham, Millington moved across Manchester to Stockport and joined their youth setup where he once again developed players to the first team and enjoyed some success. After a brief spell in Croatia, Millington joined the Oldham setup with Pete Wild.
The pair enjoyed a caretaker period in charge of the club which saw them win 8 out of 17 games whilst also winning a tie against Premier League Fulham in the FA Cup. In 2019, the pair joined Halifax and shaped the club which they are today. An FA Trophy win as well as playoff finishes has inspired the Fax fanbase and a return to the Football League could be on the cards sooner rather than later.
Key Players:
Jordan Keane – A vital defender for the Shaymen who is a noticeable miss when not playing. The stats show that the Shaymen have won more games when Keane is playing.
Sam Johnson – The Goalkeeper who has become a legend for the Shaymen over the past few years making over 300 appearances earning him the captaincy. An experienced shot stopper who when paired with Keane adds up to a lot of clean sheets.
Luke Summerfield – The Man in the middle who does all the dirty work and keeps Halifax ticking without a complaint. Workman like in his style and attitude to play, Summerfield is a key component in the defensive aspect.
Past Meetings:
27 August 2016
National League North
Fylde 3 vs 2 Halifax
Goalscorers: Fylde – Caspar Hughes, Bohan Dixon, Daniel Hone (OG). Fax – Tom Denton, Daniel Hone
14 April 2017
National League North
Halifax 0 vs 1 Fylde
Goalscorers: Fylde- Danny Rowe
2 September 2017
National League
Halifax 2 vs 1 Fylde
Goalscorers: Fax- Tom Denton (X2). Fylde – Danny Rowe
30 March 2018
National League
Fylde 2 vs 0 Halifax
Goalscorers: Fylde – James Hardy, Jonny Smith
25 September 2018
National League
Halifax 0 vs 0 Fylde
27 April 2019
National League
Fylde 0 vs 2 Halifax
Goalscorers: Fax- Arlen Birch (OG), Matty Brown
24 August 2019
National League
Halifax 4 vs 1 Fylde
Goalscorers: Fax- Liam Mcalinden, Tobi sho-silva, Cameron King, Jerome Williams. Fylde- Danny Rowe
21st November 2023
National League
Halifax 2 vs 2 Fylde
Goalscorers: Fax- Jack Hunter, Rob Harker. Fylde- Taelor O’kane (X2)
Opposition Form:
A defeat last time out halted a run of form which had seen the Shaymen undefeated in 5 games, only winning twice. Conceding goals does not seem to be the problem for the Yorkshire outfit however scoring them does, only scoring 30 all season. However, Fax have tried to do something about the lack of goals bringing in striker Adam George from Rushall Olympic. Sitting just outside the playoffs, Millington will be looking to kick on in 2024 and secure a playoff finish once again. However, with the lack of goals this season, playoffs could just be a dream which fades away.
