FC Halifax Town host Stoke City U21 in the National League Cup group stage at The Shay on Tuesday evening, with kick-off scheduled for 7pm. The fixture offers the Shaymen a chance to build on a positive run of league form that has lifted them to 10th in the National League table with 20 points from 13 games.
Halifax arrive on the back of a convincing 4-1 home win over Gateshead last Saturday, a result that extended their current unbeaten run to three matches. Recent form shows two wins, two draws and one loss from their last five league outings, providing a solid foundation for this cup test. Stoke's development squad, meanwhile, were beaten 6-0 by Wealdstone in their last competitive fixture over a month ago.
Team news from league win
The starting line-up from the victory over Gateshead gives a clear indication of the players available to the coaching staff. That side featured T. Grant in goal, with a defensive unit of M. Bardell, W. Flint, S. Hobson and R. Conte. The midfield and attack were comprised of T. McDermott, C. Johnson, T. Trusty, B. Tollitt, C. Allen and C. Carty. The club has not released any information regarding team selection or the manager for this specific fixture.
Goalkeeper Luke Summerfield and forward Rob Harker also offer further options for rotation.
This match represents Halifax's second fixture in Group G of the National League Cup. They began their campaign with a 2-1 away victory at Rochdale earlier this month. A win against Stoke City U21 would put them in a strong position to qualify for the knockout stages from the four-team group.
The match is a key part of a busy period, with the full schedule of upcoming games available on our fixtures list. After this cup tie, Halifax's next assignment is a tough away league trip to face third-placed Southend on 24 October.
