Leyton Orient will be keen to respond after a disappointing showing last time out. However, they play host to in form Halifax Town who are likely to provide a stern test. Here we preview Tuesday night’s game:

 

Leyton Orient

The O’s suffered defeat at Boreham Wood on Saturday, ending Orient’s four-match unbeaten run.

The hosts took the lead ten minutes before the interval. Kieron Murtagh fired a shot past Charlie Grainger, but George Elokobi was able to block the effort. However, the ball only deflected as far as Danny Woodards, who applied an emphatic finish.

Orient had a great chance to equalise when David Mooney threaded the ball to Macauley Bonne to play him in on goal, but Bonne looped his shot high over the crossbar.

Boreham Wood then sealed the win with a second goal five minutes into the second-half. A lapse in concentration from Elokobi saw him gift the ball to Bruno Andrade at the byline. Andrade played a pass into the path of Murtagh who chipped the ball into the Orient net.

Last Line-up:

Grainger

Caprice  Coulson  Elokobi  Widdowson

Clay  Ochieng

Dayton  Mooney McAnuff

Bonne

(4-2-3-1)

Subs:

Sargeant, Sendles-White (Coulson 67′), Lawless, Koroma (Dayton 78′), Harrold (Ochieng 52′)

 

Team News

To make matters worse, Orient picked up a few injuries as they lost to Boreham Wood.

James Dayton picked up a knock which meant that he had to be substituted with just over ten minutes remaining. The winger is a doubt for the match on Tuesday night.

Josh Coulson sustained a groin injury and had to be substituted shortly after the hour. That injury is set to keep him out of action for the foreseeable future and therefore he will miss the match against Halifax.

Coulson’s central defensive partner George Elokobi also suffered an injury in the latter stages, meaning the O’s had to finish the game with ten men. The Cameroonian is likely to be out of action for a few weeks at least while he recovers from his hamstring problem.

Those injuries will force Steve Davis to break up the back four that had started every game so far this term.Jamie Sendles-White for his first start of the season.

Jamie Sendles-White is next in line for a place at centre-back. He is likely to be partnered by Michael Clark who currently appears to be closer to the first team than Dan Happe or Aron Pollock.

Charlie Lee will, of course, still be missing. The Orient captain underwent surgery for his knee injury yesterday.

Saturday’s less than stellar performance could see the likes of Romuald Boco, Matt Harrold, and Alex Lawless get opportunities from the start against Halifax.

 

Possible Line-up:

Grainger

Caprice  Sendles-White  Clark  Widdowson

Boco Clay  Lawless  McAnuff

Bonne Harrold

(4-4-2)

 

 

 

FC Halifax Town

Last Season

National League North: 3rd FA Cup: 2nd Round  FA Trophy: 3rd Q Round  Top scorer: Tom Denton 17

FC Halifax Town won promotion to the National League last term. The Shaymen finished in third place in the National League North on 80 points, eight points behind champions Fylde.

After drawing 1-1 with Salford City over two legs in the play-off semi-finals, Halifax progressed to the final by beating the Ammies 3-0 in a penalty shoot-out.

Halifax met Chorley in the final and the Shaymen returned to the National League at the first time of asking thanks to a 2-1 after extra-time.

 

Transfers

 

This Season

Halifax Town arrive at Brisbane Road in sixth place in the National League and just one point behind the O’s.

The Shaymen made a less than convincing start to the season as they went four games without a win. They suffered home defeats to Aldershot Town and Dover Athletic and played out goalless draws on the road against Barrow and Chester.

Billy Heath’s side recorded their first win of the season at Solihull Moors and Halifax have remained unbeaten since then, with home wins over Guiseley, AFC Fylde, and Maidenhead. The goalless draw at Gateshead is the only time that the Shaymen have failed to take maximum points in their last five games.

On Saturday, Halifax held off a late comeback from Maidenhead United at the Shay to keep their good form going.

Adam Morgan put the Shaymen ahead on the half-hour converting Josh MacDonald’s cross. A second-half brace from Matt Kosylo seemingly put the game beyond doubt.

However, the Magpies hit back in the latter stages. Jake Goodman pulled a goal back with just over ten minutes remaining. Sean Marks reduced the deficit further deep into stoppage time but it proved to be too late for Maidenhead to salvage something from the game.

 

Last Line-up:

Johnson, Wilde, Brown, Garner, McManus, Kosylo, Hotte, Oliver, MacDonald, Morgan, Denton

Substitutes:

Moyo, Lynch (Kosylo 87′), Nicholson, Tomlinson (Morgan 82′), Charles

 

Team News

Tom Denton is the only new injury concern for Billy Heath to contend with ahead of their trip to Brisbane Road. The striker suffered a dead leg in the win over Maidenhead but is expected to recover in time for Tuesday night.

However, the Shaymen will be without Michael Duckworth as he will be on the sidelines until Christmas after undergoing surgery on his hamstring injury.

Martin Riley is also likely to remain out of action due to a knee injury. However, Nathan Hotte was fit enough to start last time out despite concerns over his condition ahead of last weekend.

 

 

 

Tuesday’s game will be the first meeting between Leyton Orient and FC Halifax Town, the club that was formed in 2008 after Halifax Town AFC was dissolved.

Orient last played Halifax Town AFC in March 2002. The meeting at Brisbane Road ended in a 3-1 win for the O’s thanks to a Scott Canham brace and an Iyseden Christie goal. Neil Redfearn scored on that afternoon for the Shaymen.

The reverse fixture in September 2001 ended in a goalless draw.

The O’s enjoyed the better of the meetings with Halifax Town AFC, winning on ten occasions, losing four games and drawing four.

 

Match Officials

Referee: 

Christopher Pollard

Assistants: 

Paul Lister & Martyn Holmes

Fourth Official: 

Michael Begley