Halifax Town vs Gateshead Match Analysis & Prediction
21/05/2023 6:15 pm
Wembley Stadium plays host to FA Trophy final this weekend, where Halifax Town will face Gateshead on Sunday evening.
After both finsihing in mid-table in the National League, the two sides now have the opportunity to fight for honours in the final non-league game of the season.
Both teams come into this showpiece occasion in excellent form, having become notoriously difficult to beat in latter stages of the National League season.
Only playoff finalists Chesterfield have beaten Halifax in their last 15 matches, with a strong finish ensuring a finish in the top half for the Shaymen.
Their final eight matches of the season yielded an impressive 18 points, while Halifax conceded just three goals in that period.
Halifax’s run to the final in this competition has been short of dramatic, with Millenic Alli’s 95th-minute equaliser forcing a penalty shootout in their semi-final against Altrincham.
Going on to win on spot kicks meant Chris Millington’s side have won three penalty shootouts to reach Wembley, and with nothing to splits the sides, that expertise could be brought to the fore again.
The Shaymen have been hre and done it before as well, having won the FA Trophy back in 2016, beating Grimsby Town 1-0 against all odds in the final.
Gateshead will be hoping for a happier day out compared to their last visit to Wembley, when they were beaten by Cambridge United in the National League playoff final back in 2014.
Their late-season form suggests that is a real possibility as well, as only Wrexham and Notts County picked up more points in the league in 2023 than Gateshead.
Eight victories from their final 11 matches ensured comfortable survival in their first season back in the fifth tier, following promotion from the National League North a year ago.
Gateshead’s run to the final has also been impressive, given the lengthy injury list manager Mike Williamson has had to deal with, as well as having a number of first-team players cup-tied in the FA Trophy.
Like Halifax, Gateshead also needed penalties to progress through the semi-finals, and they did excellently to hold their nerve to do so, having squandered a 3-0 lead against Barnet, with a goal in the 12th minute of added time forcing the shootout.
Halifax Town vs. Gateshead Head to head
In the 14 previous meetings between these two teams, Halifax have claimed four victories while have have drawn in 10. Gateshead have scored 16 goals and conceded 22 in the process.
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12/04/2018Halifax Town2Gateshead2National League
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27/08/2018Halifax Town1Gateshead0National League
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29/12/2018Gateshead1Halifax Town1National League
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13/09/2022Halifax Town2Gateshead0National League
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07/03/2023Gateshead0Halifax Town0National League
Halifax Town Team News
Halifax will be without top scorer Emmanuel Dieservwe after he was sent off for violent conduct against Woking in the second-last game of the season.
Home-grown Halifax man Jack Senior will get the chance to lead the side out at Wembley as captain, coming back into the starting lineup after not featuring in the final three matches.
Halifax Town's Last 5 Matches
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15/04/2023Halifax Town3Maidstone United0National League
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18/04/2023Halifax Town1Bromley1National League
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22/04/2023Dagenham & Redbridge0Halifax Town0National League
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25/04/2023Woking0Halifax Town1National League
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29/04/2023Halifax Town1Eastleigh1National League
Gateshead Team News
Gateshead’s Kenton Richardson has returned from injury and will be available for selection after a knock kept him out for over a month.
Ed Francis, Stephen Wearne, Marcus Dinanga and Connor Pani will be absent as they are all cup-tied, while Ethan Pye has been recalled from his loan spell early by Stockport County.
Gateshead's Last 5 Matches
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15/04/2023Gateshead0Bromley3National League
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18/04/2023Gateshead0Dorking Wanderers0National League
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22/04/2023Woking2Gateshead1National League
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25/04/2023Boreham Wood0Gateshead2National League
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29/04/2023Gateshead4Maidenhead United0National League
Halifax Town vs. Gateshead: Odds and Predictions
Main Prediction
Double Chance: Gateshead or X
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