- Garforth Town have won three of their last five competitive games, remaining unbeaten in league matches across that run.
- FC United are winless in their last five, conceding goals in four of those games.
- This will be the first competitive meeting between the two clubs, so there's no head-to-head record to go on.
A game of two halves
It may be hard for the Miners to hold the Red Rebels off, but they're on a nice run of form and could get a result on Saturday.
Paul Marshall's men have had a solid start to their Northern Premier League East Division campaign, sitting 4th with 10 points from the early-season. A 2-0 away win at Bridlington Town last weekend was another step in the right direction, with Garforth keeping a clean sheet and coming through the test with ease.
The Red Rebels have started life in the Northern Premier League Premier Division in rough shape, languishing at the bottom of the early-season tables with just one or two points in the bank. Mark Beesley took over the dugout recently and the club are still bedding in under their new boss, although his side are winless in five competitive outings and have conceded in all but one of those.
An end-to-end match
Garforth's low-block, direct football will suit the way FC United play in possession and this should be a match where set pieces and transitions play a big part in deciding the winner. Garforth's style is compact and cohesive, so they're hard to break down, but they can also hold on to the ball when they have it, which is key for a game like this.
We're going for a Garforth or Draw - Draw selection in the double chance market because we feel the hosts have a home advantage and a better shot of pulling off an upset. They're a small favourite here at 107/100, just ahead of the visitors at 93/50 and the draw at 16/5, so we're taking the odds-on price that's closest to evens.
Mining for goals
A Both Teams To Score & Draw bet does have merit in this fixture, as it looks like the perfect setup for that outcome, but we're sticking with the Garforth or the tight home win angle for this preview.
The hosts are the sharper of the two teams at the moment and Charlie Marshall's side should have the edge in this match.
Luke Aldrich gives Garforth a proper focal point up top, with his aerial threat and finishing from crosses and set pieces proving key for this Garforth side.
Adam Le Fondre is FC United's standout danger man who has the type of movement and box instincts to cause a problem for the Garforth defenders and may just have the quality to turn this tie on its head.
