Halifax Town vs Sheffield United - prediction, team news, lineups

Halifax Town and Sheffield United volition get their pre-season campaigns underway erstwhile they clash astatine the Shay Stadium connected Saturday afternoon. 

The hosts finished eighth successful the National League successful 2025-26, portion the visitors recorded a disappointing 13th-placed decorativeness successful the Championship.

Match preview

Halifax Town person competed successful the National League since earning promotion from the National League North successful 2016-17, and the Shaymen person been battling for promotion successful caller years. 

Halifax secured playoff places successful some 2023-24 and 2024-25 but suffered quarter-final defeats connected some occasions. 

The Shaymen erstwhile again battled for a playoff spot successful 2025-26 but were disappointingly incapable to grounds a top-seven finish, placing eighth and 11 points adrift from seventh-placed Forest Green Rovers. 

Manager Adam Lakeland subsequently departed to Morecambe, with erstwhile Buxton manager John McGrath appointed to pb Halifax into the 2026-27 campaign. 

McGrath volition beryllium tasked with overseeing a conflict for promotion from the National League successful the upcoming campaign, and the caller manager volition instrumentality complaint of his archetypal lucifer erstwhile the Shaymen look Championship broadside Sheffield United successful the archetypal of 7 pre-season friendlies connected Saturday.

Sheffield United were relegated from the Premier League successful 2023-24 and looked to unafraid an contiguous instrumentality successful the pursuing season, devastatingly missing retired arsenic they mislaid 2-1 to Sunderland successful the playoff final. 

The Blades would person been aiming to spell 1 measurement further and unafraid promotion successful 2025-26, but Sheffield United endured a challenging campaign, yet signaling a disappointing 13th-placed finish. 

Chris Wilder returned to the helm for his 3rd stint arsenic manager pursuing the dismissal of Ruben Selles successful September 2025, and the experienced brag volition beryllium hoping for a importantly stronger 2026-27 season. 

Wilder will, therefore, beryllium hoping for his broadside to bask a beardown pre-season run which tin beryllium utilized arsenic a instauration to physique from astatine the commencement of the Championship term. 

Halifax Town signifier (all competitions):

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Sheffield United signifier (all competitions):

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Team News

Halifax Town could sanction a akin broadside to the 1 that started their last crippled of the 2025-26 play against Woking. 

New signings Mackenzie Maltby, Tayt-Lemar Trusty and Connor Douglas could each marque their debuts for the Shaymen.

Meanwhile, Sheffield United volition beryllium without Tahith Chong, who volition beryllium distant pursuing his engagement with Curacao astatine the World Cup. 

Elsewhere, the likes of Patrick Bamford, Thomas Cannon and respective different cardinal players from past play could feature.

Halifax Town imaginable starting lineup:

Johnson; Crowe, Maltby, Hobson, Latty-Fairweather; Douglas, Hmami, Johnson, Turner-Cooke, Capello; Kawa

Sheffield United imaginable starting lineup:

Cooper; Seriki, Tanganga, McGuinness, Burrows; Hamer, Peck, Arblaster, O'Hare; Cannon, Bamford

We say: Halifax Town 0-3 Sheffield United

Sheffield United are undoubtedly the stronger squad connected insubstantial and should unafraid a comfy triumph against the National League opposition.

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