Having appeared to fall out of the promotion race at the end of 2014, FC Halifax Town are back in the argument with a vengeance at this late stage.

The Shaymen are currently sixth in the Conference table, a point outside of the top five but with the benefit of three games in hand on Eastleigh, the side directly above them.

Neil Aspin’s part-timers were briefly top in August after winning their first five but soon surrendered that place to Barnet, who have proudly topped the Conference since a 2-0 win at Southport on August 30.

Halifax have only played twice in the league in 2015 and are yet to play a home Conference fixture in 2015 following a run in the FA Trophy which has seem them set up a third-round replay against Dartford.

A fifth-place finish last season represented an excellent return for the Yorkshire oufit, who flew the flag impressively for part-timers before succumbing to eventual play-off winners Cambridge United 3-0 on aggregate.

Only formed as FC Halifax Town in 2008 following the demise of Halifax Town AFC after almost 100 years in existence, it has been a meteoric rise since for the Shaymen, who secured three promotions in four seasons to reach the Conference five years after being re-born.

Having finished as play-off losers in their first season at this level, Halifax were shorn of last season’s 29-goal-top-scorer, Lee Gregory, who moved up the football pyramid to join Championship side Millwall in the summer.

However, Gregory has been ably replaced by Chesterfield and Macclesfield striker Scott Boden. The 25-year-old’s return of 15 league goals in 103 outings for the Spireites might not have inspired Halifax supporters but 18 in 40 for the financially-stricken Silkmen last term was far more promising.

And ten from 26 league starts this time around make him the club’s leading marksmen and a shrewd acquisition from Aspin, who has been at the helm since 2009, making him just the club’s second permanent boss.

The former Leeds United and Port Vale defender is, unsurprisingly, expecting a stern test against Martin Allen’s side.

He told the club’s website: “I know Barnet are strong. I know they'll fancy their chances when they come to us, they're confident. They've had a couple of set-backs but their points total is really good. They score a lot of goals, they've got a lot of strength in the team and it'll be a big test.”

The Shaymen will be without midfielder Adam Smith due to a knock to the ankle suffered in Tuesday night’s 1-0 win at AFC Telford United.

FC Halifax Town XI v AFC Telford United (27.1.15): Glennon; K Roberts, M Roberts, Williams, McManus; Schofield, Smith (Boden 12), Pearson, Hatfield; Jackson, Peniket.