Halifax vs Scunthorpe: Beleaguered Iron travel to Yorkshire for crucial National League clash - live on BT Sport!

FC Halifax host Scunthorpe in the National League on Wednesday night, with the visitors struggling desperately both on and off the pitch.

Having been relegated from League Two last season, the Iron now sit rock bottom in the fifth tier, but more concerning is the short-term survival of the club.

Scunthorpe were served with a winding-up order earlier this month for an unpaid tax bill, with owner Peter Swann looking for a way out.

A takeover is essential if the club is to move forward and avoid the same fate as the likes of Bury and Macclesfield in recent years.

For now, though, they face a trip to Halifax, which you can watch live on BT Sport 1 from 7pm.

Will off-the-pitch problems distract Scunny?

Given their financial woes and the general feeling of malaise around the club after the past few seasons, it’s hardly a surprise that Scunthorpe are embroiled in another relegation battle.

Just four wins in 27 league games has left them in a perilous position and top scorers Joe Nuttall, Caolan Lavery and Rob Apter have all left the club midway through the season.

Regardless of the lack of quality in the squad, the issue now, even for the more experienced players, is likely to be one of motivation.

With Scunthorpe facing an existential threat, football itself has taken a backseat. And the players will be concerned for their own future.

The mood is understandably bleak around the club, so a sudden upturn in form seems unlikely.

If Scunny can pull off a win at the Shay, they will climb off the bottom of the league and move above Maidstone in 23rd.

But safety, both on and off the pitch, looks a long way away at the moment.

Can home form propel Halifax up the table?

The Shay was a fortress for Halifax last season as they reached the playoffs under Pete Wild.

Current boss Chris Millington found things more difficult when he took over in the summer, but things are beginning to click again for the Yorkshire side.

Only Wrexham and Chesterfield have taken more points from their last six home games than Halifax, with five wins and a draw for the Shaymen.

Away form is the main concern for Halifax this season and sorting that out will be key if they’re to finish any higher than mid-table.

But very few teams will be looking forward to a trip to the Shay in the coming weeks.

Scunthorpe, in particular, won’t be particularly optimistic. They haven’t won an away game this season and have picked up just five points on the road.

Where will the goals come from?

Halifax have struggled to get things flowing in attack throughout the season after losing last season’s top scorer Billy Waters to Barrow.

Emmanuel Dieseruvwe has found the net seven times in the National League but a total of 24 goals in 25 games is a poor return for Millington’s side.

Scunthorpe, meanwhile, have been slightly more productive in attack, with 32 goals from 27 games. 

As mentioned, though, Nuttall (9 goals) and Lavery (8 goals) have both left the club, the latter having scored a hat-trick in a rare win against Maidenhead earlier this month.

This might not be a goalfest, then, but there is certainly a lot on the line, with both teams very much in need of a win.

Watch live on BT Sport 1 from 7pm on Wednesday 25 January.