On Saturday afternoon Walsall Football Club will play host to Leyton Orient in the latest Sky Bet League 1 fixture of the season. Our latest match preview is below.
WALSALL LATEST...
Walsall arrive at the game on the back of a Sky Bet League 1 defeat to Preston North End, the result put an end to the Saddlers' unbeaten spell away from home and continued North Ends' record of scoring in every home league game this season.
The Saddlers have won one, drawn one, and lost four of their last six home league games, scoring just six goals, whilst conceding fourteen.
Manager Dean Smith could welcome back top-scorer Tom Bradshaw (Hamstring), and Paul Downing (Thigh) for the visit of Leyton Orient, veteran defender James Chambers is also set to continue in the side after suffering a cut to the head during the Saddlers' defeat to Preston North End.
Left-back Rico Henry will miss out after he separated a shoulder during the aforementioned midweek defeat.
The Saddlers have won one, drawn one, and lost four of their last six home league games, scoring just six goals, whilst conceding fourteen.
Manager Dean Smith could welcome back top-scorer Tom Bradshaw (Hamstring), and Paul Downing (Thigh) for the visit of Leyton Orient, veteran defender James Chambers is also set to continue in the side after suffering a cut to the head during the Saddlers' defeat to Preston North End.
Left-back Rico Henry will miss out after he separated a shoulder during the aforementioned midweek defeat.
THE OPPOSITION...
Leyton Orient, who are currently in 23rd position, have won four, drawn one, and lost five of their last ten league games.
The O's have won two, drawn one, and lost three of their last six away league trips and have scored nine and conceded eleven during the ties.
On Thursday Orient signed Burnley right-back Luke O'Neill on loan until the end of the season, he is expected to make his debut this weekend.
The O's have won two, drawn one, and lost three of their last six away league trips and have scored nine and conceded eleven during the ties.
On Thursday Orient signed Burnley right-back Luke O'Neill on loan until the end of the season, he is expected to make his debut this weekend.
HEAD TO HEAD...
Of the seventy matches played; it's Leyton Orient that hold the overall lead, with twenty-nine victories to the Saddlers' twenty-two. There have also been nineteen draws during the fixtures' history.
Their first meeting took place at Clapton Stadium on Saturday, 12th October 1929 in Division Three (South). The O's, who were then known as Clapton Orient, held the Saddlers to a 1-1 draw.
In more recent times, their last meeting took place on Saturday, 23rd August 2014, the game which was played at the Matchroom Stadium, ended without a goal and was the sides' second stalemate running, having drawn their previous fixture one-all at Banks's Stadium on Saturday, 22nd March of the same year.
Over the last ten meetings there have been five draws, four defeats, and just one victory for the Saddlers with the O's having seemingly developed an advantage over Walsall that is proving difficult to overcome.
The Saddlers have only beaten the O's twice since 23rd February 1985, and including that victory have a record of; played twenty, won three, drawn eight, lost nine in all competitions.
OFFICIALS...
The Football Association and The Football League have assigned the match 44-year-old to Eddie Ilderton, who is based in Tyne and Wear.
He has take charge of twenty-two games this season, in various competitions, where he has issued seventy-two yellow and one red cards. He has also awarded just one penalty, so far this campaign.
The most recent Walsall game officiated over by Mr. Ilderton was last season's Sky Bet League 1 home tie with Bradford City.
The match, which took place on Saturday, 5th October 2013, was played in front of 5,364 at Banks's Stadium, ended 2-0 to the Bantams, with Kyel Ried and James Hanson bagging the goals within just a couple of minutes of the second half getting underway.
The match, which took place on Saturday, 5th October 2013, was played in front of 5,364 at Banks's Stadium, ended 2-0 to the Bantams, with Kyel Ried and James Hanson bagging the goals within just a couple of minutes of the second half getting underway.
Mr. Richard Kendall and Mr. Mark Russell will be assisting the referee, whilst Mr. Robert Merchant will be fourth official.