Don't forget to join us across our social media channels where we'll bring you all the matchday build-up, in-game updates, and post-match reaction as the Saddlers welcome the Mariners to Poundland Bescot Stadium.
PRE-MATCH VIEWS
After a midweek cup defeat to Brighton's Under-21s, a match that saw the Saddlers continue their somewhat haphazard approach to defending with a 3-2 reverse - attention returns to the league and a match with Grimsby Town.
Along with their poor cup form - Mat Sadler's side already having exited the Carabao Cup - Walsall's league form is nothing to shout about, either.
Winning one, drawing one, and losing the remaining two, the Boys from the Bescot have really struggled to get going, and reach their second home game of the season in dire need of a return to winning ways.
Whilst we're still very much in the early stages of the season, the Reds are already some eight points behind league leaders Gillingham and can ill afford to give themselves a massive margin before the season has really got underway.
The midweek return of Tom Knowles, the attacker marking his first appearance of the season with a goal after coming off the bench against the Seagulls starlets, will serve as a massive boost to the team and fans alike as he is a player who can, on his day, unlock an opposition defence.
As we edge closer to the end of the summer Transfer Window, we remain convinced the team is in need of more than the one defensive signing that Mat Sadler mooted a few weeks ago.
Recent results, and more importantly, performances have gone a long way to exposing the current squad's shortcomings and we hope the powers that be will work to secure more options before the window slams shut on 1st September.
WALSALL TEAM NEWS
Walsall will likely remain without the services of Priestley Farquharson, Rollin Menayese, Jack Earing, and Brandon Comley as they continue to work their way back to full fitness after suffering a variety of injuries and issues.
Meanwhile, Tom Knowles made his return to action in midweek as he was a second-half substitute against Brighton & Hove Albion U21s in the EFL Trophy.
OPPOSITION NEWS
The Mariners have also endured a slow start to their 2023/24 campaign as they have won one, drawn two, and lost one of their four league outings, putting them alongside the Saddlers in midtable.
Their most recent outing saw them and Mansfield Town play out a one-all draw at Blundell Park as Abo Eisa opened the scoring before Mansfield striker Rhys Oates came off the substitutes bench to grab an equaliser.
PRE-MATCH FACTS
• Walsall have lost just three of the last thirteen all-competition meetings with Grimsby Town (W7, D3).
• Both sides are struggling for form so far this season with both winning just once in their opening six games.
• Walsall have lost just twice in their last ten home games, Grimsby have lost their last three away games.
• Grimsby have won two of their last three visits to Walsall.
HEAD-TO-HEAD
There have been sixty-eight competitive meetings between Walsall and Grimsby Town and it's the Saddlers who hold an overall head-to-head lead having won thirty-two occasions, with the Mariners securing the win twenty-four times.
There have been twelve draws over the history of the fixture. A history which began at the Chuckery on Saturday, 22nd October 1892 as Walsall Town Swifts and Grimsby Town met in a League Division Two clash, the home side winning 3-1.
THE LAST TIME WE MET
The most recent meeting took place at Grimsby's Blundell Park on Saturday, 25th March, and saw the spoils shared as former Saddlers loanee Bryn Morris saw his first-half opener cancelled out by Donervon Daniels in the second forty-five.
MATCH OFFICIALS
The EFL has confirmed that Ben Atkinson, who is based in Cheshire, will be the man in the middle, whilst Abbas Khan and Callum Jones have been named assistant referees. Kevin Howick will act as Fourth Official.
GAMES OFFICIATED
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3
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YELLOW
CARDS |
RED
CARDS |
15
| 1
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PENALTIES AWARDED
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0
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CATCH THE MATCH
If you're not planning on going to the game you can catch the match via the club's in-house service - iFollow Walsall - which takes you through the highs and lows of every Saddlers game.
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