Walsall are back in action this weekend as they welcome title-chasing Mansfield Town to Poundland Bescot Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
PRE-MATCH VIEWS
After suffering a disappointing 3-0 defeat to Newport County last weekend, the Saddlers were able to take a share of the spoils away to Crawley Town in midweek as Isaac Hutchinson's thirteenth goal of the season was cancelled out by Liam Kelly in the second-half.
With the result against Crawley extending the Saddlers' winless run to five league games, this weekend's clash with the Stags couldn't have arrived at a worse time, as our visitors are in fine form, winning their last three, with their most recent victory seeing them slip nine goals past Harrogate Town.
Back to the Saddlers, and their recent performances have been far from acceptable, with the threat of relegation slowly growing and, although there remains a chasm between them and the drop zone, an ever-extended winless run could very easily see the gap shrink, especially as our backline continues to let slip the odd goal or two.
Be it conceding in the opening stages, or simply refusing to make better use of rare goal-scoring opportunities, the team has to find a way back to form, and, whether the manager finally sees there are too many round pegs in square holes or not, it's up to those on the pitch to try and have a positive influence.
Whilst we accept the manager is the one who sets out the team, the players can't continue to hide behind their gaffer and refuse to take account of their occasionally appalling displays.
Just a few weeks ago the team was within a few points of the Play-Off places, but a string of poor results and with it bad performances, have seen the gap increase and another season in the fourth tier is almost inevitable, though, as mentioned earlier, there could be worse to come...
WALSALL TEAM NEWS
Recent arrival Jamie Jellis remains a doubt, the former Tamworth man is yet to feature after injuring a hamstring in his final Lambs appearance.
Oisin McEntee, Harry Williams, Rollin Menayese, Joe Riley, and Danny Johnson continue to make their way back from various injuries and issues.
OPPOSITION NEWS
Recent wins over Notts County, Forest Green Rovers and Harrogate Town have seen the Stags rise to second place in the table.
Their 9-2 hammering of Harrogate will no doubt serve as plenty of motivation as they make their way to WS1 with league leaders Stockport County sitting just one point away.
FORM IN FIVE
Here is how the Saddlers and their opponents Mansfield Town have fared in their last five Sky Bet League Two games.
WALSALL
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MANSFIELD TOWN |
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HEAD-TO-HEAD
The Saddlers and Stags have met on sixty-six previous occasions, and it's Walsall who hold an overall head-to-head lead, having won 30 times compared to Mansfield's 22.
There have also been fourteen draws over the history of the fixture, a history which began at Fellows Park on Saturday, 11th December 1926 as the two sides faced off in a FA Cup - Second Round clash which saw the Saddlers score two goals without reply.
Their second meeting, which took place on Saturday, 26th November 1932, was also in the FA Cup and saw the Saddlers earn a place in the Second Preliminary Round thanks to a 4-1 win at Fellows Park.
THE LAST TIME WE MET
Walsall and Mansfield Town most recently met at the OneCall Stadium on Saturday, 28th October 2023, in a match that saw the Stags secure all three points.
The match got off to something of a slow start as the two teams looked for an opening, sadly for the Saddlers, it was the visitors who took the lead as defender Aden Flint put the ball into the back of the net some seventeen minutes into the contest.
Walsall were second best for much of the contest but did take their chance when it came their way as midfielder Ryan Stirk netted his second goal of the season as he got on the end of a cross to put the ball beyond Christy Pym to level the scores.
Mansfield got themselves back into the lead around midway through the second forty-five as Jordan Bowery finished off substitute Will Swan's attacking drive as his effort went off the post and in.
MATCH OFFICIALS
Ahead of this weekend's match, the EFL has confirmed that Thomas Parsons, will be the man in the middle, whilst Alan Clayton and Oliver Spender have been named assistant referees. Meanwhile, Declan O'Shea will act as Fourth Official.
GAMES OFFICIATED
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16
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YELLOW
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RED
CARDS |
80
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PENALTIES AWARDED
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2
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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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