Match Preview

Donny come to Walsall

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In form Doncaster Rovers are our first visitors of 2008, and they come here with confidence high on the back of three consecutive wins and an unbeaten run which has taken them into the play off spots and a point above us. Make no mistake they want revenge for our 3-2 win at the Keepmoat earlier in the season, and they believe they can wrestle all the points away from us.

Vital Quotes:

Both managers have been showing deserved respect to each other and rightly expect a tough encounter.
Whilst the talk from the Banks’s has raised the spirits of the walsall faithful with news of our younsters Mark Bradley, Anthony Gerrard and Troy Deeney all signing contract extensions until 2010.

Walsall Team News:

Pacey winger Ishmel Demontagnac is joined in the stands by Tommy Mooney who is hoped will return for the Millwall cup tie. So the decision DD has to make is whether he sticks to the 4-5-1 which worked well at the Keepmoat and away at Oldham. DD likes to be a bit more positive so a 4-4-2 with Troy upfront with Micheal Ricketts is a posibility.
Defense Clayton, Rhys and Scott and Anthony pick themselves, the question is if Daniel Fox comes back in at left back following suspension or if he is pushed up into midfield in which case Taundry may well continue at left back.
Paul Boertien and Micheal Dobbson are both close to a return but the recent weather means they are lacking matvhes under there belts, so a place on the bench at most for these two I would suspect.

Player to watch: Peter Sweeney

The left side player was given a free ro le in a 4-5-1 against Oldham, and he followed up his impressive display against Vale with another commanding showing. Can he bring that form back to the Banks’s and grab a first goal

Doncaster Rovers Team News:

Manager O’Driscol hasn’t won over all the Doncaster fans and has recently change tactics with a more aggresive style which hasn’t won fans but has won points.
It looks likely it will be the same as for Donny as they go in search of a fourth straight win. Midfielder Green gaining rave reviews in these Christmas games.

Player to watch: Neil Sullivan

A keeper who could do a job at a higher level and pulled off a string of fine saves against us at the Keepmoat despite us beating him 3 times….he won’t want to repeat the error that gifted the winner to us.

Match Facts & Stats

Current form has draw written all over and quiet a few Saddlers would settle for that. However the fact that in the unlikely other results go the right way, a win for either team could see them go second, whilst a defeat could see a team plummet to about tenth….this amy motivate one or the other to go all out for the win

Match Prediction:

score draw

Next Fixtures:

FA Cup third round next saturday Millwall at home.

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