Another game and another chance to get back to winning ways.
The Saddlers go into tomorrow’s game having not won since the opening day of the season. We currently find ourselves in 20th place in League 2.
TEAM NEWS
COLCHESTER
Colchester have no fresh injury worries. They signed winger Callum Harriott on a free transfer from Reading yesterday.
WALSALL
Walsall welcome Rory Gaffney following his arrival from Salford.
We also welcome back Danny Guthrie who has been missing the last few weeks.
Clarke gave starts to fringe players Shay Facey, Zak Jules and Alfie Bates during the midweek EFL Trophy defeat to Coventry City.
LIKELY LINE UPS?
Colchester– Gerken, Jackson, Eastman, Prosser, Clampin, Comley, Stevenson, Senior, Nouble, Gambin, Norris
Walsall – Roberts, Clarke, Scarr, Sadler, Pring, Guthrie, Kinsella, Sinclair, Hardy, Lavery, Gaffney
ONES TO WATCH
LUKE NORRIS (COLCHESTER)
Norris has already scored four goals and grabbed one assist this season.
The former Swindon and Gillingham front man has been in fine form despite only scoring seven goals last term.
RORY GAFFNEY (WALSALL)
Eyes will be on former Bristol Rovers striker Rory Gaffney this weekend hoping that he and Caolan Lavery can take over the scoring responsibilies following the blanks from Josh Gordon and Elijah Adebayo.
Gaffney scored eleven goals for parent club Salford last season but has seen his chances limited this time around.
Gaffney cored one goal in every three games in League 2 for Rovers.
PAST MEETINGS
The Saddlers and Colchester have met on sixty-seven occasions – Walsall 25, Draw 18, Colchester 24
The last time both sides met ended in a 2-1 victory for the Saddlers Tom Bradshaw and Matt Preston scoring in the last minute.
When the sides last met in Colchester a 91st minute equaliser by James O’Connor saw the Saddlers draw 4-4 and remain in 2nd spot in League 1.
Walsall have scored four goals in the last minute in our last five against Colchester.
Our last five away games v Colchester
24.10.15 – Colchester 4-4 Walsall
17.01.15 – Colchester 0-1 Walsall
12.10.13 – Colchester 1-1 Walsall
26.01.13 – Colchester 2-0 Walsall
24.09.11 – Colchester 1-0 Walsall
MATCH OFFICIALS
The match officials have been announced for this Saturday’s game and are as follows –
REFEREE – BRETT HUXTABLE
ASSISTANTS – ANDREW WILLIAMS AND DAN BONNEYWELL
FOURTH OFFICIAL – CARL FITCH-JACKSON
Huxtable has officiated Walsall on four occasions with the Saddlers winning two, drawing one and losing one.
The Saddlers have won the last two when he has officiated, our 3-2 win against Bradford last season despite Andy Cook being sent off after six minutes and our 2-1 home victory over Oxford in January 2018.
Interestingly he officiated seven league games whilst Darrell Clarke was in charge of Bristol Rovers with the Gas winning six of them – here’s hoping he is a good omen for Darrell Clarke.
So far this season Huxtable has officiated six games where he has dished out nineteen yellow cards.
VITAL PREDICTION – COLCHESTER 0-1 WALSALL
If we can’t be optimistic then who can? It’s time to forget the last few weeks and kick on with our season.
Solo goal by Rory Gaffney will see the Saddlers victorious with a last minute winner. SCENES. LIMBS.
UP NEXT
Saturday 14th September
Sky Bet League 2
WALSALL v Bradford
