The Saddlers travel to Oldham in a relegation six pointer. The Saddlers won our first game in five and will be hoping to add another victory tomorrow evening which would more than likely clinch our League 1 safety for another year.
Vital Quotes:
Wellens ‘”It`s crucial. For me it`s the biggest game of the season, just because a win would allow us to create a bit of a gap between us and some of the other teams.
“There`s Wimbledon, Rochdale and Northampton who all play tonight (Tuesday), but if we win against Walsall no-one will gain points on us and that`s another game gone.
“It`s a huge game, but we`re playing allright at the moment. We`re playing some decent stuff and I like the energy and intensity that I`m seeing.’
Keates ‘”If I`m being honest, the situation we are in as a football club, if we had got anything out of Wigan and Portsmouth they would have been bonus points.
“But we know this batch is where we need to pick up points and that is why we were delighted with Bury.
“The lads new the importance of that game. Bury was our biggest game of the season but it`s gone now. Oldham has now become the biggest game.”
Oldham Team News:
Skipper Anthony Gerrard and Kean Bryan are both still out injured tomorrow, so young centre-back pairing George Edmundson and Tom Hamer are likely to continue against the Saddlers after impressing in the goalless draw at Oxford at the weekend.
Player to watch: Eoin Doyle
Doyle has scored fourteen goals so far this season with five assists. Doyle will give the Walsall back line an awkward evening and they will need to be on their game.
Walsall Team News:
Walsall will be without long term absentees Joe Edwards and Krystian Bielik but apart from that Dean Keates will have a full strength side to choose from.
Player to watch: Erhun Oztumer
There are just seven games left to see the little magician in Walsall colours and with scouts set to run the rule over him he will be keen to impress. Oztumer scored in the reverse fixture earlier this season and will be looking to increase his season tally.
Match Facts & Stats
Oldham have won four out their last six home games.
Walsall have won just once in our last ten league games.
The Saddlers have won the last two games between these sides (both at Banks’s Stadium) the latest one was a 2-1 victory thanks to goals from Erhun Oztumer and Joe Edwards.
There have been just five goals in the last five meetings between both sides at Boundary Park with the Saddlers only winning two of the last thirteen visits to Oldham. These wins came in 2007 and 2013.
Ref Watch:
Referee – ANDY HAINES
Linesmen – Michael Denton and Ian Dudley
Fourth Official: Tom Nield
Haines has officiated thirteen games involving the Saddlers in the past ten years, with the Saddlers winning three, drawing five and losing five.
In those thirteen games, Haines has given four penalties all to the opposition (Huddersfield, Sheffield United, Rochdale and Charlton)
Also in those thirteen games, Haines has dished out three red cards with only one given to a Walsall player (Troy Deeney).
In the thirty games he has officiated this season he has handed out ninety yellow cards, six red cards and four penalties – three in the same game during Shrewsbury’s 3-2 victory over Rochdale in August.
Match Prediction:
I think most would take another 1-0 victory thanks to another own goal – it doesnt matter how we get the points this late in the season. However we think it will be a point tomorrow as both clubs aim to stay in the division.
Vital Prediction – Oldham 0-0 Walsall
Next Fixtures:
14.04.18 – WALSALL v AFC Wimbledon
