This Saturday sees last seasons relegated League 1 sides come head to head at the Banks’s Stadium with both sides hoping to get points to fire them up the League 2 table.
Both sides have suffered an inconsistent start to the season with Scunthorpe currently fighting for survival at an early stage.
Despite having a big budget and a manager with the calibre of Paul Hurst – they like us are still trying to work out their best side.
The Saddlers come into this in buoyed mood after beating Morecambe on Tuesday night.
TEAM NEWS
WALSALL
Cameron Pring has confirmed on his instagram page that he is close to returning to full fitness but may have to wait to get back into the starting XI due to the performances of Zak Jules.
Will Darrell Clarke go with a more attacking side than the one that faced Morecambe on Tuesday?
SCUNTHORPE
Scunthorpe will be likely without former Saddlers captain Andy Butler as he continues to regain fitness following injury.
Lee Novak and Joey Dawson will also be missing.
LIKELY LINE UPS?
Walsall – Roberts, Liddle, Clarke, Scarr, Jules, Hardy, Guthrie, Sinclair, Holden, Lavery, Gaffney
Scunthorpe – Watson, Perch, McGahey, McArdle, Brown, Gilliead, Lund, Songo’o, Eisa, Proctor, Van Veen
ONES TO WATCH
RORY GAFFNEY
Rory Gaffney is yet to find the target since his loan move from Salford but the former Bristol Rovers striker has proved a handful for defences.
His best game in a Saddlers shirt came on Tuesday night where it was his initial shot that led to Stuart Sinclair’s goal.
MATTY LUND
The former Stoke, Burton and Rochdale midfielder has done well in a struggling side. Scoring three goals and grabbing two assists so far this season.
PAST MEETINGS
The Saddlers and Scunthorpe have faced each other on fifty occasions. Walsall 15, Draw 17, Scunthorpe 18
The Saddlers have won just two of the last twelve meetings between the two sides.
Scunthorpe have won 4-1 on three occasions in their past six visits here.
Last SIX Matches at Walsall
12.01.19 – Walsall 1-2 Scunthorpe
09.12.17 – Walsall 1-0 Scunthorpe
27.09.16 – Walsall 1-4 Scunthorpe
01.03.16 – Walsall 0-0 Scunthorpe
10.01.15 – Walsall 1-4 Scunthorpe
10.01.15 – Walsall 1-4 Scunthorpe
MATCH OFFICIALS
The match officials have been announced for this Saturday’s game and are as follows –
REFEREE – MARC EDWARDS
ASSISTANTS – Billy Smallwood and Kevin Morris
FOURTH OFFICIAL – Christopher Husband
Marc Edwards is the official for this weekends fixture and has only just joined the EFL as a referee following last season in the National League.
He has yet to officiate a game involving Walsall or Scunthorpe.
Last season, he took charge twenty-one National League matches and one FA Cup match, showing seventy-two yellow cards and one red.
So far this season, in the five matches he has refereed, he has shown eleven yellow cards and no reds.
VITAL PREDICTION
WALSALL 1-0 Scunthorpe
It seems 1-0 is our favourite scoreline this season and I don’t see it changing anytime soon. Our defence is more than capable in this division.
Rory Gaffney with his first for the club.
UP NEXT
SATURDAY 28th SEPTEMBER
Sky Bet League 2
Crawley v WALSALL
