Well we head into another crucial game with a bit more positivity following last weekends 3-2 victory over Bradford – despite playing eighty-four minutes with ten men!
If that result and performance doesn’t kick start our faltering season I don’t know what will.
We head to League Cup semi finalists Burton with an army over 1,000 Saddlers looking to grab another vital three points in our quest for survival.
TEAM NEWS
BURTON
Kieran Wallace, Joe Sbarra, and Reece Hutchinson played in a behind closed doors game at St George’s Park this week to get themselves back to match fitness.
Ben Fox and Josh Clarke, who are both recovering from injury, also played in the match action to help with their recovery and could be fit to face the Saddlers.
WALSALL
Walsall boss Dean Keates will have to face Burton without leading scorer Andy Cook who serves the first game of his three match ban.
Given the performance last week you would imagine replacing Cookie will be the only change Keates will make.
LIKELY LINE UPS?
Burton – Collins, Brayford, Buxton, McFadzean, Daniel, Harness, Allen, Quinn, Templeton, Boyce, Akins
Walsall – Roberts, Devlin, Fitzwater, Scarr, Leahy, Ismail, Kinsella, Edwards, Dobson, Jarvis, Gordon
ONES TO WATCH
LIAM BOYCE (BURTON)
Boyce has scored ten goals this season and has six assists to his name. The former Ross County striker is finally coming to terms with English football and will be a nuisance all afternoon for Guthrie and Scarr.
JOSH GORDON (WALSALL)
Finally last weekend we got to see what Josh Gordon can do. The departure of Andy Cook made Gordon our number one striker and he capped off a superb performance with two goals. This should give him the confidence to push on.
STATS
- Burton have failed to score in three of their last five league games.
- Burton have not won in their last five home games, The Saddlers have lost five out our last six away.
- Burton have conceded six in their last five home games. The Saddlers have conceded twelve.
- Form (last five) – Burton – LDDWD, Walsall – WLLLL
PAST MEETINGS
The Saddlers and the Brewers have only face each other on four occasions – Walsall 2, Draw 1, Burton 1
The last time both sides met came in November where Burton won comfortably 3-1 – the best performance from any side against the Saddlers this season.
The last time the two sides met at the Pirelli Stadium came in the Checkatrade Trophy (urgh) this season.
Our four games against Burton
03.11.18 – Walsall 1-3 Burton
04.09.18 – Burton 1-2 Walsall
27.02.16 – Burton 0-0 Walsall
10.10.15 – Walsall 2-0 Burton
MATCH OFFICIALS
REFEREE – PAUL MARSDEN *Not the journalist.
LINESMEN – Wayne Grunnill & Matthew Jones
FOURTH OFFICIAL – Andy Haines
Marsden has officiated twenty-seven games this season, dishing out seventy-eight yellow cards and a staggering eight reds whilst awarding eight penalties.
He has already officiated a Walsall game this season awarding Peterborough a penalty in our 1-1 draw – this is the only game he has officiated involving the Saddlers.
MATCH PREDICTION
If Burton play like they did when they came to the Banks’s this season we will struggle to get anything however with their season now practically over and with us with renewed confidence I am confident we can go there and get something from the game.
VITAL PREDICTION – Burton 1-1 WALSALL
UP NEXT
Saturday 9th March
Sky Bet League 1
WALSALL v Fleetwood Town
