We make a welcome return to league action this weekend following international week as we face local rivals Shrewsbury Town.
Vital Quotes:
Will appear here later…
Walsall Team News:
The Saddlers will welcome back Joe Edwards following his suspension.
Reece Flanagan is the only long term absentee for Walsall.
Player to watch: Erhun Oztumer
Oztumer has scored four goals in nine games for the Saddlers and has been in superb form in the last few weeks. Our little magician is up there with the best number tens in League 1.
Shrewsbury Team News:
Managerless Shrewsbury go to the Banks’s Stadium with goalkeeping coach Danny Coyne still in charge.
Micky Mellon left to join Tranmere last week with Town second bottom of Sky Bet League One.
Coyne is without Shaun Whalley who is still likely to be out for the next month with a calf injury he suffered against Peterborough.
But midfielder Gary Deegan is back following suspension after he was sent off in Town’s 1-1 draw against Swindon earlier this month.
Player to watch: Louis Dodds
The former Port Vale striker has scored three goals this season in a struggling side. Dodds has scored twenty goals in the past three years in League 1.
Match Facts & Stats
Well they say form goes out the window with local derbies but the Saddlers are pretty much Shrewsbury’s bogey team.
Shrewsbury have not won at Walsall since 1993. They have beaten us at Shrewsbury in 2012 and 2014 respectively.
Shrewsbury have lost nine of their last twelve against the Saddlers.
The last time the Saddlers faced Shrewsbury we won 2-1 thanks to goals from Kieron Morris and Rico Henry.
Ref Watch:
On Saturday we return to match action as we face local rivals Shrewsbury Town at the Banks’s Stadium.
The match officials have been announced as follows
REFEREE – NICHOLAS KINSELEY
David Benton and Simon Knapp
Fourth Official: Simon Barrow
Mr N Kinseley (Essex) has officiated five games so far this season dishing out just seven yellow cards.
Kinseley has officiated just one game involving the Saddlers, this came last season in April where he took control of our home game with Swindon. We drew the game 1-1 thanks to a goal from Kieron Morris.
Match Prediction:
We wont lose this one regardless of our poor season so far. Shrewsbury are our whipping boys and dont have a manager – Walsall 3-0 Shrewsbury
(Jackson, Oztumer and Morris)
Next Fixtures:
18.10.16 – Gillingham v WALSALL
