Walsall visit the delights of the Withdean, no disrespect to Brighton who are well aware of the grounds shortcommings, this will give players and fans alike a quick reminder of what it is like in league Two in terms of facilities. Hopefully a shot in the arm to ensure we keep the league one trap down at a safe distance.
Due to the cold night in November on an open terrace with astronomical prices for such a place, and the hassel of park and rides, this could well be the lowest away support of the year, lets hope the lads put on a display for the hardy few.
Vital talk
The usual positive vibe has been coming out of Bescot with the curve ball of Carlos been given the boot thrown in for good measure.
Talk from the Brighton forums have been positive also with hope of a play off push or more coming off the back of some decent results home and away.
One concern raised is the attendances with sub 6,000 gates been a cause for concern. It will be interesting to see what numbers turn up tonight as Walsall may not be such a draw as Liverpool live on the box!!!
Other news out of Brighton is striker Bas Savage recon’s he is having the time of his life and wants to extend his stay at Brighton.
Brighton Team News:
Whilst no new injuries are report there could be a strong case for staying the same as saturdays game, although some of the subs made a case for inclusion as they scored two late goals to beat Luton 3-1 at home.
Player to watch: Nicky Foster
Known locally due to his spell at Blues Nicky proved his goalscoring abilities at this level before plying his trade at a higher level ie the Championship, before a spell of injuries brought his career to a halt. His move to Brighton should finally go some way into filling the void of such departed strikers as Leon Knight who was prolific for the Seagulls. Signs are Mr Foster still knows where the net is and our young defence will have there hads full tonight.
Walsall Team News:
With Tommy Mooney and Michael Dobson leaving the field feeling slight strains on saturday there maybe changes. Although the news on Mooney is positive will DD risk it!!It is a bit more of a concern if Dobson will make it although Wrack and Bradley combined well on saturday in Dobbos absence, but would this combination give us the strenght in the center we need. I am not so sure.
Of course in our other games we have been forced to play 4-5-1 but long term injuries have made it less effective and the arrivial ofMichael Ricketts gives us the option of playing away with a 4-4-2, so we wait and see.
Player to watch: Mark Bradley
The youngster has burst into the first team this season and taken the chance provided by injury and Sonners departure with both hands.
Of course no player could have kept up the impact of those games against Huddersfield and Doncaster, but he has still been one of our better performers in recent games.
Inconsistancy can be a problem with such young players, so it is up to Mark to prove he can follow last Seasons star Scott Dann into making the shirt his own.
Match Facts & Stats
Both teams can look at recent good form for inspiration and only two points seperate the teams in the league.
Of recent clashes the Saddlers have not faired badly, although the shadow of a 7-0 thumping still lingers on the horizon.
Match Prediction:
If I was offered a point I would take it as this game really could go either way. So come on Saddlers suprise me.
Next Fixtures:
FA Cup see’s Shrewsbury visit the Banks’s Stadium next saturday 3pm kick off. League action returns on the 17th November as Luton visit Banks’s stadium.
