Yeovil Town (A) League One Tues 3rd March 7.45pm

[Welsh_Saddler]

As our season lurches on, we travel to Somerset cider country to visit Yeovil, who took three points from us way back in August. The poor form which saw them relegated from the Championship last season has more or less continued, and they are currently bottom of the League One table - and, get this, they've actually scored 7 FEWER League One goals than we have!! On the debit side they're leaking goals as well, and their goal difference of -22 could be an enormous handicap if their relegation fight comes down to the wire. Manager Gary Johnson was sacked a month ago after three years in charge, and Terry Skiverton is acting in a caretaker manager's role. Formwise there is one striking similarity between Yeovil and ourselves - their home form is dire....they have notched up wins against Peterborough, Bradford and Crawley but defeats against Doncaster, M K Dons, Rochdale, Fleetwood, Preston, Colchester and Orient have been largely responsible for their present plight. Current form:

31 Jan Peterborough United (A) Lost 1-0
7 Feb Crawley (H) Won 2-1
10 Feb Crewe Alexandra (A) Lost 1-0
14 Feb Doncaster Rovers (A) Lost 3-0
21 Feb Gillingham (H) Drew 2-2
28 Feb Scunthorpe (A) Drew 1-1

Last Saturday's game at Scunthorpe saw goalkeeper Krysiak substituted because of injury - the reserve keeper saved a penalty 10 minutes later. Yeovil have joint top scorers in the League this season (Moore and Ugwu) with 4 goals apiece. Say no more.

So what can Dean come up with? What chance of a Plan B? With Yeovil's apparent inability to score goals he might be tempted to go for an attacking option on the assumption that our defence should be able to cope - perhaps play two genuine strikers in the role of genuine strikers, rather than sticking one out on the wing. Or how about three strikers?? Sorry, I'm getting carried away now. :shock:

Injury-wise...we know there's no Sam Mantom, and it's perhaps a little worrying that Tom Bradshaw didn't seem to be fully match fit against Leyton Orient (but, then again, who was?). Our away form should see us win this one, and I'll go for a 0-2 win, with Jordy Hiwula and a fit Tom Bradshaw getting a goal each.

[paddy]

A nervy 1-0 win for us, sawyers with the goal. The win will give Smith some breathing space till the next home game

If we do lose this one, be interesting what excuse Smith will use :lol:

[SoccerHQ]

Isn't their sub keeper about 45?

Don't think the record way down there is too bad so to me this should be a 1-2 win otherwise yes some of the rumblings about Smith will begin to be justified.

[aaaae]

[UTS mode]No point even turning up while we have Smith in charge, just give them the points and save the petrol.[/UTS mode]

[Walsallone]

With our record against the poorer teams I would take nothing for granted. A nervy 1-1 for me.

[clawtheolder]

I'll take a 1-1 after Saturdays performance.

[PT]

They will see this as an absolute "must win" which should suit us.

Downing back to provide a bit of stability and a 2-0 Walsall win getting that play-off push back on track.

Obviously, I caveat my prediction on the understanding that any of the following could jeopardise its accuracy:-

- the ref
- the pitch
- our fans being sarcastic - so if you are spending a lot of precious time and hard earned cash on following the lads please keep the sarcasm to a minimum. If we go behind, play poorly and you need to vent keep it to just a hint of subtle irony please.
- "playing in the wrong half" - which to be honest is just careless, even when the pitch markings weren't clear in the snow against Swindon you could make a pretty good guess at which was our half. Maybe it's time to being back flags on the halfway line!
- the weather
- a mis-alignment of the stars meaning that their Scorpio with Moon rising centre half was always going to have a better game than our Pisces with sun-setting centre forward.
- It's a long way and we're tired/too many games.
- miscellenious dark forces/dark arts that we need to get better at.

We'd be really unfortunate for our resolute and determined lads to be knocked off track by any of that so my 2-0 looks pretty safe to be honest. UTS

[Ancient Moaner]

Hard defeat to predict this one....Play crab like as we did against Preston, we stand no chance,
play like we did on Saturday and we stand no chance.
Therefore it's got to be a 1-1 draw, thanks to another Hiwula strike, that might, might keep Deano in a job?

[saddla]

Hard defeat to predict this one....Play crab like as we did against Preston, we stand no chance,
play like we did on Saturday and we stand no chance.
Therefore it's got to be a 1-1 draw, thanks to another Hiwula strike, that might, might keep Deano in a job?

Do you honestly believe that Bonser will sack Dean Smith at any point this season? We would have to go on an absolutely terrible run and lose maybe 10 on the bounce before Jeff would even consider it.
If the team keeps on with current form he will be with us at least until mid way through next season.

[tinned]

They will see this as an absolute "must win" which should suit us.

Downing back to provide a bit of stability and a 2-0 Walsall win getting that play-off push back on track.

Obviously, I caveat my prediction on the understanding that any of the following could jeopardise its accuracy:-

- the ref
- the pitch
- our fans being sarcastic - so if you are spending a lot of precious time and hard earned cash on following the lads please keep the sarcasm to a minimum. If we go behind, play poorly and you need to vent keep it to just a hint of subtle irony please.
- "playing in the wrong half" - which to be honest is just careless, even when the pitch markings weren't clear in the snow against Swindon you could make a pretty good guess at which was our half. Maybe it's time to being back flags on the halfway line!
- the weather
- a mis-alignment of the stars meaning that their Scorpio with Moon rising centre half was always going to have a better game than our Pisces with sun-setting centre forward.
- It's a long way and we're tired/too many games.
- miscellenious dark forces/dark arts that we need to get better at.

We'd be really unfortunate for our resolute and determined lads to be knocked off track by any of that so my 2-0 looks pretty safe to be honest. UTS

Superb post!

I was just about to post something along similar lines but could not get anywhere near your effort :mrgreen:

[tinned]

If the team keeps on with current form he will be with us at least until mid way through next season.

Which is possibly the most depressing thought. Basically another full season of mind-numbing, pedestrian, crab-like football with the occasional half-decent(ish) run of form to keep things as they are.

[sandysaddler]

They will see this as an absolute "must win" which should suit us.

Downing back to provide a bit of stability and a 2-0 Walsall win getting that play-off push back on track.

Obviously, I caveat my prediction on the understanding that any of the following could jeopardise its accuracy:-

- the ref
- the pitch
- our fans being sarcastic - so if you are spending a lot of precious time and hard earned cash on following the lads please keep the sarcasm to a minimum. If we go behind, play poorly and you need to vent keep it to just a hint of subtle irony please.
- "playing in the wrong half" - which to be honest is just careless, even when the pitch markings weren't clear in the snow against Swindon you could make a pretty good guess at which was our half. Maybe it's time to being back flags on the halfway line!
- the weather
- a mis-alignment of the stars meaning that their Scorpio with Moon rising centre half was always going to have a better game than our Pisces with sun-setting centre forward.
- It's a long way and we're tired/too many games.
- miscellenious dark forces/dark arts that we need to get better at.

We'd be really unfortunate for our resolute and determined lads to be knocked off track by any of that so my 2-0 looks pretty safe to be honest. UTS

:lol: brilliant

huge game for both of us, if we let another struggling physical team out-muscle us again there will be only one outcome, if that is the case then you really have to doubt if this group of players have the stomach for a relegation fight. I hope we turn this run of form round because on the whole i am enjoying my football these days.

[reedswood sadler]

excellent post by PT agree with everything except score, team bottom of league, poorer home record than us, cant score 0 1 defeat,

[Darth Vader]

Fair play to anyone going, what an arsehole fixture on a Tuesday night.

[BathSaddler]

A 1-0 away defeat - I just can't see us getting out of this rut at the moment - and shades of Crawley away, but without that amount of attacking/chances missed.

Yeovil are bottom but they are picking up points on a regular basis. Conversely, we do far much better away to Yeovil than we do at home [but then, that's probably half the division at the moment :? ].

I hope for the best but expect the worst.

[Welsh_Saddler]

Yeovil's goalkeeper crisis has been temporarily solved by taking Scott Loach on loan from Rotherham. This brings the number of loan players in the squad to 7, so two of them will miss out because no club can play more than five loanees in a game.

[<Nat>]

They will see this as an absolute "must win" which should suit us.

Downing back to provide a bit of stability and a 2-0 Walsall win getting that play-off push back on track.

Obviously, I caveat my prediction on the understanding that any of the following could jeopardise its accuracy:-

- the ref
- the pitch
- our fans being sarcastic - so if you are spending a lot of precious time and hard earned cash on following the lads please keep the sarcasm to a minimum. If we go behind, play poorly and you need to vent keep it to just a hint of subtle irony please.
- "playing in the wrong half" - which to be honest is just careless, even when the pitch markings weren't clear in the snow against Swindon you could make a pretty good guess at which was our half. Maybe it's time to being back flags on the halfway line!
- the weather
- a mis-alignment of the stars meaning that their Scorpio with Moon rising centre half was always going to have a better game than our Pisces with sun-setting centre forward.
- It's a long way and we're tired/too many games.
- miscellenious dark forces/dark arts that we need to get better at.

We'd be really unfortunate for our resolute and determined lads to be knocked off track by any of that so my 2-0 looks pretty safe to be honest. UTS

... :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

[portlandbill]

Am intending to go but are tickets available on the night? Nothing on the Walsall website! Yes I know we are going to Wembley. Yes I have a ticket! Why can't the club put info about a league game? Actually much more important than a day in 'The Smoke'.
Yeovil website says check with your own club.

[Welsh_Saddler]

Am intending to go but are tickets available on the night? Nothing on the Walsall website! Yes I know we are going to Wembley. Yes I have a ticket! Why can't the club put info about a league game? Actually much more important than a day in 'The Smoke'.
Yeovil website says check with your own club.

The Yeovil website also says that Yeovil Town FC may sell tickets to away supporters on the match day (subject to availability). I can't see them turning down good money...... :?

[windowman]

always paid on the day when ive been to yeovil, 1st game of the season a few years back we didnt get there till kick off becauce off traffic, and they had run out of food, pissed down all game in 1st week of august lol

[Welsh_Saddler]

If I do go (sweating on a "permission" at present) I have to remember to take cash for one of their MOSSIVE pasties.....a bit overpriced at £3 last time, but well worth it!!

[saddla]

Am intending to go but are tickets available on the night? Nothing on the Walsall website! Yes I know we are going to Wembley. Yes I have a ticket! Why can't the club put info about a league game? Actually much more important than a day in 'The Smoke'.
Yeovil website says check with your own club.

From the Saddlers OS:

Yeovil Town v Walsall - Tuesday, March 3rd (kick-off 7.45pm)

This game is NOT all-ticket. We have been sent an allocation for advance sale at the following prices:

Adults £23 (pre-match phone/walk-up), £20 (pre-match online), Seniors £19 (pre-match phone/walk-up), £16 (pre-match online), Young person aged 16-21 £16 (pre-match phone/walk-up), £13 (pre-match online), Junior under-16 £8.00 (pre-match phone/walk-up), £8 (pre-match online), Disabled £19 (pre-match phone/walk-up), not available online.

Disabled supporters are entitled to a carer free of charge.

The above prices will increase by £2 on matchday, with the exception of juniors. The £2 increase is based on pre-match phone/walk-up prices. Tickets will be on advance sale from the Banks's Stadium Ticket Office until 4.30pm on Monday, March 3rd.
Read more at http://www.saddlers.co.uk/tickets/ticke ... rpkA5bx.99

[BathSaddler]

Fair play to anyone going, what an arsehole fixture on a Tuesday night.

Agreed. Even though I live in Bath midweek trips to Yeovil are a nightmare if you have to rely on public transport. For example, the last train back from Yeovil Pen Mill is just after 9pm. Besides, the railway station is nowhere near the football ground. It must be one of the worst grounds to get to in the country.

I'll have to follow it on here tonight instead :( .

[ws9swift]

#WALSALL XI: O'Donnell; Purkiss, J.Chambers, Downing, Taylor; A.Chambers, Flanagan; Hiwula, Sawyers, Baxendale; Bradshaw


#WALSALL SUBS: MacGillivray; Preston, O'Connor; Cain, Kinsella, Grimes, Bakayoko

[saddla]

No Cook or Forde :!: and Flanagan preferred to Cain :?:

We're doomed, ye hear we're doomed, DOOMED :(

[BathSaddler]

An 'interesting' line up. Let's see how it goes.

UTS

[paddy]

Would've took a 1-0 win but based on that side, fearing the worst.

2 wingers missing, yet no wingers in the squad :roll:

[Ancient Moaner]

No Cook or Forde :!: and Flanagan preferred to Cain :?:

We're doomed, ye hear we're doomed, DOOMED :(

Looks as if Deano has written off the league for this year, testing out new approaches (a plan B perhaps?) and bringing in new faces to the team, possibly to see who will be retained for next season......however, we have to get near 50 points or thereabouts to cement our 3rd Division status....still on 41 possibly 42 points after tonight methinks.......... see O'Connor & Cain first skapegoats so far.

[<Nat>]

Mr Flanagan is starting... didn't see what he brought as a sub last time

[m&m]

Is Smith trying to be sarcastic with that line up?
No wingers tonight then.different!