Two sides struggling for form in League Two go head to head this weekend, as County take on Walsall at Edgeley Park looking for a win that would move us above The Saddlers in the league table.
Despite holding a deserved half-time lead at promotion chasing Northampton last weekend, a second-half turnaround from the home side left County with just one win in our last ten games in all competitions, as we dropped to 17th in the table.
We now sit three points above Rochdale, who currently occupy the final relegation spot, and ten points behind next weekend’s opponents Bradford City in the play-off places.
Walsall were themselves beaten last weekend at home to Tranmere Rovers, as a 96th minute winner from Elliott Nevitt left them winless in their last 11 games. They currently sit one point above County in 15th place, with nine points from their opening ten games of the season.
Coming to the game on Saturday? Click here to view our Fan Information pack, containing all you need to know ahead of your visit to Edgeley Park.
Our Opponents:
Last season was Walsall’s third in League Two since relegation to the fourth tier in 2019 and their first under new manager Matty Taylor, the former Bolton and Portsmouth midfielder leaving Tottenham U18s to take charge at the Poundland Bescot Stadium.
His reign however would last only 36 games; just nine wins in that time and a run of seven straight defeats seeing him relieved of his duties in February with the side just four points above the relegation zone.
His replacement was former Newport County boss Mike Flynn, who has signed a deal until 2024. Flynn spent four years in charge of Newport where he transformed the fortunes of the Club, taking over with the side 11 points adrift of safety before leading them to survival, and later two play-off finals.
He had a similarly positive effect at the back end of last season as he guided the Saddlers towards safety, eventually finishing in 16th place – 16 points clear of the drop zone.
Securing another season in League Two paved the way for new investment over the Summer, with Alabama-based company Trivela Group LLC taking charge of the Club – the new American owners setting out a long-term vision of returning the Club to the Championship for the first time since 2004.
Three straight wins in league and cup, all without conceding a single goal, was the perfect start to their reign in charge, which included a 4-0 thrashing of Hartlepool United on the opening day of the season and a 1-0 win away at Flynn’s former Club, Newport.
Since then, however, the Midlands side are winless in 11 games in all competitions, losing eight and drawing three. Like County, all their defeats have been by just a solitary goal, but it is a run that has severely dampened pre-season expectations of a promotion push.
Both sides will likely view this game as a good opportunity to get back to winning ways and will hope a positive result can provide a platform to start climbing the league table.
One to watch:
Signed on loan from Mansfield Town in the Summer, striker Danny Johnson got his Walsall career off to the perfect start on the opening day with a hat-trick against Hartlepool at the Poundland Bescot Stadium.
Despite his sides recent struggles, the 29-year-old has since hit a further five goals in all competitions, taking his tally to eight goals in his first 14 games for the Club – already one more than he managed all of last season for Mansfield.
He is currently without a goal in his last four games in League Two, a record he will be looking to put right at Edgeley Park this weekend.
Match Stats:
- This will be the first meeting between the two sides since April 2010, when a Jabo Ibehre penalty secured a 1-1 draw for County. We haven’t beaten the Saddlers since 2007, when Anthony Elding’s goal secured a 1-0 win against the then League Two leaders.
- County have conceded just one goal in their last four league games at Edgeley Park – scored by Frazer Blake-Tracy in a 1-1 draw with Swindon Town.
