Walsall Football Club

The Saddlers host the Shakers at the Banks's this afternoon...

OVERVIEW:
League One leaders Walsall are targeting a fifth consecutive league victory this weekend. The Saddlers were knocked out of the JPT against Morecambe on Tuesday, and Dean Smith, the League One Manager of the Month, will be hoping for a positive reaction. The 17th-placed Shakers, meanwhile, are winless this season but have been Walsall’s bogey side in recent years.

LAST FIVE LEAGUE MATCHES: (Most recent match first)
Walsall: WWWWD
Bury: DDLDD

LAST TIME OUT:
Tuesday, 1st September – Morecambe 2-0 Walsall – Johnstone’s Paint Trophy first round
Superb second-half strikes from Jamie Devitt and Tom Barkhuizen condemned Walsall to defeat – our first of the season – against League Two Morecambe.
Team: MacGillivray, Kinsella, O’Connor, Preston, Taylor, Chambers, Morris (Forde 66’), Mantom, Baxendale (Sawyers 65’), Lalkovic (Cook 65’), Bradshaw. Subs not used: Downing, Jezeph.

Tuesday, 1st September – Accrington 1-2 Bury – Johnstone’s Paint Trophy first round
Goals from Hallam Hope and Andrew Tutte booked the Shakers’ place in round two. Gerardo Bruna replied for League Two Stanley, who spurned the opportunity to force a penalty shoot-out when Sean McConville blazed a stoppage-time spot-kick over the bar.
Team: Lainton, Riley, Cameron, Foulds, Hussey, Pugh (Brown 45’), Mayor (Pope 45’), Tutte (Soares 76’), Mellis, Jones, Hope. Subs not used: Lowe, Ruddy.

HEAD-TO-HEAD RECORD:
Walsall wins: 17
Bury wins: 22
Draws: 12

LAST MEETING:
Saturday, 20th April 2013 – Walsall 1-1 Bury
Efe Sodje’s injury-time equaliser gave already-relegated Bury a 1-1 draw in League One. Febian Brandy scored the Saddlers’ first-half opener.

BURY MANAGER:
David Flitcroft – The 41-year-old guided Bury to promotion from League Two last season. Flitcroft, the younger brother of ex-Blackburn midfielder Gary, played for the Shakers between 2004 and 2006. He was also manager of Barnsley for 11 months.

BURY STAR MAN:
Tom Pope – A summer signing from Port Vale, the 30-year-old has scored two goals for Bury so far this season. Pope, who was on target twice against Walsall last term, helped the Valiants win promotion from League Two in 2012/13. He has previously played for Crewe and Rotherham.

VIEW FROM THE BURY CAMP:
David Flitcroft (on the 2-1 victory over Accrington) – "I'm delighted with the lads' attitude to come here in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy and really put a professional performance in. I'm disappointed we haven't kept a clean sheet, but the positives we can draw out of the game are pleasing."

TEAM NEWS:
Walsall: No injury concerns. Neil Etheridge and Jason Demetriou are away on international duty.
Bury: Kelvin Etuhu, Keil O'Brien and Leon Clarke are injured. Danny Nardiello is expected to miss out.

REFEREE:
Fred Graham (Essex)

STAT OF THE DAY:
Walsall have not beaten Bury in nine years – a run stretching back six matches.

THIS AFTERNOON’S LEAGUE ONE FIXTURES: (3.00pm unless stated)
Southend vs. Peterborough (12.05pm)
Barnsley vs. Shrewsbury
Chesterfield vs. Wigan
Crewe vs. Swindon
Fleetwood vs. Rochdale
Gillingham vs. Doncaster
Oldham vs. Bradford
Scunthorpe vs. Blackpool