Walsall Football Club

Third hosts first in tomorrow's West Midlands derby...

OVERVIEW:
Third hosts first at the Banks’s Stadium this weekend. Walsall have won three consecutive matches in all competitions – all away from home – and will leapfrog the Sky Blues with a win. Visitors Coventry boast the division’s only 100% record with three wins from three. They will stay top of League One with victory.

LAST FIVE LEAGUE MATCHES: (Most recent match first)
Walsall: WWDLW
Coventry: WWWWD

LAST TIME OUT:
Tuesday, 18th August - Rochdale 1-2 Walsall
Two goals in five second-half minutes from Andy Taylor and Sam Mantom gave the Saddlers a third successive away win in all competitions. Calvin Andrew scored Rochdale’s consolation late on.
Team: Etheridge, Demetriou, Taylor (Henry 74’), O’Connor, Downing, Chambers, Mantom, Bradshaw, Lalkovic (Sawyers 67’), Flanagan (Forde 67’), Morris. Subs not used: Baxendale, McGillivray, Preston, Cook.

Tuesday, 18th August - Coventry 3-2 Crewe
Jim O’Brien’s late winner maintained Coventry’s 100% start to the season at home to Crewe. John Fleck and Adam Armstrong also netted for the Sky Blues, who were twice pegged back by the visitors.
Team: Burge, Willis, Ricketts, Johnson, Stokes, Vincelot, Fleck, Lameiras, (Murphy 60’), Maddison (Tudgay 84’), O’Brien (Morris 90’), Armstrong. Subs not used: Phillips, Martin, Charles-Cook, G Thomas.

COVENTRY MANAGER:
Tony Mowbray - The 51-year-old was appointed as Coventry manager in March 2015 on a short-team deal. After guiding the Sky Blues to League One safety and a 17th-placed finish in 2014/15, Mowbray signed a new two-year contract to remain at the Ricoh Arena. He has previously managed Middlesbrough, Celtic, Hibernian and West Brom, where he won the Championship title in 2007/08.

COVENTRY STAR MAN:
Adam Armstrong - On loan from Newcastle, the 18-year-old forward is League One’s top scorer after netting five times in three matches. He scored Coventry’s second goal in the midweek victory against Crewe, and bagged braces in the wins over Wigan (2-0) and Millwall (4-0). The England U18 international has made 15 Premier League appearances for his parent club, Newcastle.

VIEW FROM THE COVENTRY CAMP:
Tony Mowbray (on playing Walsall – via Coventry Telegraph): “If they beat us they go above us so that shows how decent a start they have had. They are playing well, won three away games on the bounce so they are on top of their game. Dean has been changing his formation and tinkering with his shape so they are a team that can play different ways but we are going there full of confidence.”

TEAM NEWS:
Walsall: Andy Taylor, who was withdrawn in the midweek win at Rochdale, is expected to be fit. No new injury concerns.
Coventry: No fresh injury concerns.

REFEREE:
Jeremy Simpson (from Lancashire)

STAT OF THE DAY:
Walsall have won one of their last 12 competitive matches against Coventry.

LEAGUE ONE FIXTURES:
Barnsley vs. Bradford
Burton vs. Peterborough
Chesterfield vs. Rochdale
Crewe vs. Bury
Fleetwood vs. Colchester
Gillingham vs. Wigan
Oldham vs. Shrewsbury
Port Vale vs. Doncaster
Scunthorpe vs. Millwall
Sheff Utd vs. Blackpool
Southend vs. Swindon