Walsall will play their third game in seven days when they take on Scunthorpe United at the Banks’s Stadium on Saturday.
The Saddlers will be looking to make it back to back wins following their success at Morecambe on Tuesday.
Darrell Clarke’s men will be aiming to secure their first victory at the Banks’s this campaign against a Scunthorpe side who have had a difficult start to the season following relegation from League One.
HEAD TO HEAD
Walsall and Scunthorpe have met 50 times overall.
The Iron have been victorious on 18 occasions while the Saddlers have won 15 of the meetings.
PREVIOUS MEETING
Walsall 1-2 Scunthorpe – Saturday 12th January 2019
The teams last met in January last season at the Banks’s Stadium.
Scunthorpe took the lead through Funso Ojo after 12 minutes.
Nicky Devlin equalised on 53 minutes but the visitors won it through Novak who netted with just over 20 minutes to go.
FORM GUIDE
Walsall secured their first win since the opening day against Morecambe and have now picked up four points from their last three games.
Scunthorpe have taken four points from their last two games and appeared to have turned the corner after a terrible start saw them lose six of their opening seven league games.
TEAM NEWS
Kory Roberts featured in a behind closed doors game against Aston Villa last week but is still not quite ready.
As for Scunthorpe, Jamie Proctor has been labelled a doubt while former Saddlers captain Andy Butler will not face his old club as he has an ankle injury. The game will come too soon for striker Lee Novak.
Andy Dales and Levi Sutton are both unavailable.
FROM THE DUGOUT
Darrell Clarke: "We'll see how things go, there's a long way to call it a turning point, we're a long way off where I want us and where we're going to be aiming as a football club and I knew that was going to be the case - there's certainly no turning point yet, we have to focus on the next game and see where we are after that.”
Paul Hurst: “We’re looking forward to the game, particularly on the back of two good performances. We go with optimism to a team who also had a good result in midweek, and can hopefully get that first away league win.”
PLAYED FOR BOTH
There are a number of players who have played for both clubs.
Defender Andy Butler has had a two spells at Glanford Park and at the Banks’s. He played over 150 times in his first spell with the Iron between 2002 and 2008.
He returned there this summer and has been made captain.
Butler was a popular figure at the Banks’s between 2010 and 2014. He left for Sheffield United but quickly returned for a short loan spell.
Sam Mantom has also represented both clubs. The midfielder helped the Saddlers reach the League One play-offs in 2016 and the EFL Trophy final in 2015. He left the Banks’s in 2016 to join Scunthorpe where he enjoyed a two year spell.
Anthony Forde, Isaiah Osbourne, Scott Laird and Kevan Hurst have also featured for both sides during their careers.
Tickets
Tickets can be purchased by calling the ticket office Call 01922 651 414/416 or online.
Fans can also pay on the day.