Walsall FC v Colchester United

Match Preview by Dave Burch

Saturday 11 February 2012

Kick Off: 15:00

Bescot Stadium, Walsall
NPower League 1

 Colchester take to their travels after a week without football following the postponement of last weekends fixture with Sheffield United. The U’s won last time out on their travels and will be looking for the same against struggling Walsall.

The Saddlers survived by the skin of their teeth last season and are currently sitting in 21st place in the league. They desperately need the points and an inconsistent Colchester side could be just the tonic for the Midlands side to launch a second great escape.

With the weather not improving from last week there will be a pitch inspection at 12:00 on Friday afternoon to determine whether the match will go ahead.

The Season So Far – Walsall

League Campaign

Walsall began their league campaign against last seasons high fliers Leyton Orient. Adam Chambers marked his debut for the Saddlers against his former employers with a 30 yard rocket, which was the only goal of the game handing the Midlands side the perfect start of the season. The next game saw Walsall make the journey to the North East of the country to face Hartlepool United. The Saddlers were handed a dream start as they were awarded their first penalty in just under 2 years in the 3rd minute, which was scored by Jon Macken. The lead lasted just 3 minutes as a long punt forward was met by Colin Nish to equal the scores. Referee Paul Tierney was in the thick of things just before half time dismissing Andy Butler (which was rescinded on appeal) and Nathan Luscombe. The game ended a draw with the visitors maintaining a positive start of the season. That positive start was ended a few days later as the Saddlers travelled to Bramall Lane to face Sheffield United. Walsall almost pulled off a remarkable shock against the recently relegated side, as Kevan Hurst scored just after half time against his former club. Will Grigg added to that minutes later, however a comeback from the Blades saw them score 3 goals to inflict Walsall’s first defeat of the season. Yeovil travelled to the Bescot for the next league match and the Saddlers claimed an early lead with Jon Macken netting a 17th minute opener. The Glovers equalised just before half time through Gavin Williams, which proved to be the last goal of the game with the sides sharing the spoils. A journey to the South Coast was next for Dean Smith’s side as Bournemouth’s miserable start to the season continued as Ryan Jarvis scored a double to earn the visitors all three points. It was a bright start to the season for the Saddlers who finished the first month in 10th place.

September proved to be a disastrous month for the Midlands side as they took just one point from five games. They started the month against Brentford at the Banks’s Stadium. The Bees ran out winners through a solitary Clayton Donaldson goal. Another defeat followed at Meadow Lane as the Saddlers fell to a 2-1 victory against Notts County and a third consecutive defeat followed 3 days later as Oldham visited Walsall and claimed a 1-0 victory. A second home game of the week saw lowly Scunthorpe visit the Midlands. The Saddlers looked set for all three points until a Jimmy Ryan strike, four minutes into injury time levelled the scores for the visitors. It was a cruel blow for Walsall but the draw stopped the run of defeats. A long trip to Colchester was the next fixture and a 1-0 defeat thanks to an Anthony Wordsworth penalty secured all the points for the Essex side and leaving the Saddlers in 17th place at the end of the month.

October proved to be a topsy-turvy month for Walsall, which began a 1-1 home draw against Carlisle. A trip to Wycombe was up next for Dean Smith’s side and a late goal from Alex Nicholls claimed a second consecutive point for the Saddlers. The biggest crowd of the season so far turned up to watch the Saddlers inflict defeat on recently relegated Preston North End, with Alex Nicholls scoring the only goal to send the fans home happy. A tough trip to Birkenhead followed as the Saddlers recent run of form was ended by Tranmere as a Mustafa Tiriyaki goal 10 minutes from time handed the Prenton Park side a 2-1 victory. Exeter City travelled to the Banks’s Stadium for the next match and they also inflicted a defeat on the Midlanders thanks to a brace from Daniel Nardiello sandwiching an Alex Nicholls strike. A tough home match against MK Dons saw the Saddlers lose their third game in a row as the Franchise came away 0-2 winners with Lee Beevers having to keep goal after Jimmy Walker saw red in the first half. Despite a promising start to the month, Walsall ended October in 20th place.

A tough start to November saw Walsall travel to Huddersfield and it looked ominous for the Saddlers when Lee Novak put Terriers ahead in the 67th minute. Youngster Jamie Paterson bagged his first professional goal 10 minutes later to send Walsall home with a very credible point. They were unable to capitalise on the draw at home to Bury in the next league fixture as a second half collapse saw them concede three goals and the Shakers ran out comfortable 2-4 winners. Another difficult away trip saw Walsall travel to League One surprise package Stevenage. Neither side were able to score and the points were shared. Despite only losing once and picking up two points, the Saddlers fell one place to 21st.

Top of the table Charlton visited the Banks’s Stadium for the first home match in December. Jon Macken fired the Saddlers into a surprise 36th minute lead, however it was not to last long as Yann Kermorgant headed powerfully past Walker on the stroke of half time. The second half remained goalless and the points were shared. A first ever trip to Chesterfield’s B2 Net stadium saw the Saddlers take the lead on the half hour mark through Alex Nicholls. Walsall looked to be heading home with a useful three points, however a last-minute goal from Jack Lester levelled the scores to frustrate the visitors. The annual Boxing Day fixture saw Sheffield Wednesday visit the Midlands and a dramatic end to the game saw the Saddlers earn themselves all three points. Ryan Lowe scored for the Owls on the hour mark to put the Sheffield side ahead but a late, late show saw Claude Gnapka strike a speculative injury time goal. A deserved victory was secured in the 4th minute of injury time as Manny Smith connected with a Mat Sadler free kick to give the fans a late Xmas present in front of the new biggest home gate of the season. The last game of 2011 saw Rochdale visit the Banks’s Stadium. Neither side were able to break the deadlock, earning both sides a point. The draw saw the Saddlers move up the table and end the year in 18th place.

2012 started with an away fixture at Bury and the Shakers completed a league double over Dean Smith’s men with a 2-1 victory. Bournemouth were the first team to visit Walsall in the New Year and the Saddlers looked like completing a league double of their own as Jon Macken and Andy Butler put the home side into a deserved half time lead. The Cherries were given a lifeline midway through the second half as Lee Beevers conceded a penalty and Michael Symes converted. The unlikely comeback was complete deep into injury time as the U’s nemesis Steve Fletcher planted a firm header past the despairing dive of Jimmy Walker. The next fixture at Griffin Park saw Jimmy Walker enter the record books of Walsall as he broke the clubs appearance record playing his 530th game in all competitions for the Saddlers. The veteran ‘keeper kept a clean sheet as the Midlands side claimed a valuable point. A second consecutive away trip saw Walsall travel to Cumbria to take on Carlisle. Lee Miller gave the Cumbrians an early lead, but a late penalty from Alex Nicholls saw the points shared. Walsall returned to home turf in their last match in January with Notts County travelling to the Banks’s Stadium and taking home all three points thanks to a third minute Lee Hughes goal. Walsall were set to face Scunthorpe last weekend but like most games in the country the frozen conditions saw the game postponed.

League Cup

Walsall’s venture in the Carling Cup ended at the first hurdle with Championship side Middlesbrough running out comfortable 0-3 winners thanks to a Marvin Emnes hat-trick at the Banks’s Stadium. A defensive mix up gifted Emnes his first goal in the 17th minute. 20 minutes later it the in-form forward volleyed home Justin Hoyte’s cross to give the Teesiders a comfortable half time lead. Kevan Hurst’s mis-timed challenge in the penalty area gave the Dutchman the chance of his treble, which he grabbed without hesitation.

JPT

Walsall entertained League Two side Shrewsbury in the first round of the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy. The hosts recorded a 2-1 victory with two first half goals from Jarvis and Nicholls enough to secure the Saddlers progress. The Shrews reduced the deficit early in the second half as an effort deflected off the unfortunate Andy Butler and into the net. An end to end half saw both sides have chances to score, however no more goals were forthcoming and Walsall went through to the second round.

The second round draw saw Walsall handed an away trip to Rochdale. The Dale took the lead early in the second half through Peterborough loan signing David Ball. His strike was cancelled out 15 minutes later as Kevan Hurst latched onto David Martin’s cross, which took the tie to penalties. Richard Taundry and Hurst missed the first two penalties with Ball and Grimes scoring the first two for the Dale. Alex Nicholls stepped up to score the third penalty to keep the Saddlers in it, but Jason Kennedy’s penalty made progress look extremely unlikely. Walsall’s fate was confirmed with Ryan Jarvis’ miss completing a miserable night for the Midlands side.

FA Cup

The Saddlers were drawn against fellow League 1 side Exeter, travelling to Devon in the first round of this years FA Cup. The Saddlers took a 21 minute lead thanks to Doncaster loan midfielder Mark Wilson curling home a free kick. The Saddlers looked like they had weathered the storm at the real St. James Park until a speculative David Noble strike from range, the last kick of the game, meant the two sides would need to replay the tie at the Banks’s Stadium.

An entertaining affair saw the visitors take the lead just before half time through Richard Logan. Two goals in five minutes from Jon Macken and Alex Nicholls gave the Saddlers the lead, however Exeter substitute Elliott Frear’s deflected effort meant that the sides would have to slug it out into extra time. Youngster George Bowerman gave the Saddlers the advantage in the 98th minute after rounding the Grecians ‘keeper and calmly slotting home. It was a game winning goal handing the Saddlers a second round away trip to lowly League 2 side Dagenham and Redbridge.

The Saddlers toiled at the L B Barking and Dagenham Stadium and only really came into the tie in the second half. Walsall grabbed a 77th minute opener through Claude Gnapka’s headed effort, however they were pegged back four minutes later as Jon Nurse curled home an effort and matters were worsened in the last-minute of injury time as Jarvis was red carded for an elbow on an opponent. The scores remained level meaning the Saddlers required another replay in order to progress.

A home tie against Millwall awaited the winners of the second round replay in front of the lowest crowd of the season. It was to be a drab encounter as both sides struggled to find any tempo. With neither side able to open the scoring in normal time, the tie went into extra time. An uneventful period of extra time saw the time remain goalless meaning penalties were required to decide the outcome. Jon Macken stepped up first and calmly slotted the ball home and the Daggers Michael Spillane followed suit. Alex Nicholls was next to step up, but fired wide to give Dagenham the advantage. Jimmy Walker came to the forward’s rescue by saving Richard Rose’s penalty, but Claude Gnapka saw the third penalty saved and ex U’s youth product Medy Elito kept his cool to put Dagenham in front. Young frontman George Bowerman gave the Saddlers a fighting chance of success as he converted the fourth penalty, but progress looked slim after Brian Woodall smashed his penalty in meaning Lee Beevers needed to score. Beevers saw his spot kick saved by Chris Lewington as the Saddlers lost their second penalty shoot out of the season and crashed out of the Cup.

Stat Attack

Form Guide

Walsall

Last 6 Home	Last 6 Away	Last 6 Combined	GD	Points
LDWDDL	DDDLDD	DLDDDL	-2	4

Colchester

Last 6 Home	Last 6 Away	Last 6 Combined	GD	Points
LWLWDL	LDLWLW	LWLDLW	-4	7

Season Guide

Next up is the Season Guide. I have detailed here the home and away form of both sides so far this season. Also included is the record of both sides against teams from the top half of the table and teams from the bottom half. The other information included is records of both sides from the first and second halves of matches this season.

Season Guide – Walsall – 21st

	Position	Played	Win	Draw	Lose	GF	GA	GD	Points
Home	21st	15	3	6	6	14	19	-5	15
Away	18th	13	1	7	5	12	15	-3	10
v Top Half	18th	17	2	8	7	17	23	-6	14
v Bottom Half	23rd	11	2	5	4	9	11	-2	11
1st Half Record	16th	28	7	13	8	14	15	-1	34
2nd Half Record	23rd	28	3	17	8	12	19	-7	26

Season Guide – Colchester – 1^3th

	Position	Played	Win	Draw	Lose	GF	GA	GD	Points
Home	11th	14	5	5	4	24	25	-1	20
Away	14th	13	4	4	5	13	16	-3	16
v Top Half	20th	12	2	2	8	11	26	-15	8
v Bottom Half	6th	15	7	7	1	26	15	11	28
1st half record	6th	27	12	7	8	21	18	3	43
2nd half record	19th	27	6	12	9	16	23	-7	30

Top Goal Scorers, Assists, Clean Sheets & Other Stats

Walsall

Top Scorers

Player	League	Cup	Total
Macken	5	1	6
Nicholls	5	1	6
Grigg	3	0	3
Butler	3	0	3
Jarvis	2	1	3
5 players with 2 goals. 3 players with 1 goal.

Assists

Player	League	Cup	Total
Taundry	4	0	4
Hurst	4	0	4
Paterson	2	1	3
Sadler	1	1	2
Lancashire	1	1	2
Nicholls	1	1	2
5 players with 1 assist.

Clean Sheets

Home	Away	Total
3	3	6

Goal Times For

Minute	Total
0 – 15	5
15 – 30	5
30 – 45	4
45 – 60	3
60 – 75	1
75 – 90	8
Total Scored = 26

Goal Times Against

Minute	Total
0 – 15	5
15 – 30	3
30 – 45	7
45 – 60	6
60 – 75	6
75 – 90	7
Total Conceded = 34

Averages

	Home	Away	Total
Average Goals Per Match	0.93	0.92	0.93
Average Goals Conceded Per Match	1.27	1.15	1.21
Average Time First Goal Scored	34th Min	50th Min	42nd Min
Average Time First Goal Conceded	37th Min	44th Min	40th Min

Miscellaneous

	Home	Away	Total
Failed to Score	5	3	8
Biggest Victory	1-0	2-0	2-0
Biggest Defeat	0-2	2-3	0-2

Colchester United

Top Scorers

Player	League	Cup	Total
Wordsworth	9	0	9
Henderson	7	1	8
Odejayi	4	1	5
Gillespie	3	1	4
Antonio*	4	0	4
James	1	2	3
Bond	2	1	3
*No Longer with club. 2 Players with 2 goals. 3 Players with 1 goal.

Assists

Player	League	Cup	Total
Wilson	3	1	4
Antonio*	4	0	4
Odejayi	4	0	4
James	1	2	3
*No Longer with club. 7 Players with 2 assists. 1 players with one assist.

Clean Sheets

Home	Away	Total
2	4	6

Goal Times For

Minute	Total
0 – 15	6
15 – 30	7
30 – 45	7
45 – 60	7
60 – 75	8
75 – 90	2
Total Goals For = 37

Goal Times Against

Minute	Total
0 – 15	9
15 – 30	3
30 – 45	6
45 – 60	6
60 – 75	10
75 – 90	7
Total Goals Conceded = 41

Averages

	Home	Away	Total
Average Goals Per Match	1.71	1.00	1.37
Average Goals Conceded Per Match	1.79	1.23	1.52
Average Time First Goal Scored	28th Min	35th Min	31st Min
Average Time First Goal Conceded	34th Min	37th Min	35th Min

Miscellaneous

	Home	Away	Total
Failed to Score	1	5	6
Biggest Victory	4-1	4-2	4-1
Biggest Defeat	1-6	0-3	1-6

Team Talk

A focus on the Saddlers

Here is the lowdown on the key members of the Walsall squad.

Player/Position	Age	Season Appearances	Goals	Yellow/Red Cards
(1) Jimmy Walker Goalkeeper	38	27	0	3/0
Walsall legend - Jimmy Walker. © sundaymercury.net Veteran ‘keeper and Walsall legend, Walker returned to the club in 2010 following the end of his Tottenham contract. He came through the youth ranks at Notts County in 1991, spending two seasons with the club without making an appearance. He joined Walsall in August 1993 and helped guide the side to promotion in 1994/95, 1998/99 and 2000/01 and winning the Player of the Year award twice. He was granted his testimonial in the 03/04 season before leaving for pastures new at the end of the season. He joined West Ham United at the end of his contract and helped the Hammers to promotion back to the Premier League in 2005. A serious knee injury in the play off final kept the experienced ‘keeper out of action for the majority of the next season and Walker finally made his Premiership bow in a 4-2 defeat against Portsmouth in March 2006. The popular goalie only made 2 appearances in the Premiership and picked up an FA Cup winners medal before being third choice at Upton Park. Walker joined Colchester on loan in November 2008 and became a hugely popular figure in his short spell in Essex, however personal terms could not be agreed to keep him at the club permanently. He left West Ham in the summer of 2009 and joined Tottenham as back up. He made his return to the Bescot after his contract ended with Spurs and in his two spells with the club he has made 532 appearances breaking the previous appearance record set by Colin Harrison.
(2) Darryl Westlake Defender	20	18	0	0/0
Young full back who has progressed through the youth ranks with Walsall signing his first professional contract in 2009 after winning the clubs apprentice of the year award. Westlake was thrust into the first team the following season, where he became a sturdy and reliable member of the side, winning the Young player of the Year award. He has made 75 appearances in total and has scored once for the Saddlers.
(3) Mat Sadler Defender	26	34	0	2/1
Birmingham born left back who came through the academy at Birmingham City, signing his first professional deal in 2002.  He played a handful of games for the Blues in his first season as a pro before heading to Northampton on loan in November 2003 to gain first team action. Sadler eventually broke into the side in the 2005/06 season and played over 50 times before heading to Watford for an initial £750,000 fee in January 2008. Sadler struggled to break into the first team with the Hornets and spent time most of his time away from the club on loan at Stockport and Shrewsbury. He was released from Watford last summer and linked up with Walsall shortly afterwards.
(4) Andy Butler Defender	28	30	3	5/2
Butler has never really lived up to his early promise. © saddlers.co.uk Former Scunthorpe trainee and one of my personal favourites on one of the old football manager series, Butler showed immense promise after making his debut for the Iron in 2003. After helping Scunthorpe to promotion to League 1, he became a key figure at the heart of the defence. In 2006 he suffered an injury in pre season, spending time on loan at Grimsby before coming back to reclaim his place in the side and helped the club to another promotion, this time to the Championship. He was unable to help save the club from relegation in 2007/08 and decided to leave the club to join Huddersfield Town on a free transfer. He became a key member of the side in his first season at the Galpharm, but fell out of favour in the second season and went on loan to Blackpool and helping the side to promotion to the Premier League. His Huddersfield contract was torn up in July 2010 and Walsall came in and signed the defender ahead of Rochdale, with Butler winning the Player of the Year award in his first season. He has made 62 appearances in total for the Saddlers and scored 7 goals.
(5) Oliver Lancashire Defender	23	14	0	0/0
Lancashire came through the Southampton youth academy alongside U’s midfielder Lloyd James. He signed his first professional contract in 2008 and lasted just 29 minutes on his first team debut against QPR, seeing red for a rash tackle. He spent 2 seasons with the Saints, spending time on loan at Grimsby before being released in the summer of 2010. He signed for the Saddlers shortly after and has made 48 appearances with the club so far.
(6) Emanuel Smith Defender	23	27	1	5/0
Rock at the back - Manny Smith. © skysports.com Strong centre back Smith has risen through the Saddlers youth system and signed his first professional deal in 2006, captaining the reserve side throughout the campaign. He was sent on loan to Halesowen Town to gain first team football in 2007 before returning to his parent club to make his debut against Oldham late in the season. Smith was brought into the side towards the end of the 2008/09 season, putting in a number of good displays to win him the Young Player of the Year. He has been a near ever-present in the Saddlers side since, making 93 appearances and scoring 7 times.
(7) Adam Chambers Defender/Midfielder	31	29	2	2/1
Chambers - Sturdy midfield man signed from Orient. © expressandstar.com Chambers came through the youth team of West Brom with his twin brother James who plays for Doncaster. He progressed to the fringes of the first team with the Albion making over 60 appearances in four and a half years, before heading to Sheffield Wednesday on loan. Upon his return to the Albion, he mutually terminated his contract and signed briefly for Kidderminster Harriers but was released after making only two appearances. Chambers was struck down by injury for the whole of the 2005/06 season, but he was able to prove his fitness at Leyton Orient, joining the O’s in the summer of 2006 after a 6-week trial. Chambers became a key man in the heart of the Orient midfield winning the Player of the Year in 07/08 and playing over 150 times for the East London club. He was the O’s longest serving player until his release last season, where he signed for Walsall, scoring an absolute screamer on his debut, ironically against Leyton Orient.
(8) Ryan Jarvis Forward	25	24	3	0/1
A former Norwich trainee, the well-travelled striker broke the record for the Canaries youngest ever player after coming off the bench against the Saddlers in April 2003 and he was the youngest ever goalscorer for the Norfolk side too, notching his first goal against Watford in November 2003. He represented England at U16, U17 and U19 level and progressed to the verge first team at Norwich scoring in the Premier League against Liverpool in January 2005. He was allowed to join Colchester United on loan in the latter part of 2005, where he made 6 appearances without scoring. He struggled to make the breakthrough with the Canaries, spending time on loan at Leyton Orient, Kilmarnock and Notts County before leaving on a free transfer and joining Leyton Orient permanently. He made over 50 appearances in two seasons with the O’s and struggled for goals, spending a short-term loan with Northampton before his release last summer. He soon linked up with former Orient colleague Adam Chambers at Walsall, making the majority of his appearances from the bench.
(9) Will Grigg Forward	20	22	3	0/0
Young Northern Ireland international - Will Grigg. © expressandstar.com A Northern Ireland U21 international, Grigg spent his schoolboy career with Birmingham City and Stratford Town before turning professional with the Saddlers in 2009. The talented youngster is said to have a bright future in the game and won the Young Player of the Year award last season after scoring four goals. He has made the majority of his 55 appearances from the bench and has added a further 3 goals this season to take his tally to 7. Grigg signed a new contract with the club last summer to keep him at the Bescot Stadium until 2013.
(10) Jon Macken Forward	34	26	6	2/0
Experienced forward - Jon Macken. - © uk.eurosport.yahoo.com Experienced goal-getter, Macken started his career with Manchester United, turning professional with the Premier League giants in 1996. He failed to make a single appearance for the Red Devils and left the club to join Preston North End the following summer for £250,000. It was at Deepdale where the veteran frontman really cut his teeth making over 150 appearances and scoring 74 goals in all competitions, twice winning the Player of the Year. His goal scoring exploits earned him a move back to Manchester, this time to Maine Road in a £5 million move. Macken struggled to get to grips with his new club, appearing to struggle to live up to his price tag and being hindered by a number of injuries. He joined Crystal Palace in the summer of 2005 for a £1.1 million fee after the South London side’s relegation from the Championship. He struggled to break into the side due to the form of Clinton Morrison and Andrew Johnson. Macken’s lack of games and goals saw him spend time on loan at Ipswich Town until January 2007 and on deadline day in the same year, the striker was allowed to join Premier League side Derby County on a free transfer. It was a disastrous move for Macken, making only 13 appearances before heading to Barnsley, initially on loan before a permanent six-figure fee was agreed in January 2008. The one cap Republic of Ireland man scored 19 goals in just under 100 appearances for the Tykes before being released and linking up with Walsall in 2010. He impressed enough last season to earn a contract extension this summer and has scored 15 goals in 67 appearances so far in his career with the Saddlers.
(11) Kevan Hurst Midfielder	26	21	2	3/0
Left winger Hurst was another summer arrival. © expressandstar.com Chesterfield born winger who started his career with Sheffield United. Hurst made five appearances for the Blades and spent the majority of his early career out on loan. He spent time at Boston United, Stockport, three spells at Chesterfield and Scunthorpe before joining the Iron full-time for £200,000 in May 2007. His fine displays with the Iron helped the club to the Championship, but he was on the move once again in 2009, joining Carlisle United for an initial fee of £100,000. He became a key member of the side, scoring on his debut. He struggled for form in his second season though and joined Morecambe for the rest of the season in January 2011. He was released by the Cumbrians last summer and joined Walsall in June.
(12) Lee Beevers Defender	28	25	0	4/0
Versatile utility man Beevers started his career at Ipswich Town and signed his first professional deal in 2001. He was allowed to leave the club in 2003, trialling at Boston and Colchester before signing for the Pilgrims, firstly on loan and then permanently in the summer. He became a prominent member of the side, with his good form earning him a call up to the Welsh U21 side. With Boston struggling financially, Beevers joined Lincoln City becoming an ever-present member of the Imps squad. He made over 150 appearances with the Sincil Bank side before attracting the attention of Colchester, who he signed for in 2009 on a free transfer. Injuries restricted the defender to making just 26 appearances in two seasons at the Essex side before his release last summer, joining Walsall shortly after.
(14) Richard Taundry Defender/Midfielder	22	33	1	3/0
Heart of the engine room - Richard Taundry. © expressandstar.com Walsall born Taundry has come through the youth team at his hometown club, helping the youth team to a league and cup double. He broke through into the first team in the 2007/08 season becoming a key man in the heart of midfield with his tough tackling and energetic displays. He is a popular member of the Saddlers side and has made 162 appearances and scored 4 goals.
(15) Jamie Paterson Forward	20	21	2	1/0
Paterson spent time with Manchester United and Coventry in his schoolboy career, however he turned professional last season after a number of stand out performances for the reserve side. The speedy youngster is capable of playing on the flank and in attack has played for the Saddlers 36 times and both his goals have come this season against Huddersfield and Bury.
(16) Alex Nicholls Forward	24	34	6	2/0
Joint top scorer - Alex Nicholls. © saddlers.co.uk Nicholls is another product of Walsall’s youth set up, breaking into the first team in the 05/06 season and making his debut in the FA Cup v Yeovil in 2005. He scored his first goal in the LDV Vans Trophy against Swansea, however a broken leg in a youth cup tie ended his season. He was allowed to leave the club on loan upon his return to fitness, joining Burton Albion in 2007. He began to find his feet with Saddlers in the 2008/09 season with a string of impressive performances from the wing. He continued his good form in the next couple of seasons, however he found himself in and out of the side last term, but appears to have returned to form this year, being the Saddlers joint top scorer. Nicholls has played 201 times for Walsall and has scored 26 goals in total.
(19) Anton Peterlin Midfielder	24	26	0	1/0
Peterlin has had an interesting career to date. © expressandstar.com American midfield man, Peterlin started his career in his native USA, playing for San Francisco Seals and Ventura County Fusion in the USL Premier Development League. Former Colchester goalkeeper Graham Smith recommended the midfielder to Everton boss David Moyes and a trial was set up at the end of the 08/09 season, with the midfielder doing enough to earn himself a one-year contract on Merseyside. He never made the first team for the Toffees and was released after one season. He joined Plymouth Argyle in 2010 after a short trial and made a handful of appearances for the Pilgrims, however with the club in deep financial trouble and close to going out of business, Peterlin found himself a free agent at the start of this season. He trialled with the Saddlers last summer and earned himself a one-year contract after impressing Dean Smith.
(21) David Grof Goalkeeper	22	9	0	0/0
Talented young Hungarian Keeper, Grof started his career in Scotland with Hibernian. He never made it at the club and was released early from his contract after an off the pitch indiscretion. He linked up with Notts County in the summer of 2010 joining Tamworth for a spell on loan and later at Mansfield Town. Grof became a terrace favourite with the Stags faithful, producing quality displays as the club made the FA Trophy final, which he was not permitted to play in. He returned to Notts County at the end of the season and despite receiving rave reviews, he was released by the Magpies and joined Walsall on a one-year deal after a short trial.
(25) Florent Cuvelier Midfielder	19	1	0	0/0
Recent signing - Beligum youth international Florent Cuvelier. © expressandstar.com Young Belgian youth international, Cuvelier is a recent arrival to the Bescot Stadium, joining the club on loan from Stoke City. He came through the youth ranks at Mouscron in his native Belgium and was snapped up by Portsmouth in 2009 spending one season with Pompey before declining numerous offers from clubs such as Manchester City and Tottenham to join Stoke. He has been an ever-present in the reserve team for Stoke, however he is yet to make a first team appearance. He joined Walsall on 27thJanuary and made his debut coming off the bench against Notts County last time out.

Previous Meeting

Colchester United 1 – 0 Walsall

Saturday 24 September 2011

Weston Homes Community Stadium

Npower League 1

Attendance: 3,103

 Walsall travelled to Essex back in September and it was a penalty that gave the U’s their second home win of the season so far.

It wasn’t the greatest of football matches with the U’s once again struggling to break down the Saddlers despite having a numerical advantage on the pitch.

Anthony Wordsworth (centre) celebrates his goal. © cu-fc.com

Michail Antonio was the main difference between the two sides. The Reading loan signing was worrying the Midlands outfit with his scintillating pace and it was his burst into the box which drew a foul from Walsall centre back Andy Butler. To make matters worse for the visitors, Butler was the last man meaning the referee had no option other than to produce a red card.

The last man to save a penalty for Colchester was a certain James Walker and he was the man between the sticks as Anthony Wordsworth stepped up to take the spot kick. The Walsall custodian got a firm fist to the ball, but was unable to keep it out of the net as the U’s took the lead.

Colchester had been the better side for most of the half, but the red card just ruined the game as the contest with the visitors packing our their half to avoid damage limitation. The U’s do not have the best of records against ten men and usually struggle against sides who defend in numbers.

Kayode Odejayi was left frustrated by Jimmy Walker. © cu-fc.com

Kayode Odejayi had the best chance to double the U’s lead, but the beasty striker managed to clear the bar from only a couple of yards out. Colchester saw a lot of the ball in the second half, but a stubborn Saddlers defence were holding firm. Odejayi managed to breach the Walsall back line on one occasion but saw the veteran Walker quick off his line to foil the striker as he bore down on goal. The last real chance again came to Odejayi as a sublime cross was met by the powerful frontman and looked destined to hit the back of the net. Jimmy Walker was having none of it though and rolled back the years to make a fabulous one-handed save.

Walker was warmly applauded both at half time and full-time which he looked a bit embarrassed about. He only made 16 appearances for Colchester but it was obvious to see he made an impression with the fans as it is not often the opposition goalkeeper gets a round of applause!

The match was quite a non event, but it was a vital three points to leave the U’s in 14th with 13 points, four ahead of 17th place Walsall.

Head to Head

	Walsall wins	Draws	Colchester wins
League	20	15	22
Total	20	15	22

Team News

Martin Rowlands will go straight into the squad to face the Saddlers. Lloyd James and John-Joe O’Toole are injury doubts for the U’s, whilst Birmingham born winger Ashley Vincent will again miss out. John Ward will need to decide whether to stick with the majority of the side that defeated Leyton Orient a couple of weeks back, with Kayode Odejayi and Steven Gillespie both pushing for a place in the starting line up.

Prediction

Colchester will need to take advantage of Walsall’s poor home form if they are to take any points away from the Bescot Stadium. Colchester haven’t been too bad on their travels this season, but matches against the Saddlers are not always the most entertaining affairs. Last seasons encounter was a drab affair with an Andy Bond header sealing the 3 points for the U’s. The most memorable moment of the match was Darren Byfield’s amazing miss in the last-minute.

The U's defence have coped better since John White was installed at left back. © cu-fc.com

Walsall have struggled for goals recently, whilst Colchester have looked a lot more solid at the back following John White’s return to the starting XI. The U’s are good for a goal on their away travels and I feel midfield is going to be a key area. Walsall have strong and dependable central midfielders whilst the U’s rely on more creative players. I would imagine Kemal Izzet will remain in the side as it is likely to be a bit of a scrap-fest.

I have a feeling either Henderson or Gillespie will be likely to start up front for Colchester as the Saddlers have a couple of monstrous centre halves in Manny Smith and Andy Butler and I feel they will be susceptible to the smaller strikers mobility. Kayode Odejayi is someone I would bring on later in the game to ruffle the feathers of the Walsall pair and use his pace against them as they tire.

I am going to predict a 1-1 draw with Gavin Massey to register his first goal for the U’s and Jon Macken to grab a goal in the second half to equalise.

The Opposition View

1) Walsall completed the “Great Escape” last season to survive relegation. Do you think you will survive this year and what has gone wrong after a bright start this season?

CAW92 - For Smith to come in last season and keep us up was brilliant, especially for a manager with no experience. I think we will survive this season, but only by the skin of our teeth. We have been drawing games for fun recently and been quite hard to beat, even though we arent scoring many, i think we will soon start picking up some home wins. It’s hard to tell what has gone wrong for us, there were such high expectations at the start of the season, but things just didnt turn out as we had hoped they would. We changed a big chunk of our side, which hasnt helped though.

You Reds – I think we will, only by a gnats b0llock, mind. What has gone wrong? Well things weren’t ever that right in my eyes. We’ve had the odd ace performance but overall it’s been very poor and it’s definitely down to the departure of Gray, Ledesma, Richards, ect, from the club, all looked solid players at this level and I don’t think some WFC fans realised that.

TheSaddlers - For me, no. 48 points simply isn’t good enough over the course of a season and had it not been for Plymouth’s financial problems, the penalty that comes with teams entering administration, then we would have been demoted for sure. This season we’re just as bad, if not worse. Towards the end of last season, the players were playing for Smith. This year, we’ve a squad lacking in effort, quality and that bit of luck.

Sadlad - I still would like to think we could survive this season but I believe it will be very close again.After 28 games last season we had one less point but were bottom. Our main fault has been the inability to hang onto a lead Several games we should have gone on to win but got pegged back and lost. Examples being 2-0 up at Sheff United after an hour then losing 2-3 and allowed Chesterfield to gain a draw on 90 mins after we had led for a long time.

French Saddler - I would say 50-50. Problem has been midfield ~ there isn’t one.

Zidane - I wouldnt say it was a bright start, just we were quick out the blocks. August was a good month, then we lacked the spark to create anything. Last season said above, we were indebted to the Plymouth situation, that kept us in the League, will we survive this season? Which teams in the bottom half are on an Administration tightrope? Our points at this stage of the season, last season aside usually means relegation and I think that may be the case.

2) Chairman Jeff Bonser has been a controversial figure with the club over the ownership of the ground. Do you think he is harming the future of Walsall FC, and what are your opinions on him?

Controversial figure - Walsall chairman Jeff Bonser. © saddlers.co.uk

CAW92 - I dont really get too involved with the politics of the club, but from what I understand, the amount of rent the club put into his pockets daily cant be doing us any favours, something I assume would be unsustainable in the long term.

You Reds – Definitely, Jeff’s barely involved with the club and seemed like he couldn’t care less which is obviously shocking from a fans point of view, it’s nice to hear stuff from your chairman regarding the club, funds and such.

I think he’s a giant c*nt in all honesty but, there’s nothing we can do to get rid, he’l be here until he’s died.

TheSaddlers - I tend to concentrate on the football side of things and, as silly as it may sound, the politics disinterest me. I have a basic grasp of what the problem is, of Bonser’s alleged wrongdoings. Of course, the board’s actions – or lack thereof – affect the football. It’s clear that we’ve ‘lost’ a lot of fans over the last few years, though it cannot be proven that Bonser is a critical contributor.

Sadlad - There’s no doubt that without Mr Bonser’s input around 1992 there would not be league football in the town now. He did a lot to stabilise the club when it looked like it may be going bust but this whole business of rent and freehold issues have clouded that good early work and now he is bleeding the club dry. Upset the fans a couple of years ago with freedom of speech issues and won’t be interviewed nor make any statements on the running of the club.

French Saddler - JB, I feel is only interested in JB. He’s done well in business and he saw an opportunity in 92 and took it. Without him then we would not have been here. I just wish that we had a buyer that was interested in taking the club forward.

Zidane – Yeah I think it’s harming the future, it’s draining funds and the lifeblood of support out the club. I really fear for us, I could see us going into L2, BlueSqPrem etc. The place isnt enjoyable to be around, fans arent turning up and neither is the chairman, but the pension fund still takes the rent though. I’d love to know how much rent he has banked over the years. If that money was channeled into the team and getting the stadium back in ownership we’d be in a much stronger place. I really think he has done a lot for us … but now we both need to go our separate ways.

3) Dean Smith guided the side to safety last season and was appointed manager on a full time basis in April. Is it time for him to go? If so, who would you realistically like to come in and change your fortunes?

Mr Nice Guy - Dean Smith. But is it enough? © zimbio.com

CAW92 - Deano seems a nice man, but that will get him nowhere. After last season he has shown what he is capable of, but im unsure he is the man to make the most out of our limited budget over a full season. That said, changing manager every season will get us nowhere, and who is to say that if someone were to come in now, we would stay up anyway, and even progress next season. Give him until the end of the season to try and keep us up, if he does that lets see what he can do next season, with a years extra experience under his belt. But if we go down, I dont think he will be the man to try and get us back up.

You Reds – No it’s not time for him to go, people who say that are complete fools. Give him a full season and see what comes of it, the realistic Walsall fans already knew we’d be around the drop zone throughout the season, still, his tactics and team selections are often appalling but he is a rookie manager after all.

TheSaddlers – Personally, I think Smith’s hands are tied. It’s well-documented that we have one of the smallest budgets in the league and after last season, we were expected to struggle again. At times, he is tactically naive though that’s to be expected with it being his first managerial post. He was our head of youth, so naturally has a good relationship with our youngsters. He would have worked with them closely beforehand, which can only be a good thing. If Smith were to go, who better would we be able to realistically bring in? Every club needs stability.

Sadlad - I don’t think he will be sacked until the end of the season, if at all. Having paid compensation to Jimmy Mullen and Chris Hutchings MrB won’t won’t to fork out again. Dean Smith is a big improvement on Hutchings and did a truely remarkable job to keep Saddlers up last term. Some of his signings, both full time and loan are questionable. I would stick with him myself.

French Saddler - To me he just aint got it but he won’t go cos we cannot afford to pay him off. He was lucky last season.

Zidane – I think it’s so hard for him, a new manager who last season was able to recruit, we achieved what we were looking to. This season he’s had his hands tied I’m sure, and signings have been pretty awful but I don’t think he’d have gone for any of them with a fairer L1 budget. His decisions with team selections, reluctance to make a change is getting quite baffling, we are good at the back but dont score, but creativity costs money so …..?

4) How would you describe your current style of football, and are you happy with it?

CAW92 - Terrible. We look to play it along the floor to begin with, but with lack of movement and ability to find a decent pass to progress up the field, we end up panicking and hitting it long. As I said above though, we have been hard to beat recently, which would suggest that we are pretty difficult to break down as a defensive unit.

You Reds – Do we have one? Too much hoof (which is crazy as our team is full of 4ft dwarfs) and too little movement in the midfield/up top. a lot of the time we pass side to side and get absolutely no where, our corner taker, Taundry, is absolutely awful too and I’m baffled on how he’s still allowed to take them.

TheSaddlers – At times, we actually look like a football team. When we keep it on the floor, we are more than capable of hurting teams in this league. Though, we’re far too hoof-happy and all too predictable on the whole. It’s like rugby; short, sidewards and slightly backwards. We do that across the back four then lump it forward towards our not so big, not so strong strikers to fail. Alternatively, Sadler receives the ball from our goal-kicks before lumping it forward towards our not so… yeah, I think I’ve made my point.

Sadlad - A combination of hoofball and trying to play in the correct manner. Very frustrating. Not much height in the squad and a bit futile lumping the ball up.

French Saddler – Dire

Zidane – Frustrating and no!

5) Who has been your key man this season?

Powerful centre back Manny Smith is most Walsall's fans' key man. © saddlers.co.uk

CAW92 - There hasn’t really been a stand out player for me, Walker has been reliable in the most part, Manny Smith has came back into the side and been pretty solid, Butler likewise. The suprise player for me though this season has been Patterson, he has come into the team as a youngster and been the only player that has been able to offer a bit of creativity. The inconsistency has been one of our downfalls though, most our players have shown what theyre capable of in spells, but not often enough.

You Reds – Manny Smith I’d say, been quality in the CB position this season, back to how he was a few years back when all Saddlers were stroking one off over the lad.

TheSaddlers – Manny Smith. He looked to have lost his way a little under Hutchings, but he’s back to his best at the minute. I like Mat Sadler as well, he’s our 7/10. Every team has, or at least should have, one. He’s unspectacularly solid, hasn’t put much of a foot wrong. Paterson’s our only genuine attacking threat; he can hurt teams, should our system allow him to do so. Walker’s very capable and (generally, MK Dons and Bournemouth? aside) reliable.

Sadlad - For me it has to be Jimmy Walker. Made some terrific saves and kept us in games.

French Saddler - Manny Smith and Matt Sadler. I feel comfortable with Wacker in goal. Will he carry on?

Zidane – Probably Jimmy Walker, he has made such a difference since coming back. We would have dropped last season without him and we have had Jimmy and Clayton Ince of quality behind the sticks and all others who have come in have been pretty instantly forgetable, except for the ones who continue to remind us in our nightmares.

6) The Saddlers were not overly active in the January Transfer Window recently with Claude Gnapka departing and Florent Cuvelier joining on loan. Were you disappointed with how the window went? If so, where would you have strengthened?

Claude Gnapka's release topped off their disappointment in the transfer window. © saddlers.co.uk

CAW92 - Very dissapointing, We arent particularly short in any areas, although there areas we lack quality, a creative midfielder and a stiker. Hopefully Cuvelier will offer the creative midfield option, but we will need him for longer than a month. Many people said Gnakpa should have been given a chance as a striker, and I was dissapointed to see him go, he was our only player to offer something different and give an option from the air. He wasnt really given enough of a chance.

You Reds – I am very disappointed yes, we desperately needed players so first off we go and darn one off to Inverness! Mental, yes we signed a much needed CM but that was it, and the lads only on loan.

I personally wanted to see another winger and possibly some sort of clinical striker. Very threadbare squad still…

TheSaddlers – Disappointed, though not particularly surprised. Gnakpa looked disinterested from the off, which is a shame as he actually looked like he had something about him. Surprisingly so, given his previous shortcomings in the Football League. We have been a centre midfielder short for a couple of seasons now and despite having ample strikers at the club, we haven’t got many useful ones to choose from. Cuvelier looks likely and actually wanted the ball against Notts County, which is an improvement already.

Sadlad - Disappointed but not unexpected. No reflection on Dean Smith. Working with very little budget. It will always be the same under the present owner. Centre mid, a decent winger and some striker who knows where the back of the net is.

French Saddler - We did not play Gnapka in the correct position and yes, sad to see him go. Midfield is the big problem. We only have the new lad for a month. Let’s hope he plays.

Zidane – Cuvelier looks the part after his half hour or so last time out, changed the game Vs Co, but thanks to the ruled out goal we got nothing to show for it. I fear he may be a bit ahead of everyone around him but hopefully another week in training will allow our team to get on his Premier League youngster upbringing.

Sad to see Claude go, I think he was never really given a chance and we never saw what he could offer, he went to free up wages so we could strengthen apparently …………………………..? A young kid from stoke on loan. Hmnmmmm?

7) You have three former U’s in Jimmy Walker, Lee Beevers and Ryan Jarvis. How are they doing for you this season?

Solid and reliable - Jimmy Walker © expressandstar.com

CAW92 - Walker has been mr reliable as ever, he isnt as agile as he was once remembered, but his experience helps him out a lot. Im unsure about Beevers, he has shown he can be a good defender, but has a terrible pass, and gets caught out too often, in key positions at important times of the match. Jarvis hasnt really had a run in the team, he scored a couple of goals early in the season which i hoped would kick start his season and give him what he needed to start performing, but he didnt really take his chance, and when he has came in he hasnt really looked interested.

Lee Beevers was forced to don the gloves after a red card to Walker v MK Dons earlier this season. © saddlers.co.uk

You Reds – Walker – Solid as ever, if a little porky. Recently broke the all time appearance record which is obviously a fantastic achievement, especially in this day and age.

Lee Beevers - Hmm…started poor, slowly got into it somewhat and is now fairly poor again. Distribution is shocking but I still think he’s adequate enough, in our team anyway.

Ryan Jarvis - Sh*te.

TheSaddlers – Walker broke our all-time appearances record last month and is rightly a legend at this football club. As above, he’s still very much capable at this level though this season is most probably his last. Beevers…when we first signed him, I thought FFS as he’s always struck me as shocking. When he first played, I thought FFS… shocking. Not a lot has changed since. The effort is clearly there, the quality sadly isn’t. Jarvis is very similar to how Sam Parkin faired for us; he’s particularly useless in the air, given his deceptive stature as a target-man.

Ryan Jarvis has not been what the Saddlers fans hoped for. saddlers.com

Sadlad - Super Jim has been super most of the time. Turned back the years. Beevers started off a bit iffy but came more into his own with a run of games. Jarvo… the worst striker we have had at Bescot. Deano must see something in him as they worked together at Orient but such a disappointment.

French Saddler - Wacker ~ great. Beevers and Jarvis no no no.

Zidane – Jimmy – A living legend, Beevers – impressive some days, shocking at others, Jarvis -

8) In regards to the match this weekend, what do you think the score will be, and scorers (if any)?

CAW92 - 1-1 Macken to score for us, If fit.

You Reds – We like our low-scoring draws so I’ll go with one of those, 1-1, Walsall to score first and you lot to score late on to **** us even more off. Goalscorers? Who knows!

TheSaddlers – It’s the sort of game that we struggle with. Colchester are pretty average, as far as League One is concerned. Their 9-9-9 record, to date, is indicative of such. We put a shift in against the better sides and, conversely, we don’t seem to want to know if we are tasked with an average/similarly poor side. That said, Colchester have a few dangerous players whom could hurt us. We have drawn an obscene number of games lately and pride ourselves on being a difficult side to beat.

Sadlad - I will say 0-0 as I think both teams will be edgy and we hardly look like scoring at the best of times.

French Saddler - Low scoring draw.

Zidane – With our record a betting man must look at a draw. 1-1.

9) Which team has impressed you most in League 1 this season?

League One surprise package Stevenage have impressed the majority of Walsall fans

CAW92 - I havent really watched much other teams this season. I expected Stevenage to be hard to beat, but I didnt expect them to be in the playoff positions at this stage of the season.

You Reds – Bury for sure. Great side with obviously little money and small crowds, signed decent players who can compete at this level and are rightfully up there. Amoo is a coup, completely dicked us when we played ‘em at home. Can’t see Bury keeping the lad after his loan finishes at the end of the season.

I’d say Stevenage, but they play Rugby.

TheSaddlers – Stevenage. I expected them to struggle this season, despite admittedly not having seen them play. I was merely going by what people were saying, with regards to their ‘style’ of football. It worked for them in League Two and they’re looking good this season – surprisingly, but very much deservedly so, in the play-off picture. Despite going well in the league (and I’m taking nothing away from them, they’re up their on merit), I still cannot fathom how we’ve found ourselves inferior to the likes of Stevenage, Yeovil et al.

Sadlad - I would say Sheffield United! Even though they were ordinary when we went 2-0 up at Bramhall Lane once they scored the first goal they had the bit between their teeth and kept probing away and went on to win 3-2. A good sign that the team never gave up and although they didn’t play well initially kept going.

French Saddler – Bury.

Zidane – Stevenage – wow, not many would have predicted that this season, Charlton – credit to Powell that end of season/pre-season he sorted out a club in trouble, Bury – going well, again not fancied and doing well in the shadow of much bigger clubs.

10) Who are your bets for promotion and which teams do you think will fall through the relegation trap door at the end of the season?

CAW92 - Promotion: Charlton, Huddersfield, Wednesday
Relegation: Rochdale, Chesterfield, Wycombe, Yeovil.

You Reds – Who are your bets for promotion and which teams do you think will fall through the relegation trap door at the end of the season? For promotion I’d say:

1. Charlton
2. Sheffield United.
POs – Sheffield Wednesday

Relegation:

21. Chesterfield/possibly us
22. Scunthorpe
23. Wycombe
24. Rochdale.

TheSaddlers – The top five is pretty much as you would expect it to be. Charlton have strengthened no end from last season, under Powell. They, both Sheffield clubs, Huddersfield and MK Dons were always going to be there or thereabouts. Their respective clubs are far too big for this league. The stadiums are of Championship standard as are, I suspect, the playing budgets. It’s refreshing, though, not out of character for League One to have a few of the smaller clubs competing for that fourth and final play-off place. I’ll go with Charlton, Sheff Wed and MK Dons.

As above, I feel as though we can no longer compete at this level. We are averaging less than a goal, less than a point a game. That’s not survival material, sadly. Fortunately, those in and around the relegation zone amongst us are similarly lacking. I’m a little surprised to see Scunthorpe down here, though the others are pretty much expected. Yeovil are pretty much the Wigan of League One. They always, somehow, manage to survive against the odds but are always there or thereabouts. I’ll go with Walsall, Exeter, Wycombe and Rochdale.

Sadlad - Charlton, Sheff Weds, and Sheff utd to go up with Wycombe, Tranmere,Rochdale and Exeter to go down.

French Saddler - Three from Charlton (cert), Wednesday, United and Huddersfield.

Zidane – Charlton and Huddersfield to go up with a Sheffield club in the playoffs.

Down – Rochdale, Wycombe, Exeter, Yeovil and Walsall – 4 from.

Ticket News

Tickets are now on sale for the U’s match against Walsall.

Prices are as follows:-

Adults: £18.50
U18s: £12.50
60+: £12.50
Disabled: Appropriate charge as per age and carer free of charge

All prices increase by £2 on the day.

About these ads