Can Walsall overcome Oldham to break into the top half of the table?

Image – Saddlers.co.uk17

Walsall welcome Oldham Athletic to the Banks’s Stadium in a League Two clash where the Saddlers have certainly had recent success against the Greater Manchester side.  

Darrell Clarke’s men are unbeaten in their last six home games against the visitors.  

However, the home side haven’t played a competitive match since early January. There’s no denying that they have had plenty of work to do in this fortnight off as they came into this short “break” after three consecutive losses. The last time they lost more than three on the bounce was back in November 2019.  

The Latics are in no better form either, they have only won one game in their last five, but a win for Harry Kewell’s team would see them leapfrog the home side and go above them in the table.  

On Wednesday, Walsall signed Aston Villa winger Tyreik Wright who will be looking to make his first appearance for the hosts. The 19-year-old Irish winger will offer Clarke with some welcome width and flair as he became the first signing of the January window for the Saddlers, and there is sure to be more as well.  

When the two sides met in December, Walsall won at Boundary Park 3-2 with Elijah Adebayo getting the winning goal that evening. Since then, the hosts have only picked up three points, so they’ll be looking to get back to winning ways. 

Unluckily for Clarke’s side, a huge blow in recent weeks has been playmaker Rory Holden’s injury, the Northern Irish midfielder picked up an injury to his knee. Playing quite an influential part this season he’s sure to be missed.  

Meanwhile, Oldham have made a new signing of their own. They have signed Marcel Hilßner on loan until the end of the season from Coventry in the Championship.  

The German winger formerly of Werder Bremen and SC Paderborn made his way to the Sky Blues in the summer but failed to make a first team appearance for them. He is available for the Australian Kewell to select for this fixture.   

Ahead of the fixture and following two weeks of solid training Darrell Clarke he said:

“It’s been a good two weeks because we obviously got some good work into the players but it’s also disappointing to pick up a couple of injuries, but it’ll give one or two of our younger boys the opportunity to come and impress and stake their claim.” 

After some more disappointing results, Latics manager Harry Kewell took no prisoners and said:

“We’ve got to stick together, we can’t keep making excuses, people have got to grow up and realise this is a job and we’re very fortunate at the moment to be able to be able to do something we love especially with what’s going on in the world.” 

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