In some ways, tomorrow will see one of the most important games of the season for the Saddlers, as they take on Yeovil Town in the second round proper of the FA Cup. The prospect of a possible money spinning tie in the third round is there, as long as Walsall manage to keep some consistency going at home. A big fund raising draw would surely give the opportunity for the team to push on in the league from the current unsatisfactory mid table position.

Walsall have received a couple of blows ahead of the game, with Preston and Sunderland respectively refusing permission for loanees Eric Skora and Joe Murphy to play. Murphy will be replaced by Gilmartin, of course, but Skora’s natural replacement, Michael Standing, is injured again. With Osborn, D Taylor and Demontagnac presumably making up three of the midfield, the temptation for Merson will be to go 3 5 2, with Pead and Fox supporting from wing back and Roper, Bennett and Gerrard or Staunton at the back, Westwood also being out with hamstring problems. If a 4 4 2 is preferred, Kris Taylor is likely to step in.

Up front, it’s difficult to see any change in the Fryatt/Leitao partnership.

As for Yeovil, they have injuries to midfielder Daren May and Fulham’s on loan midfielder Liam Fontaine, who will both be missing, although defender Miles, who has also had problems, should be fit. They have, however, had a boost in that West Ham have given permission for loanee Chris Cohen to play and will also have midfielder (and son of the previous manager) Lee Johnson back following a one match ban.

Predictions? Cup games are notoriously difficult to predict, but here we have a team below us in the table, who struggled to get past Macclesfield in the previous round. In our previous Cup meetings, we lost to the then non League team on both occasions, the last being on a bitterly cold night at Bescot when neither side really deserved anything, but we deserved it the least. Perhaps the away game in the league is the best measure, in that, if the Walsall team from the first half turns up, we’ll be comfortable winners. If the team from the second half turns up . . . . . . . . . . .