Well, we finally hit rock bottom yesterday.

The culmination of two years of bad decision making from the owner/Chairman came home to roost yesterday. From whatever happened to wreck the relationship between him and Colin Lee after the Cardiff City game, through the hesitation over what to do about it, the poorly timed sacking of Lee, the ill-advised appointment of Paul Merson (apparently against the wishes of the rest of the Board), the continual backing of the said Merson, when his failings were transparent, refusing to sack him after Slough, not accepting his resignation after Colchester, not saying thank you, but no thanks last Summer, leaving him in charge for too long this season and letting him go past the transfer window, bringing in a shed load of loan signings in a pathetic attempt to repeat the previous season, the sale of Fryatt and letting Leitao go, when he was prepared to stay until the end of the season because the “Peacock deal” was done, when it wasn’t, Jeff’s judgement seems to have completely deserted him.

The fact that he takes so much money from the club in rent has always been a bone of contention, but most fans have been willing to overlook the fact that we are a “nice little earner” for him, because we got things right on the pitch. No longer is that the case.

We are almost certain to be relegated this season, as Rotherham’s win and our defeat have sealed matters. Now is the time for Jeff to say what his plan his, what his strategy is for us to do a Grimsby and not a Stockport, who are in danger of going out of the League, after being with us in the second tier a very short time ago.

As for the manager, I’d give him the same chance as I said we should have given Merson almost two years ago. A set of achievable targets which, if not met, would mean his departure. However, that does depend on Jeff showing the good sense he has failed to show since becoming star struck by you-know-who.

Failing that? Put the club up for sale properly, Jeff, without all of the catches and clauses that has stopped any real bid coming in since you said it was up for sale after that Grimsby debacle so long ago now.

Well, it wa a peaceful Sunday walking in the country with no thought of football, so this is a bit late. Never mind, it’s back to the grindstone!

Doncaster allegedly has more pubs per square mile than any other town in South Yorkshire. Unfortunately only a few of them are remotely near the ground which is out near the racecourse, two miles out of town.

Train travellers seeking a town-centre pint can walk down the underpass, past the ubiquitous tramp (to whom I always donate a can of lager), through the small shopping centre into the town itself. Turn Right down the High St. to the “interesting” Coach and Horses on Scot Lane. It’s a strange place, go in before the game and its all blokes watching the big screen, go in early evening and there are dozens of scantily clad ladies drinking cheap shots as though the world’s about to end. I’ve never been in late enough to find out what happens next.

The nearest bar to the station is The Tut and Shive tucked down the side of the shopping centre as you exit the main entrance. Although a bit rough round the edges it’s a proper pub that does proper hot meat butties in a bustling atmosphere, although some of the bottled beer is ludicrously expensive.

The rest of town centre is dominated by the usual chain pubs including a decent enough Wetherspoons further down Scot Lane from the Coach and Horses, but generally speaking nothing to get too excited over I’m afraid.

Near the ground most of the bars are in so called hotels, although they all look like pubs to me. In reverse order of desirability there is the Grand St. Ledger Hotel on the last roundabout before you reach the ground that usually offers one guest ale amongst the fizzy lager.

The Rockingham Hotel on Bennethorpe Road and The Park Hotel on Carr House Road are both walkable, the latter being the best bet in my book. The beer isn’t anything to write home about in any of them but The Park has a good atmosphere with a nice mix of home and away fans, and service geared up for a match day.

Indeed the atmosphere at Doncaster seems to have become more convivial since their flirtation with oblivion and that spell in the Conference. Could it be our turn next?

Adjacent to the ground there are another couple of bars. The Rovers Return in on the lunar landscape that masquerades as a car park, with away fans usually admitted for a quid door charge. Meanwhile in-keeping with neighbours Barnsley there is The Cheswold Bar in the leisure complex behind the ground near the Golf Course.

Ain’t it always the way? You play better, start getting some confidence back after scoring a goal and then the fact that the League have given you a typical blind, useless, Premiership match official bites you in the backside. We should have won this one.

Walsall lined up Oakes, Pead, Westwood, Mills, Fox, Leary, Osborn, Keates, Smith, Constable, Claridge.

This was a game between two evenly matched sides, which is an improvement in itself, as Vale looked like mid table mediocrity. Apart from the undouted talents of Burchall, who gave Fox a torrid time in the first half, they rarely threatened a solid looking Saddlers defence, despite the fact we were giving away a height difference.

The first 45 minutes were relatively even, as the two teams fought for the right to play, but Walsall dominated possession in the second half, with the hesitation in the last third caused by a lack of confidence in front of goal the problem. Even so, the Vale defence was stretched often. Once Keates robbed Sonner (bliss!) and Smith broke clear on the left and produced a superb cross, for it to be scrambled away at the far post and Constable to shoot home, confidence grew and Vale were really on the back foot, with Claridge espcially unlucky with one effort which was deflected for Goodlad to make a decent save. We started to look even more threatening when the disappointing Leary was taken off for Standing, at last returning from injury.

Enter “top” referee, Mr Foy. Vale had thrown on a telegraph pole up front in desperation and Westwood and Mills had been dealing well with him, when a long hoof was headed up in the air by Westwood under pressure. Danny Fox chased the rebound down and hooked in away over his shoulder, only for it to hit a Vale attacker standing behind him and rebound to another in an offside position. Whether Foy thought it had come off Fox’s foot, it’s hard to say, but the ball was then crossed for the said telegraph pole, Fortune, to fire home. Broadhurst was incandescent.

Kevan’s solution was to take off the tiring Osborn and replace him with Barrowman. It looked as if that move had paid off, as time ran out, when a long cross fromt he left was spilled by Goodlad, as he collided with his own defender, and Barrowman superbly lobbed the ball over them into the empty net. The idiot in charge gave Vale a free kick, despite the fact Barrowman had clearly touched neither. On such moments do entire seasons finally turn.

Invividual verdicts?

Oakes - Had almost nothing to do, apart from some good catches.
Pead - His best game for ages.
Westwood - Superb, got sponsor’s man of the match and was unluckily punished for his one mistake
Mills - Defended really well and was probably my MoM.
Fox - Looked better than of late, other then early on when Burchall was runnig at him.
Leary - Disappointing. His good games are very few and far between and he does look another wasted loan.
Osborn - His usual good game, making things tick. managed to annoy Danny Sonner by being first to every 50/50 between them.
Keates - Won the ball well. always breaking things up. Could have been more productive, though.
Smith - Still the pick of the loanees to me, we have missed him when he was injured.
Claridge - It must be hell playing against him, as it seems impossible to get the ball off him. Suffered though from the runs not being made off him.
Constable - Took his goal really well, but wasn’t winning enough in the air and wasn’t making the runs for Claridge. Still a lot to learn.

Standing - Good to have him back, as he frightened the life out of them running at defenders and looked a far better option than Leary.
Barrowman - scored a cracking (and perfectly good) disallowed goal.

All in all? Too little, too late, but that was the best we have played at home in the League since New Year, and I think maybe before that.

I suppose this is a case of drinking at the Last Chance Saloon as an old enemy turn up at Bescot tomorrow, in the shape of Port Vale. The terrible run of home defeats have left us standing on the trapdoor with the hinges creaking and we certainly don’t want a home defeat at the hands of our dear Staffordshire rivals to send us down. Oh dear, no.

Gerrard is set to miss out once more with knee ligament damage. The former Everton man will receive a late fitness test, but is not expected to figure and there are also question marks over Grant Smith, recovering from his groin problem, and Kevin James, whose hamstrings are proving to be as fragile as the Forest fans warned us they would be when we took him on loan.

On top of that, we lost Paul Devlin this week to a bad bout of Dummy Spittingoutitis and Scott (who?) Fitzgerald was sent back to Brentford, to, presumably, work on his novel writing, as it looks like he’ll never make a footballer. On top of that, Wrack and Nicholls are, of course, still missing.

To balance up some of that, re-inforcements have arrived, in the shape of Daryl Taylor, back from his loan spell at Hereford, and he might get a spot in the 16, as should Ishmel Demontagnac, hopefully now raring to go.

Formation is the key and we will have to see if we end up 3 5 2, or 4 4 2, as that is key to the participation of some players, such as Mads Timm (unlikely to figure in a 4 4 2) and Ishmel (unlikely to figure in a 3 5 2).

As for Vale, as we pointed out earlier this week, they do have problems up front. Youth team striker Louis Briscoe is set for a call-up for the game and looks like being considered ahead of Trinidad and Tobago International Hector Sam, who hasn’t played for the first team since breaking his ankle in August, but needs to break through to have a chance of making his country’s World Cup squad.
Former Saddler Michael Husbands is out for the rest of the season after a hernia operation and hopes are fading that Nathan Lowndes will be fit following a twisted ankle. Lee Matthews is also out of the reckoning after picking up a hamstring injury in Monday’s reserve match.

Vale go into the game in 11th place in the table, clear of any real danger of relegation and highly unlikely to make it into the play-offs, so this is a little “end of season” for them, hopefully.

They are, though, 10th in the away form table, so their record outside of the Potteries is somewhat better than that at the “Wembley of the North”, which is a worry.

They have also won their last two games - at home to the Franchise, which is no big deal, but the second was to Swansea City. They were, however, winless in March, drawing twice and losing twice.

Well, on Tuesday, I predicted a home defeat, in the certain expectation that we would promptly win and we didn’t (thanks to the blind officials), so I’ll revert to a proper assessment. I think we’re going to win this one. What’s more, if we can get an early goal, I think the confidence may start coming back and we could then win easily. I’ll probably be wrong.

Kevan Broadhurst has given a frank interview with the PFA site, gimmefootball.com. about this week, the reaction of the players and where we go from here:-

Q WHAT DO YOU NEED TO ACHIEVE FROM YOUR LAST FIVE GAMES TO AVOID THE DROP?

A We have now got to win three out of the last five games – pure and simple. That gives us a chance and we have to start on Saturday. It is possible and if we perform like we did against Bournemouth it is certainly ‘do-able’. If we can play like that against Port Vale then I will be confident but if we go back to the way we were last week and the week before then you have obviously got concerns. But they know have to live up to that and go and do it again. We have talked about it and they played with a lot more freedom against Bournemouth.

Q WHY DO YOU THINK THE PERFORMANCE LEVELS IMPROVED IN MIDWEEK?

A Sometimes the pressure comes off. We spoke about this before the game and told them that as far as most people are concerned you are down anyway so why worry about it? Just get out there and play. I think they responded ever so well. Sometimes you can go the other way and while players think you are still there they can get uptight. We went the other way with them and they responded magnificently and they know what the target is now. I think we have got three wins in us but we need a little bit of luck along the way, which I don’t think we had in the second half of Tuesday’s game as Chris Westwood’s header was over the line but not given.

Q SUPPORTERS VOICED THEIR DISCONTENT DURING TUESDAY’S DEFEAT WHEN YOU SUBSTITUTED STEVE CLARIDGE DIDN’T THEY?

A I can feel their disappointment and obviously the substitution riled them up. You have to make decisions based on what you need to achieve. I could stick five people up front but if there is no-one in midfield to service them then you will get overrun. I just felt the way we were going it would have upset the balance a little bit. There was still space to play in. If we had changed it in a different way they would have closed the space down more. I was generally pleased and if Ishmel Demontagnac comes on and scores a goal then everyone is happy.

Q YOU ARE ONE MAN LIGHT FOR THIS WEEKEND’S FIXTURE AGAINST PORT VALE ARENT YOU?

Paul Devlin came to me after the game and said he wanted to leave. He wasn’t happy at being on the bench and I can understand that. He has been a terrific servant to the game and I can understand his frustration. He has decided that he has had such a great career that he didnt want to go out not playing games. I didn’t want him to go. I still think he had a part to play and I felt he needed a bit of a breather. It is his decision and I respect that. He felt it was the right decision for him and he has gone with our best wishes.

Q HOW BIG IS THE JOB OF TURNING ROUND WALSALL FOOTBALL CLUB?

A It is a major task. It is only when you get inside a place that you see actually what has gone on. On the surface it didn’t look too bad but when you get into the nitty gritty, there is a lot of hard work. There will be a big change whoever is in charge next season and I have given the board my blueprint for going forward. Whether they use that under me or someone else is up to them, but it does need a major overhaul in all departments.

Paul Devlin has left the club by mutual consent and Scott Fitzgerald has retuned to Brentford.

The club have announced both measures this morning and neither can be considered to be that much of a surprise.

Paul Devlin is rumoured to have been unhappy after being dropped for Tuesday night’s game, but, after being injured on his debut, then being sent off on his return, Saddlers’ fans have seen precious little of his supposed qualities.

Fitzgerald was bought in by caretaker manager Mick Halsall, but was being pursued by Paul Merson. He has completely failed to look the part on his few appearances and, at least, his return does lower the number of loanees.

Port Vale youth team striker Louis Briscoe is set for a call-up for Saturday’s game at Bescot, after an impressive performance in Monday’s 3-2 reserve win against Stockport. Briscoe has made just one first team appearance so far, as a substitute when they lost to Bristol City in December.

He looks like being considered ahead of Hector Sam, who hasn’t played for the first team since breaking his ankle in August, but needs to break through to have a chance of making his country’s World Cup squad.

Manager Foyle is short of strikers all round, though, as former Saddler Michael Husbands is out for the rest of the season after a hernia operation and hopes are fading that Nathan Lowndes will be fit following a twisted ankle. Lee Matthews is also out of the reckoning after picking up a hamstring injury in Monday’s reserve match.

Don’t it always seem to be the way, when you are struggling? At the bottom, no confidence and you end up with two blind officials.

Broadhurst last might decided to match Bournemouth’s formation, in the absence of Gerrard (knee injury) and played a 3 5 2 of Oakes, Westwood, Mils, Roper, Pead, Leary, Osborn, Keates, Fox, Claridge and Constable. First half it didn’t work.

Pead seemed to get into his stride playing the wong back roll reasonably quickly, despite being caught out a couple of times, but didn’t really get forward enough in the first half. Fox was struggling with it, was not getting forward at all, and, with the midfield three not covering the gaps he left, Bournemouth had by far the better of the possession.

Accordingly, the first 45 went in similar fashion to Saturday. Roper dived in at the edge of the box and brought down his man, but this time Oakes brilliantly saved Hayter’s rather poor penalty. A few minutes later, a beautifully flighted free kick from the left was side footed home by the same player.

There were some differences, however, in that we also got some attacks in. Constable turned huis man brilliantly, then, one on one, dillied and dallied until the defender got back and shot weakly wide. Leary hammered in a piledriver, which was spilled by the keeper and Claridge should really have knocked in the rebound. Osborn hit a volley tamely at the keeper, with one of those that might just have flown in. All the same, we were also indebted to Oakes for two more fine saves, including a superb tip over from a sublime piece of skill from Fletcher and one tackle on Hayter from a break when he was one on one with Oakes and someone managed to get back to him.

Whatever the Manager said at half time worked, however. Pead and Fox pushed further forward (although neither really got enough croses in) and we completely dominated possession.

Half chances came and went to Claridge, Constable and Leary and the keeper pulled off one tremendous parry from Keates free kick, which somehow eluded in in rushing Mills.

However, to the referee. Leary went over on the edge of the box in what looked every inch a dive, but no penalty and no yellow card. One central defender climbed all over the back of Claridge with a clear foul, but nothing was given (and I admit they do get away with those quite often, but also they’re given quite often) and the referee missed a quite blatent handball. Nailed on penalty, no doubt. To top off all of that, a Westwood header was clearly a foot over the line before being cleared and wasn’t given. Frustration grew.

Eventually, Broadhurst decided to bring on some extra pace and creativity in the shape of Demontagnac and Timm, but, to be frank, the introduction of Timm was too late and Demontagnac came on for the wrong man, the impressive Claridge. I’d have brought Timmon for any of the midfield three much earlier.

All in all, you can’t complain about the effort, in the second hlaf at least, in a game we should really have got something from. We even scored a perfectly good goal, only to have it chalked off.

Oakes got the sponsor’s Man of the Match, quite understandably, but Claridge wasn’t far behind. Constable had his best game for us yet,but looked nervous in front of goal when he had to think about it and his movement needs to be much better. The midfield three were all much of a muchness and we need someone else in there who can inject some pace. They aren’t our best option as a partnership. Pead did reasonably well in an unfamilar role, as did Fox second half. The central defenders got better as the game went on, after a poor start, but, towards the end, with Bournemouth hanging on, three was probably one too many.

All in all, this was a much better performance, but it is too little, too late.

Another season is drawing painfully to a close and it looks as if the game may well be up for the struggling Saddlers tomorrow night, in their re-arranged game with Bournemouth. Nothing less than three wins is required from the remaining games and, following on from Saturday’s disaster versus Bristol City, it’s difficult to see where any points (or, for that matter, goals) are going to come from.

Kevan Broadhurst’s chances of swapping things about, in the hope of finding a line up that works have again been restricted. The Evening Mail is reporting that both James and Smith are unlikely to fit for the game tomorrow night, depriving the team of alternatives in a couple of areas.

I’d expect Oakes to be in goal, but then it gets more problematical.

Pead, Wright, Westwood, Gerrard, Roper, Mills and Fox are his choices at the back. Fox should really be dropped after Saturday, but there is no other option if Smith fails his fitness test. After Gerrard’s poor performance, I think I’d go for Pead, Roper, Mills and Fox, but I’m glad it’s not my call.

Wright, Osborn, Keates and Demontagnac would probably be my choice, but even that looks a little lightweight. Leary could play a part, as could Devlin, but his wing play left a lot to be desired against Bristol. Standing, fit again after a long term injury, may also figure.

Up front, the choices are Claridge, Timm, Constable, Fitzgerald and Barrowman and you could almost perm any two from 5, with Devlin also in the mix, I suppose. The only thing I’d say is that Claridge and Timm don’t look like they could play together, as they are both chance creators, rather than takers.

Bournemouth head to Bescot looking to end a run of three draws against the Saddlers and manager Sean O’Driscoll can pick from the same squad that drew 2-2 at Scunthorpe on Saturday, as he has no additional injury concerns.

Defender Adam Griffiths will be missing, after pulling up in training, and is awaiting further assessment. Goalkeeper Neil Moss and defender Warren Cummings continue to make good progress on their paths back to fitness, but will not be considered for the trip.

Their main danger will be top scorer James Hayter, scourge of Division 2 defences this season. To play alongside him, they have the 6 foot 2 inch, 14 ½ stone presence of Steve Fletcher, so our central defenders will have their work cut out. If we’re lucky, former Saddler Dani Rodrigues might play instead.

Bournemouth come into this game just five points ahead of us and having lost ten games away from home. Normally, I’d be calling this up as a home win and a chance to pull away from the foot of the table, but, after the way what confidence there was drained away as soon as Bristol City scored on Saturday, it’s difficult to see any cause for optimism. Certainly, I can’t see us getting anything without getting a clean sheet, judging by that collapse. The head says an away win, I’m afraid.

Let’s face it, this was the day that probably finally sealed our fate this season. Against a team that was workmanlike, but not outstanding, too many players capitulated.

The Saddlers lined up Oakes, Wright, Gerrard, Roper, Fox, Devlin, Leary, Mills, Keates, Constable and Claridge, in a 4 4 2.

Walsall even managed to start this game off reasonably, not looking in that much difficulty and, with Claridge either holding the ball up well or buying a free kick when we went forward, we even looked like creating something (without ever quite doing it). However, from the moment Keates and the, quite frankly, appalling Fox contrived to give the right winger enough room to turn a supertanker to make the cross for the first, as Wright stood too far off his man, whatever confidence drained away completely.

The other two goals were just as bad, as Keates lost the ball half way inside his own half, Fox was nowhere and Roper duly gave away a penalty with one of “those” tackles he does occasionally. The late third again came from a cross from the right, with no one closing the player down and Wright left isolated against a 6 foot 4 inch defender.

As for the team:

Oakes - was my Man of the Match, as it would have been far, far worse without him.
Wright - despite the criticism, did some things OK. Did far too many badly, however.
Gerrard - I’d drop him. His positioning and marking were poor for him.
Roper - Was Roper. The pick of a poor defence.
Fox - He either needs shipping out or a huge kick up the backside. He was terrible and must leave everyone regretting we don’t have another full back on the books. He gave the winger so much room it was unbelievable.
Devlin - Was rubbish on the wing and I can’t remember him even trying to beat his full back once. He did improve a little when he went up front.
Mills - Terrible. A shadow of the player he was before the suspension.
Leary - Pick of the midfield, but that doesn’t say a lot, to be honest.
Keates - You can run around all you like, but if it’s completely unproductive, you might as well not bother.
Constable - Looked what he is - a non League striker. Never looked like getting on the end of anything, his runs and positioning were terrible. Had one chance and blew it completely.
Claridge - Blameless. Never stopped trying and gave us the only bits of quality in the starting eleven. If not for Oakes, would have been my MoM.

Subs:

Demontagnac - Did some useful things, but ended up with yet another yellow card for an appalling scything down of a player when he got frustated.
Osborn - Gave us some much needed class and composure when he came on, but all too briefly, because of the injury.

Ah well, welcome to Divsion 4, folks.