It seems more than a little strange only four games in, but tomorrow’s outing to Lincoln could have a massive effect on Walsall’s season. We’ve got off to a flying start, with three wins out of three, but this is a game away to a team that has also started well. If we come away from Sincil Bank with a point, we can start getting really confident about the prospects for promotion this season. Get a win and we can start dreaming of polishing up that under used trophy cabinet. Losing wouldn’t be a disaster, in fact far from it, but keeping the confidence going would be nice.

Richard Money will still be without Wrack and Nicholls, of course, still on the way back from their broken legs, as well as skipper Dobson, new signing Bedeau and the improving James Constable, after he was stretchered off in the reserve clash in the week. Picken is also recovering from his knock and will miss out and it will also be interesting to see how Money resolves the Westwood/Pead conundrum.

It’s difficult to see much change from last week’s line up, however, of:

Ince, Westwood, Roper, Gerrard, Taylor, Wright, Kinsella, Keates, Fox, Butler, Sam,

with a bench of:

Gilmartin, Pead, Demontagnac and two from Dann, Bradley, Deakin and McDermott, who is travelling having impressed the manager in the pre season games and in the reserves.

Of course, there is also the outside chance of a new signing joining in time to be a sub, as Money has said he’ll be making a decision on Portuguese winger Carlos Fangueiro very soon.

Lincoln have also got off to a flyer so far. They look, however, like they’ve lost long serving goalkeeper Marriott, who limped off midway through the first half in Wednesday’s strangely timed friendly against Liverpool, but that seems to be their only injury doubt.

We won’t be facing ex Saddler Gary Birch, who has gone on loan to Tamworth, as he wants a move closer to home having lost his lift to Lincoln apparently, but will be facing another, in the shape of the much travelled Jamie Forrester. He has an excellent scoring record over his eleven club career. His likely partner is the almost equally restless Mark Stallard (Lincoln is his 10th club), who has an almost identical goal scoring record.

Predictions?

Well, Lincoln haven’t won at home since beating Grimsby 5-0 back in March, although that was no mean feat. Since then, they’ve played five League games at Sincil Bank and every single one has ended 1-1. Their last home defeat, however, was back in October 2005, when the then high-flying Wycombe were the victors, so they are far from being pushovers. With a slightly weakened side with the injuries balanced against the confidence flowing through the team after our start, I’ll go for sitting on the fence and a draw.