New ground tomorrow!

Well, fog permitting, the Saddlers will be preparing for the festive season by collecting another League ground tomorrow, with the visit to Boston United. It’s likely to be an important period for the team, as the gap between us and the rest needs to be maintained, given the lack of Saturday fixtures during January. What with the blank FA Cup weekend and Sky TV appearances, once the Bristol Rovers game is out of the way, the lads won’t be seen at Bescot again on a Saturday afternoon until the return fixture against Boston on the 27th January. Strange times we live in.

Given the departure of Mark Kinsella back to the frying pan that is Charlton Athletic, Richard Money is likely to have what will now be his number one choice central midfield of Dobson, recovered from ‘flu, and Keates, back from injury, available again. What with Darren Wrack declaring himself fit and Tony Bedeau looking more like the player he’s supposed to be last week, the midfield crisis seems to have eased, just in time for problems to have arisen elsewhere. Ian Roper and Martin Butler will both be missing tomorrow, thanks to picking up their fifth yellow cards of the season. Pity Par Cederquist and Geordie Lyall can’t appear until January!

I’d expect the line up to be something like:

Ince, Westwood, Gerrard, Dann, Taylor, M Wright or Bedeau, Dobson, Keates, Fox, Sam, T Wright.

Boston are also missing some key men. Definitely out are former Kidderminster striker Drew Broughton (on loan from Chester) and midfielder David Galbraith, who were both sent off towards the end of their win at Torquay last week. A defender, Mark Greaves, picked up his sixth booking of the season, no less, in the same game, so he looks like one to watch, while midfielder Paul Ellender will be walking a disciplinary tightrope, having received his fourth booking in the Torquay game to go with a single red from earlier in the season. I suspect this might turn out to be an eventful afternoon.

Boston go into this game in 20th position, just one place behind last week’s opponents Wrexham and only three points above the trap door. They are in severe difficulties, after being found guilty of financial irregularities during their promotion season from the Conference and all sorts of stories circulating about players not being paid. The club is certainly in turmoil at the moment.

As far as the home standings are concerned, they are still in a miserable position, being 18th, with a record of:

P 11, Won 4, Drawn 3, Lost 4

Predictions?

It’s never easy, especially in view of the suspensions of key men Roper and Butler, but a game against a team struggling towards the bottom of the League who have selection problems of their own, even away from home, means that we should be looking for three points. A lot will certainly depend on how the young and somewhat inexperienced looking probable centre back partnership of Gerrard and Dann peform, but I’ll go for a narrow away win.