Last week’s surprise defeat at Mansfield means that the pressure is back on Richard Money and his Walsall squad for tomorrow’s home game. The Saddlers can, therefore, count themselves fortunate that the visitors are struggling Boston United, in what will be the first meeting between the two clubs in Walsall.

Money does, at least, have a clean bill of health for the game. Allan Picken will not be considered, as he needs some reserve games after finally recovering from his knee problems. The Aussie defender did, however, feature in a friendly against Aston Villa this week, lasting 60 minutes, which bodes well.

Anthony Gerrard and Darren Wrack both played the full game in the 3 – 3 draw with Villa, so they will be both back in contention, as will Dean Keates and Hector Sam, left out of the starting line up last week.

Given all of that, it wouldn’t surprise me to see something like:

Ince, Westwood, Dann, Roper, Taylor, Wright, Dobson, Keates, Fox, Sam, Butler.

Subs: Bossu, Pead, Gerrard, Wrack or Demontagnac, Cederqvist.

Money will also be making a decision after the game as to whether to leave James Constable on loan at Kidderminster. The fact that the sixteen tomorrow might not include Demontagnac or Wrack, Bedeau and Picken shows just how much competition there is for places now.

Boston have struggled both on and off-the-field this season, but have managed to sign the experienced Shane Nicholson on loan from Chesterfield and Stephen Vaughan from Chester City recently. However, their financial problems, part caused by the punishment for the irregularities in their promotion season, means that they had already lost former Saddlers’ loanee, Julian Joachim to Darlington earlier in the season, plus Anthony Elding (to Stockport County), Tim Ryan (to Darlington) and Paul Tait (to Southport) during the January transfer window.

Drewe Broughton and Francis Green are the main threats up front, having linked up well, with Broughton notching four goals in his 11 games for the club since his loan switch from Chester City in October.

Predictions?

Boston fans have seen their team win two and lose two of their four games so far in 2007, losing 3-1 at home to Swindon Town last weekend. Accordingly, they go into the game in 19th position, but it is their away form that’s giving them the most trouble. Their record reads:

Played 14, Won 2, Drawn 2, Lost 10, For 15, Against 32, Points 8.

That means they are second from bottom in the away form table to Wrexham, having conceded more goals than anyone other than Grimsby and with the equal worst goal difference (with Wrexham) of -17.

It’s time for the Saddlers to put last week’s poor performance behind them and make sure of putting the three points in the bag.