Tuesday’s visitors to the Banks’s stadium are the Florists from Notts.  We’ll expect a fair few to make the short journey, as according to their fans “the drive is horrible, the parking is horrible, the location is horrible, the ground is horrible and we’ll lose.”  Nothing like positivity from the men in tights, is there?

There’s good reason for their apprehension though.  You’d have to go back to February 2000 for their last win against Walsall, and we’re unbeaten in our last nine games against them.

On the team side it’s the usual suspects out for us, and Notts have pretty much their whole squad to choose from for their cup final, excepting Julian Bennett, who’s faking a hammy to save his blushes against his old team.

Given the relative strengths of the two sides you’d have to expect the Bitter Tree Huggers to come out on top of this game, but there’s two reasons this  shouldn’t happen.  Firstly, we’re their bogey team, and that psychological edge is a vital tool.  Secondly, and more importantly, manager Calderwood edged out Dickie Dosh to take the Manager of The Month award, inevitably the kiss of death.

Expect at least a share of the spoils as Notts will also have their eye on preserving their team for a cup replay and potential money-spinner next round tie against the Liverpool Stealers.  Who knows - they might end up in Europe!