L 3-1 vs Stevenage (A) - League Two - Sat 8th Jan, 3pm

Match Centre 24/25 Match Centre 21/22
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Our first away game of 2022 sees us head South to take on Stevenage in what must surely be the tie of the weekend across all competitions… :roll_eyes: You know, we could have been playing Manchester City but why would you do that when Stevenage are available!

Anyway, Stevenage head into the game 22nd in League Two just a point outside the dreaded drop zone, having accumulated 20 points from their first 23 league games. In November the club changed manager, relieving Alex Revell of his duties and then proceeding to appoint highly-rated Paul Tisdale into the role, and he has taken no time in starting to get his team together in the opening days of the January transfer window, with no less than four signings so far in the shape of goalkeeper Christy Pym, defender Luke O’Neill, and midfielders Ed Upon and Michael Bostwick.

The Boro’s last six results have been:

4th Dec - Yeovil Town (A) (FAC1) - Lost 1-0
7th Dec - Scunthorpe United (H) - Drew 1-1
11th Dec - Carlisle United (H) - Lost 2-0
18th Dec - Salford City (A) - Lost 1-0
29th Dec - Swindon Town (A) - Drew 0-0
1st Jan - Forest Green Rovers (A) - Lost 2-0

Now onto The Saddlers!

Matt Taylor guides his team into this fixture after a 3-3 draw with Newport County last time out, featuring comical own-goals and a last-minute screamer, and will be hoping for a rather more routine game this time in the search for 3 points.

At the time of writing our squad remains the same with no new signings, although as we know, Rollin Menayese has turned his loan move from Mansfield Town into a permanent one, which is a great piece of business by the club.

No new injury news from the club either, so providing Brendan Kiernan is back from Covid-19, we may have a (near) fully-fit squad to choose from and may even see a bench appearance from Rory Holden who we know has stepped up his training over the past few weeks as he seeks to return from serious injury.

Starting XI against Stevenage, for me at least, should be the XI that finished the previous game. Joss Labadie and Liam Kinsella in DM, Jack Earing in the AM role please. What are your thoughts?

As of yesterday we had sold 116 tickets for this game - are you one of the 116? I won’t be there, been a few times and can’t say I’ll be rushing to go back again.

Stevenage vs Walsall - Match Result
  • Stevenage Win
  • Draw
  • Walsall Win

0 voters

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2

3-1 win anything other than a win against this lot would be a travesty.

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3

Travelling down fully expecting an easy dh win

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4

I think we will win.Stevenage have signed some new players so it will probably be close. 2-1 is my best guess.

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5

I’ll be there as I only live a few miles away from Stevenage - local forecast for Saturday is heavy rain and moderate breeze so not going to be the best conditions to play in or watch.

6

I’ve gone for a Stevenage win. We beat Colchester, drew with Newport so a defeat continues our normal mid-table form :grimacing::see_no_evil:

7

I’ve gone Stevenage. Which is just a gut feeling based upon not a lot other than our symmetrical record that confirms our fourth division status.

Hopefully Kiernan is back as I think we missed him last week. With some healthy options on the flanks now, I think Phillips should revert to being a possible replacement or partner for Miller.

3 Likes
8

Looking at their last 5 league games should give some hope, but if anything it makes me more fearful of another one of our disappointing displays and results.

I really hate being so negative so I am going to go for a comfortable 3-1 win with Miller and Wilkinson both scoring. Time to start showing up and getting results at these kinds of places.

2 Likes
9

An easy one for me to get to from South London. 2-1 Walsall.

10

We always struggle against crap teams so 1-0 loss for me just like Carlisle

11

I will be there.

I would say that I’ve been to every game we’ve played at the Lame-X but have to qualify that with “every one we’ve been allowed into”; yet to see us win there.

I had a ticket for the corresponding fixture in 2019/2 but it got called off due to the weather (think it was the only one that whole weekend) and then the rearranged game fell foul of Covid. And of course last year was behind closed doors (and featured that bizarre goal by Lavery after only a few seconds, and a red card for Kinsella).

It’s a pretty horrible ground to get to and Stevenage itself is a soulless place - similar new town planning features to Milton Keynes but without the charm.

They seem to be one of those clubs that, no matter what form we happen to be in, always drag us down to their level and turn it into a game of clogball. With the weather again looking likely to have an influence, I’ve got fears of it being another Carlisle - but my heart says we’re good enough to take all 3 points if we put our minds to it.

1 Like
12

Depends on which team turns up, the one that starts every game thinking they are going to lose, or the one that puts an effort in, if we could have seen more of the latter, we wouldn’t be coming away from the likes of Carlisle with a defeat!
Start winning some games Matt and we could be chasing after a play off place!

13

Of all of the justifiable criticisms of this team, I’m not convinced you can say a lack of effort is one of them.

Lack of consistency…definitely. Lack of quality at times…definitely. Lack of effort…not in the games I’ve seen this season.

5 Likes
14

Should have probably said consistency, but in some of our early season matches some looked as if they couldn’t be bothered and were just there for a final pay day, there must be a market for pork scratchings somewhere in the world! :upside_down_face:

15

2-0 win
Nay bother

1 Like
16

2 - 0 …or did you mean 0 - 2 Belphs :thinking:

17

Now is the time to show what this team have if there is to be a serious push for the play offs .

Need to be beating teams lower than us and on bad runs .

I’ll go 0 - 2

18

Never been there so am venturing out on Saturday so they better turn up. Head says a boring draw though.

Those new signings and the fact they hardly win at home makes me worried :joy:

4 Likes
19

Yeah there’s a few of us making the trip for the first time. Waiting to buy tickets until tomorrow though in case of a late postponement.

2 Likes
20

I’ll be there.
3 points for the saddlers.