“From a Stevenage overspill
We’d kill to live around”
- Maladjusted, Morrissey (1997)
Stevenage
Currently sat bottom of the Football League, Stevenage are just five points and four places behind Walsall and have a game in hand.
Though they have only won two league games this season both have come in the last five, so they arrive at the Bezla enjoying a much improved run of form.
That said, they are yet to win away from home and have scored just 4 goals on the road, conceding 11, making theirs the worst travelling record in League 2.
Recent League Form
Oct 12 Grimsby Town (H) Won 2-1 Oct 19 Port Vale (A) Drew 1-1 Oct 22 Swindon (A) Lost 1-0 Oct 26 Morecambe (H) Won 1-0 Nov 02 Scunthorpe (A) Drew 0-0
Previous Meeting
Our last home game against Stevenage came on 19th October 2013, a 2-1 win for the Saddlers. Romaine Sawyers gave Walsall the lead after eleven minutes and Craig Westcarr added a second on 55’. François Zoko pulled one back for the visitors with 20 minutes to go, with Lucas Akins sent off not long after.
Played for Both
There are no current links between the teams but Scott Laird played more than 200 games for Stevenage and is a bit of a club legend. Other than that… erm, Robin Shroot?
Prediction
Against a team yet to win an away game this season, a home win should be on the cards. Given our own recent upturn in results, let’s say 2-1 to the Saddlers with goals from Josh Gordon and Alfie ‘Pirlo’ Bates.
With Oldham and Morecambe both playing away from home tomorrow and obviously Stevenage playing away a win tomorrow would make things look a lot better than they have and we could put some real daylight between us and the 3 below us plus it would keep the momentum of a much better month going I’d take a 1-0 win as ugly as they come UTS
I don’t think people realise just how good Stevenage are at the back,they’re about as effective as we are up front but better than us defensively,so I’d go for a 0-0 draw.
They’ve conceded less than Swindon and Crewe, they aren’t back at the back but lack everything up front. 12 goals in 17 games is crazy although I think that was mainly due to their very slow start. They’ve picked up a bit since, it won’t be easy but I think the Gordon/Lavery partnership will only get better, take one of the chances and we win this.
I think if we get an early goal we could well get a few as they will have to come forward and are not exactly potent. But at nil nil I think they could well be stubborn and hard to break down.
Macclesfield is next leage home game after this (if they’re not on strike) so real chance to get the season going again. Would be a great time with the congestion at xmas to get a run going which might mean at least something more than a relegation battle.
‘Disgrace’ might be a slight exaggeration. They’re 8th in the form table, we’re 23rd. I’m expecting a win, but by fine margins and probably more due to the fact I’m feeling a little more confident that we have some kind of partnership beginning to show up front in Gordon and Lavery.
Wondering if the decision to charge their manager recently will have any bearing on their short upturn in form?
Today is a great opportunity for us to put enough distance between us and that single relegation space . But we’ll need to do more than just turn up, manager needs to pick an almost best XI again, and Lavery’s hamstring needs to stay in one piece.
At least we should save a few quid not needing the sprinkler system today
I disagree based on their league position. If you can’t beat rock bottom of the football league at home then to me that’s a disgrace and serious questions need to be asked. No excuses with this one for me.
You have to laugh don’t you? On another thread players being criticised for being crap, when they actually have been so is classed as “abuse”, but if we don’t get a result against Stevenage “its a disgrace”
Anyway back to reality I’d take another scruffy 1-0 all day long in the context of our season. All we’ve really got at the moment are a few fragile steps on the road to recovery. I just hope DC picks a positive starting line-up, talk in the E and S of “resting CCM” which sends a few alarm bells ringing with me, If injuries allow I would pick the same team as Cambridge, I think they listen far too much to the “information” that comes from those vest things, they don’t measure what goes on in the brain, I’m sure all the young lads are capable and willing to give their all with a bit of match-day adrenalin.
