W 1-0 vs King's Lynn Town (A) - FA Cup R1 - Sat 6th Nov, 3pm

Match Centre Archive Match Centre 21/22
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Hello Walsall fans…this is the FA Cup calling!

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Round One of this season’s FA Cup sees The Saddlers taking on King’s Lynn Town in a battle deemed not worthy of live TV action by the suits (however, Football Focus will be live from the ground, and we are apparently being given extended highlights on MOTD).

In previous years Round One of the FA Cup has been our start and exit point, so hopefully this isn’t the case this year as we have been drawn to play a non-league team. In theory this is one of the easier ties we could have asked for, but in reality it’s the kind of tie that tends to be a very slippy banana skin that we can’t do enough to slip over for, à la Slough Town away under Merson and countless others over time.

Let’s take a look at our opponents and hosts for the afternoon, King’s Lynn Town.

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The Linnets play at The Walks which has a capacity of 8,200 with 1,200 of those being seated. They are currently managed by Norwich City legend, Ian Culverhouse who is currently in his second spell in charge of the club, having initially spent the 2017/18 season in charge before leaving to take control of Grantham Town before re-joining the team after a few months in November 2018.

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When re-appointed, The Linnets climbed the Southern League Central Premier table and finished as runners-up, then won the play-offs and the Super Play-Offs to gain entry into the National League North for the 2019/20 season. The 2019/20 season was curtailed early due to our friend Covid-19, and with the team lying in second place, two points behind York City, but crucially with two games in hand, they were actually promoted into the National League as champions as a result of the PPG calculations.

Last season, Covid essentially saved King’s Lynn Town from being relegated back into the regional National League set-up, as leagues below the main National League were cancelled, therefore although the club finished 21st in the League, it didn’t matter as they were guaranteed to play this current season in the same league as a result of no promotion / relegation from the leagues below them.

Into this season then, and King’s Lynn find themselves sitting in 20th in the National League, already 6 points from safety with 13 games played. Another tough season seems to be in the offing for them, but of course that’s the league. In the FA Cup, anything can happen and form tends to go out of the window in the earlier rounds.

Their last six results have been:

5th Oct - Barnet (A) - Drew 1-1
9th Oct - Solihull Moors (H) - Lost 1-0
16th Oct - Peterborough Sports (FACQ4) (H) - Won 2-1
23rd Oct - Torquay United (A) - Lost 2-0
26th Oct - Boreham Wood (H) - Lost 1-0
30th Oct - Weymouth (A) - Lost 1-0

On to The Saddlers…

We head into this game on the back of a recent upturn in form, now unbeaten in 7 games and starting to really turn a corner it seems.

Injury-wise we will be missing both Rory Holden and Liam Kinsella through injury still, with question marks about the fitness of Conor Wilkinson following his no-show at Sutton this weekend.

We await to see if loanees Carl Rushworth, Rollin Meneyese, and George Miller will be allowed to play in this competition by their parent clubs, but I don’t see why this would be a problem as the first two featured in the League Cup for us, and I can’t see Barnsley wanting Miller back at any time soon (and he cannot play for any other team this season anyway).

Team selection by Matt Taylor will be interesting for this one - does he stick with a winning formula from the league, or does he twist and make a few changes? Personally, I feel that Osadebe could be replaced by Jack Earing in the #10 role, with Sam Perry then slotting next to Joss Labadie, who will most likely play here as he is now suspended for our next league game following his 5th booking of the season at Sutton.

Have you got your ticket for the game? I’ll be there and hope to see as many of you as possible get there too and cheer the lads on to a rare cup win, allowing us to reach the deep end of the competition in Round Two…

I think we will win this on the day, by two or three goals, but one thing that I am sure of is that I don’t fancy a replay back at ours on a cold Tuesday in November. There is zero romance in that!

King’s Lynn Town vs Walsall - Match Result
  • King’s Lynn Town Win
  • Draw
  • Walsall Win

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Read about our Round One opponents below, composed by @InlandLinnet, who if you don’t know, is a King’s Lynn fan…

King’s Lynn Town FC rose from the ashes of King’s Lynn FC who went bust several years ago. We have had to work our way up from step God knows what to where we are now. It has taken two managers, with the present man, Ian Culverhouse (an impressive history, look him up) being seen as very good indeed. Most correctly believe that we would not be in the National League without him. The Chairman, Stephen Cleave, is a bit of a Marmite character but, without his financial input we would not be where we are now. A section of supporters see that the club in its present form is unsustainable and, remembering the previous crash, worry about the future. They have a point.

The grandstand at the ground was built, I believe, as a result of a cup run that unfortunately I was too young to witness. An away win at Coventry 2-0 (Jimmy Hill’s first game as manager) followed by another away game at Everton which we lost. Big attendances meant a big cheque!

Our league position is worrying!!! We cannot score a goal in the league. However, I believe we are better than the league suggests but desperately need to turn the play at the back and middle of the park into goals. It will happen.

Covid had a very negative impact on the club. The chairman could not back the club in the way the ‘larger’ clubs were and we wanted to end the season. We could not do a Dover who did stop (big fine and points deduction that will probably relegate them this season) so struggled on furloughing wherever possible and picking up players here and there who needed a game! Dreadful. I think this had a very negative impact on the momentum we had built up. This season has seen the club go full time and experience a massive change in the make up of the squad. Only 4/5 players are still with us - some were deemed as not up to National league standard others did not want to go full time and a couple were sold. This has added a little more disconnect between the team and supporters that is taking a little time to build. Our ticket prices were the highest in the league and therefore probably the most expensive non league prices in the country - a revision of prices has seen better attendances in the most recent game/s.

I hope we can stay up! I think we will just about do it but its going to be close, very close. If we do then I hope the club can stabilise itself and aim for mid table next season. We must hold on to our manager.

In this cup tie I think we will: concede in the first 15 mins, play well, lose the game! My biggest hope is that we are not slaughtered by you. Last years impressive 1-0 win at Port Vale was followed by a 6-1 hammering. Always hard to take for the fans. I hope three players (at least) will shine - Paul Jones goalkeeper usually pulls off one sunning save during the match that keeps us in the game - Josh Barrett who is not fit but in his one appearance for us so far showed some sublime skill - Junior Morias is due a goal but seems to have a problem controlling himself discipline wise.

Its the hope that always takes its toll but I believe an upset is not impossible.

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I aint got a clue what is happening? :man_facepalming: :joy:

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FA Cup 1st round! What’s everyone got planned for our traditional free Saturday on 2nd round day? :joy:

Seriously, it’s not a given that we can just turn up and stroll it - all the games over the last 3 years against what many class as “lesser” teams shows that, plus our less than glorious recent history in the competition. But I think we have enough - and a dicey, hanging on by the skin of our teeth 1-0 gets us through just as much as netting a bagful. Our current form says we could manage that.

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They only lost 1-0 today @RobHarv3y

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I know :wink:

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Thought that was common knowledge? :joy:

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:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: ya pregnant fish :wink:

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Don’t be koi, say what you mean.

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I used to think it meant **** :laughing:

[modded. There’s a filter for a reason. :grinning:]

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In this day and age i really don’t think that is a bad word :wink:

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I don’t set the filter. That’s down to the site owner. The twunt.

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F**k off.

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Looking more likely I’ll be in attendance now. Really looking forward to this.

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Anyone know if this will be on ifollow

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There’s no FA cup matches on iFollow. iFollow is run by the EFL and the FA don’t want anything to do with it.

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Ahh okay… thanks for that

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This is a game we should and must win. We haven’t progressed very well in cup competitions for a while, especially the FA Cup, it would be nice to get to at least the third round this time around.
3-0 Walsall.