W 1-0 vs Sutton United (H) - League Two - Sat 12th March, 3pm

Match Centre Archive Match Centre 21/22
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Coming in towards the business end of the season now, and we look forward to welcoming Sutton United to The Banks’s Stadium hoping to gain a further 3 points from them, as we did when we played away earlier in the season. Easier said than done, however.

Sutton

The Amber and Chocolates head into this game in 4th place in League Two, which is remarkable really considering it is their first ever EFL season, and they had no real ambitions of being promoted into the League last season to begin with!

Manager Matt Gray has worked miracles at the club, and in their last outing on Tuesday, in the Papa John’s Trophy, he led to the club to the final where they will get the opportunity to run out at Wembley Stadium, after beating Wigan Athletic (A), on penalties.

The visitors squad has plenty of good players throughout, with some of those including goalkeeper Dean Bouzanis, midfielder Craig Eastmond (once of Arsenal), and Tuesday night’s match-winner and former Saddler, Will Randall. Rest assured their entire squad will be full of confidence and looking to end what could be a historic season for them with a good run of form.

One piece of info on one of their squad members made me smile - Craig Dundas has only made 2 appearances in the EFL for them this season, but having never played league football in his career up until August, he made his Football League debut at the young age of 40 years old! Surely that’s a record of some sort?!

Dundas

Sutton United’s last six games have thrown up the following results:

12th Feb - Forest Green Rovers (H) - Drew 1-1
15th Feb - Bristol Rovers (A) - Lost 2-0
19th Feb - Hartlepool United (A) - Drew 1-1
26th Feb - Scunthorpe United (H) - Won 4-1
5th March - Rochdale (H) - Won 3-0
8th March - Wigan Athletic (A) (PJTSF) - Drew 1-1 (Won 7-6 pens)

Onto The Saddlers, and Michael Flynn heads into his second home game in charge with a bit of optimism after recent results. In recent times after going behind we have all accepted we would go on to lose, but after fighting back to earn a point in each of our last two games it appears we are starting to develop a bit more fight and belief within the squad.

Going into this game, there is no fresh injury news that I’m aware of so Reece Devine and Zak Mills will be missing through injury, as of course will Rory Holden with his long-term layoff.

Team selection will be interesting with a few questions being bandied around by fans, so I’ll put them to you here:

  1. Does Carl Rushworth deserve to keep his place in the XI?
  2. Should Lee Tomlin be starting games at the minute?
  3. Will Hayden White make a reappearance in the starting XI?
  4. Rodney to start ahead of Miller?

Rushworth
Rushworth1920×1080 147 KB

It will be interesting and I’m not about to second guess who will start as the starting lineup at Barrow was something I don’t think many would have been able to predict!

Who is going? What are we expecting?

A win here and I think any last lingering doubts about relegation are done with this season and we can start to properly plan for a proper assault on the league next season, complete with an experienced manager and an experienced assistant manager. Sounds good on paper doesn’t it?

Walsall vs Sutton United - Match Result
  • Walsall Win
  • Draw
  • Sutton United Win

0 voters

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2-0 to the Super Saddlers. They’re a high quality side no doubt and we will have to be at or very near our best to take the win but there’s a good feeling and a decent run going on, I back us to continue that. Also think Sutton’s JPT heroics could leave them a bit heavy legged if we can play with some real tempo and purpose.

3
  1. Yes - excellent keeper
  2. Yes - class act
  3. Yes - Best we have got in that position
  4. No - Seen very little so far to suggest it would be an improvement, particularly given Miller’s form.

I’m gooin. Got me ticket , and for Tuesday. Last live games for a few weeks as I’m off to España next Wednesday :smile:.

4 Likes
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I haven’t seen us win yet since last year as I’ve missed all the Flynn Victories with work so therefore as I’m going I predict a loss

5

Agree with those answers. Another question is what formation we play. If Tomlin plays, 3 at the back looks unlikely. If it is 442, playing Tomlin looks more plausible but then do we have both Labadie and Kinsella?

6

Disappointed there isnt a schools or community ticket offer on for this one.

7

1-1

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There is, the school where my grandchildren attend were offered cheap tickets for kids and adults.

2 Likes
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There is, think they’ve sold 1288 tickets in the Family Stand

3 Likes
10

Typically we might win this, but I’d take a draw to be honest.

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Thats brill. Wasnt aware, thanks.

2 Likes
12

Defeat it is then.

“And finally just a word on the fans Michael. It was great to see the family stand so full of youngsters, wasn’t it?”

8 Likes
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Which Michaels he interviewing there? :thinking:

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The one the club used on its marketing who was a convicted sex offender? :rofl:

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Sure to be a bumper audience for this one, I know of a couple of people who haven’t been for a while who have got tickets as they want to see the Micky Flynn revolution and what all the fuss is about.

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1 Like
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Oh dear. We usually get a no-show for games like this. Have you warned him?

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Why?

I would have thought Tomlin would be well suited to play in a 3-5-2. If he is deemed to be a better creative option of even a 10 then he should play there instead of Oss or Earing. Likewise the Labadie/Kinsella debate, it should be whoever is the better option at the time.

What I’m keen to avoid is formations and selections that shoehorn players in, for which last week’s starting 11 had alarm bells ringing for me with the full-backs and Labadie.

19

We’ve been on the road a lot lately it will be nice to have a couple of home games so our great travelers recharge the batteries.
We seem to be a 45 minute team at the moment, play well for one half and not as well for the next. I’m sure MF thinks that is unacceptable, he’s right it’s not, just one of the things we need to work on before the season ends.
With the exception of Swindon we’ve done alright against top ten sides, hopefully that trend will continue tomorrow.
UTS.

2 Likes
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MF said he was expecting White back for this week so either he plays as RB in a 4, or at CB with Oss as wing back in a 3/5. Given that Devine is out for at least a couple more weeks, expect Shade over on the left and he too loked much better as a wing back than as a full back.

So that probably means he starts Ward and Leak. :joy:

Not unhappy if Tomlin starts behind whichever 2 from Wilkinson/Miller/Rodney, but can’t screw about trying to get 3 other midfielders in as well and still no width in the team. So who drops to the bench out of Labadie, Kinsella, Earing, potentially Oss (if 4 at the back), and slightly less so Shade?