When I checked my Sky Sports App
last week to see who was next up for Pompey I got a tad excited when I read we
were playing Millwall at home. On checking for a second time when I was more
awake I realised that last season’s relegation hadn’t been part of my
imagination and that we are actually playing Walsall at home which wasn’t so
exciting a prospect after all but is obviously part and parcel of the new
furniture that surrounds us in the NPower League One. I met a Walsall fan once
and have never met any others so I’m presuming there’s more than just him in existence
but we’ll see how many travel down for the game tomorrow.
Walsall managed by Dean Smith and
nicknamed ‘The Saddlers’ visit Fratton Park sat in 8th position
currently. They opened this season’s campaign with a 1-0 win at home to
Brentford in the League Cup before crashing out 3-0 in the second round to
Premiership opposition in the form of Mark Hughes’ QPR away at Loftus Road.
Their opening league game saw a comprehensive 3-0 loss to Doncaster Rovers who
were relegated alongside Pompey from The Championship at the tail end of last
season. Since their opening day defeat The Saddlers are unbeaten in four having
secured wins against Notts County (1-0) and MK Dons (1-0) and drawn with Oldham
Athletic (1-1) and Brentford (2-2). Twenty
year old forward George Bowerman who has come through the academy ranks at
Walsall is their top goal scorer in all competitions with 2 goals in a season
that has seen them score just 6 goals in 7 games. Walsall will aim to field the
19 year old Belgian midfielder Florent Cuvelier who is currently on loan from
Stoke City. Cuvelier was part of the Portsmouth youth set up before joining the
Premiership side in 2010.
Pompey and Walsall have played in
a total of 23 competitive matches together in which Pompey have won 10, lost 5
and drawn 8 scoring a total of 37 times and conceding 25. The last season the
two clubs were together was in 2002/03 and Pompey won 2-1 away and 3-2 at home.
The wins extended their unbeaten run against The Saddlers to four games. Their
last loss came back in April 2000 when Walsall won 1-0 at The Bescot Stadium.
I know in life they say you
should never judge a book by its cover but The Saddlers Player of the Season
for the past two years has been central defender Andy Butler and Michael
Appleton’s men will be hopeful of recording their third successive win in all
competitions following the home win in the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy against AFC
Bournemouth on penalties and last Sunday’s 3-0 away win to high flying Crawley
Town which was their first league win of the campaign. Goals from Harris and
McLeod sandwiched a superbly struck free kick from Luke Rodgers to secure the
win after Crawley had been reduced to nine men and had their manager sent to
the stands. Pompey welcome back Mustapha Dumbuya from international duty but
remain without the suspended Jordan Obita who serves the last of a three match
ban following his dismissal at home to Oldham Athletic. New signing Gabor
Gyepes looks set to miss out following his injury sustained in the first half
at Crawley Town. With the off the field uncertainty continuing manager Michael
Appleton is weighing up the options of releasing either central defender Kevin
Long or Conor Clifford when their loan deals run out in order to bring another
forward into the club as cover for McLeod and Rodgers. Defender Paul Connolly
has returned to parent club Leeds United following his injury.
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