Both gunning for promotion in their respective divisions, Walsall and Bolton Wanderers will turn their attentions to the FA Cup as they meet for a first-round tie at the Poundland Bescot Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
The Saddlers were frustratingly held in League Two by a relegation candidate last time out, whilst Wanderers produced a stellar display on the road in League One.
Match preview
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After calls from some sections of the Walsall fanbase for his head during a mixed 2023-24 campaign, Mat Sadler is currently loving life in the managerial hotseat in the West Midlands, with Saturday's FA Cup hosts set to be serious automatic promotion contenders in League Two this term.
Since the international break, the Saddlers have collected a healthy total of seven points from three matches, a spell that includes 4-1 and 3-1 successes over Grimsby Town and Carlisle United respectively, but the title chasers will be disappointed by their most recent result.
Despite having the majority of possession and creating the lion's share of the clear-cut chances, Walsall were unable to breach the net of 24-year-old William Crellin last weekend, meaning that relegation-threatened Accrington Stanley managed a share of the spoils at Wham Stadium.
One defeat in the last eight fourth-tier fixtures for the Saddlers has allowed them to sit second in the League Two table ahead of this weekend's FA Cup action, with Sadler's side lying four points behind early pacesetters Port Vale and level on points with fourth-placed Doncaster Rovers.
Unsurprisingly, Walsall have never lifted the FA Cup, although they did manage a decent run to the third round during last year's competition, knocking out non-league outfits Sheppey United and Alfreton Town before suffering a four-goal defeat at the hands of Southampton in January.
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Following defeat in the League One playoff final to underdogs Oxford United in May, Bolton Wanderers are on a mission to right the wrongs of the 2023-24 campaign, with the former Premier League club enjoying a decent run of form since the 5-1 defeat at Arsenal in the EFL Cup on September 25.
From eight third-tier contests since that sobering evening in North London versus the Gunners, Wanderers have only lost to title favourites Birmingham City, with Saturday's visitors to the Bescot coming into the clash off the back of consecutive wins over Peterborough United and Stevenage.
A 99th-minute effort from substitute Klaidi Lolos decided the match for Bolton against Posh at the Toughsheet Community Stadium last Saturday, three days before the 4-1 smashing of Stevenage at the Lamex, where goals from Ricardo Santos and John McAtee fired the visitors ahead within 16 minutes of the start.
Also finding the net at the Boro's Hertfordshire home, Northern Ireland international Dion Charles is leading the Wanderers' Golden Boot race as he boasts six league goals, with the 29-year-old making the net ripple on 41 occasions across the last two campaigns for Ian Evatt's men.
A rarity at this stage of the competition, Bolton possess top-level pedigree in the FA Cup as proud four-time winners, with the most recent of those successes arriving in the 1957-58 campaign, when a team of free transfers beat Manchester United 2-0 during the Wembley final in front of nearly 100,000 spectators.
Team News
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Scoring 11 League Two goals combined so far, Nathan Lowe and Jamille Matt are set to form a menacing two-man forward line for Walsall on Saturday afternoon.
Stepping up to the EFL for the first time in his career following a summer switch from AFC Fylde, Connor Barrett has been a constant source of creativity on the flanks for the Saddlers, providing five assists so far.
After keeping a clean sheet at Accrington last time out, the hosts should stick with a centre-back trio of Taylor Allen, Harry Williams and David Okagbue.
A regular for Northern Ireland alongside clubmate Charles, Bolton's Eoin Toal was forced off after 31 minutes last time out, so William Forrester could be promoted to the side for the trip to the West Midlands.
Charles will be pushing for a start after bagging off the bench against Stevenage, meaning that Victor Adeboyejo could be dropped from the Wanderers' XI.
Walsall possible starting lineup:
Simkin; Okagbue, Williams, Allen; Barrett, Jellis, Stirk, Earing, Gordon; Matt, Lowe
Bolton Wanderers possible starting lineup:
Southwood; Forrester, Santos, Johnston; Cogley, Sheehan, Matete, Schon; Collins, McAtee, Charles
We say: Walsall 1-2 Bolton Wanderers
Following a sensational start to the League Two season, Walsall face arguably their toughest assignment yet as Bolton visit the Bescot in the FA Cup.
Wanderers are enjoying a good run of form and should be confident of advancing past fourth-tier opposition, although we feel that the Saddlers will make Evatt's troops work extremely hard for a second-round spot.
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Carter White
