Walsall are chasing three straight wins at the start of a league season for the first time in 18 years when they face Tranmere Rovers at Prenton Park tomorrow lunchtime. The Saddlers consolidated their 1-0 home success over Morecambe in their League Two opener with a 4-0 crushing of Swindon Town at the County Ground last Saturday to occupy the League Two summit. History could beckon in Merseyside with Walsall looking to emulate the 2006/07 League Two title-winning team by opening the season with maximum points in their opening three league games.
However, any such early excitement will be tempered by Mat Sadler, who is keen for his team to keep their feet firmly on the ground. The Walsall boss said: “Clearly happy with the game at Swindon. It was a good performance and now it’s something to build on going into what will be a tough game. “We’re always consistent with our message and that’s always going to be the case. The next game, approach the next thing, whatever comes next we’ll try and go after. “We’re getting more experiences together and that’s really strong and powerful to have that.”
Walsall’s demolition of Swindon was only the second time they’ve netted four goals or more on the road in the league since suffering relegation to the EFL’s basement division in 2019. It’s been 20 months since Walsall last enjoyed back-to-back away league wins, but Prenton Park has been a happy hunting ground for the Saddlers in recent years.
Only one of their last eight visits in all competitions has ended in defeat (winning four, drawing three) while Taylor Allen was among the scorers in a 3-1 success in the corresponding fixture in April. Allen has been instrumental to Walsall’s storming start – scoring twice in as many games to sit just one shy of last season’s tally.
“There should be no ceiling to how he feels about himself. Taylor is a wonderful footballer with an incredible left foot and as an athlete he can do so many things on the football pitch,” Sadler continued. “Just a top bloke who I love to see playing confidently and with a smile on his face. “He’s a real leader in the dressing room. If you roll back two years and look at the growth in him during that time, it really has been amazing to see.”
Josh Gordon is a major doubt after sustaining a hamstring issue in the aftermath of his opening goal at Swindon last week. Brandon Comley received positive x-ray results on the leg injury which has kept him out for the past month, but will need at least two to four weeks before he can be considered available. Donervon Daniels has undergone surgery on his knee injury but is not expected to be in contention until the end of September, while Danny Johnson returned to first-team training this week, although there is still no time frame on his potential return.
Tranmere Rovers manager Nigel Adkins insists he will manage his squad carefully when Walsall visit Prenton Park tomorrow lunchtime, after an injury-hit start to the campaign. Rovers have collected a pair of goalless draws in their opening two games in League Two against Notts County and Port Vale respectively. Zak Bradshaw was forced off with a knock at half-time during Tranmere’s 3-1 defeat against Everton under-21s in the EFL Trophy on Tuesday night, while Luke Norris picked up a hamstring injury at Vale Park last Saturday. The pair will be doubts for Saturday – adding to a growing injury list which also includes Declan Drysdale (hamstring), Josh Hawkes, Sam Taylor and Sam Finley.
Defender Jordan Turnbull made his return from injury in midweek but Adkins feels the resilience within his ranks will help his squad overcome the recent injury issues. “I’ve got to manage the group of players without trying to lose any because some players are on the brink,” Adkins told the media. “We lost a couple tonight (vs Everton under-21s on Tuesday) so that does present a little challenge for the weekend and also against Leicester City on Tuesday and at Carlisle after that. “But we’ve got a resilient group who are working really hard and if you look at the first half performance (on Tuesday), I thought there was some really good football played there.”
Tranmere may be one of only four clubs yet to find the net in League Two, but they did get off the mark in the EFL Cup with a commanding 3-0 victory over Accrington Stanley last week courtesy of goals from Harvey Saunders, Josh Williams and Omari Patrick. Tranmere, meanwhile, are searching for their first league win of the season after drawing their opening couple of games 0-0 against Notts County and Port Vale. Nigel Adkins's side beat Accrington Stanley 3-0 in the Carabao Cup last week, and Tranmere will be hoping they can get on the scoresheet once again to avoid a third consecutive 0-0 in the league.
Both of Tranmere Rovers opening two league games of this season have finished 0-0, with the Merseyside club last involved in three successive goalless stalemates in January 2006 (run of four). Tranmere Rovers lost both league meetings with Walsall last season, while not since October 1967 have they lost three in a row to the Saddlers in the Football League. After winning this exact fixture last season 3-1, Walsall could win back-to-back away Football League games at Tranmere Rovers for the first time since they won their first ever two trips in 1921-22 and 1922-23.
Walsall have won their opening two league games this season and will be looking to open up an EFL campaign with three successive victories for the first time since 2006-07.
