Stockport County and Walsall will put their League Two duties to one side when they lock horns in the third round of the FA Cup at Edgeley Park on Sunday afternoon.
The two teams have previously met twice in the FA Cup, with the Saddlers coming out on top in both matches, securing a 2-0 victory in November 1979 before winning 2-1 in November 1984.
Match preview
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After ending 2022 on a high with four successive victories, scoring 11 times and conceding only once, Stockport suffered a slender 1-0 defeat away against Grimsby in League Two on New Year's Day.
Manchester-born midfielder Otis Khan scored the only goal of the game early in the second half to halt the Hatters in their quest for the playoffs, with Dave Challinor's side now sitting in 13th place and four points behind the top seven.
With 23 League Two fixtures still to play, the prospect of back-to-back promotions remains in sight for Stockport – last season's National League champions – but they will now turn their focus to the FA Cup, where they are competing in the third round for the second time in the last three seasons.
The Hatters have already scored nine goals in this season's FA Cup and began their campaign with a comfortable 4-0 first-round win over Swindon Town. Challinor's men then played out a 2-2 draw in the second round against League One side Charlton Athletic in the capital before winning the replay 3-1 on home soil, with Will Collar scoring a memorable hat-trick.
Progressing to the fourth round has been a struggle for Stockport over the years, though, having lost each of their last four third-round ties, most recently against Premier League outfit West Ham United by a 1-0 scoreline in the 2020-21 campaign.
Stockport head into Sunday's contest having won only one of their last seven home encounters against Walsall, but Challinor and co will be confident of success this time around following their deserved 2-0 victory away against the Saddlers last Thursday, a game which saw in-form striker Kyle Wootton net either side of half time.
Indeed, a win at Edgeley Park will see Stockport advance to the fourth round of the FA Cup for the first time since knocking out Preston North End in the 2000-01 season.
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Following the aforementioned league defeat against Stockport, Walsall returned to winning ways with a 2-1 home victory against Mansfield Town on New Year's Day, courtesy of early second-half goals from Douglas James-Taylor and Liam Kinsella.
Indeed, Walsall's only defeat in their last 11 matches across all competitions was the game against Stockport at the end of 2022, with Michael Flynn's side securing eight victories during this period.
The Saddlers currently sit ninth in the League Two table, four places and two points above Stockport, and they will look to translate their strong form to the FA Cup, a competition that they have struggled to make waves in since the turn of the century.
Walsall are competing in the third round of the FA Cup for just the third time in the last 15 years, after following up an impressive 2-0 away win over Wycombe Wanderers in the first round with a dramatic 2-1 comeback victory at home to Carlisle in the second round – substitutes Andy Williams and James-Taylor scored in the 88th and 90th minutes respectively to set up Sunday's clash with Stockport.
Flynn's side have already frustrated Stockport at Edgeley Park this season, holding the Hatters to a 1-1 league draw in October, and they will endeavour to go one better and win this time around as they bid to reach the fourth round of the FA Cup for the first time since knocking out Brentford in the 2015-16 campaign.
Team News
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Stockport are set to be without key centre-back Fraser Horsfall (hamstring) and wing-back Macauley Southam-Hales (head) due to injury, while defender Ryan Johnson pulled up in the pre-match warm-up against Grimsby and is a doubt for Sunday.
Callum Camps, who also missed the defeat at Blundell Park due to illness, should be fit to return here, although there is fierce competition for places in centre-midfield, with Collar, Ryan Croasdale, Myles Hippolyte and Antoni Sarcevic all vying for a starting berth.
Veteran full-back Phil Bardsley made his debut for the Hatters against Walsall last week and the 37-year-old is set to continue on the right, while January addition Isaac Olaofe, who has joined the club from Millwall for an undisclosed fee, could make his first appearance off the substitutes' bench, with Wootton and captain Paddy Madden expected to start again up front.
As for Walsall, Joe Riley and Joss Labadie are both set to miss out due to injury, but top scorer Danny Johnson is available to return after watching on from the sidelines against parent club Mansfield last time out.
Midfielder Robbie Willmott and defender Joe Low, who joined the club on loan from Newport County and Bristol City respectively earlier this week, are both in contention to make their debuts.
Oisin McEntee, who joined the Saddlers over the summer, returned from injury and produced a man-of-the-match display on his full debut against Mansfield, and the defender is set to retain his place in the back three alongside Donervon Daniels and Manny Monthe.
Stockport County possible starting lineup:
Hinchliffe; Wright, Lewis, MacDonald; Bardsley, Collar, Croasdale, Hippolyte, Rydel; Wootton, Madden
Walsall possible starting lineup:
Evans; McEntee, Daniels, Monthe; Knowles, Kinsella, Comley, Hutchinson, Gordon; James-Taylor, Johnson
We say: Stockport County 2-1 Walsall
Both Stockport and Walsall will fancy their chances of coming out on top on Sunday and will be motivated by the prospect of facing Premier League opposition in the fourth round.
The Hatters were dominant in their last meeting with the Saddlers and we expect their quality in the final third to edge them through to Monday's fourth-round draw.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Top tip
Oliver Thomas
