Walsall and Doncaster Rovers are in action on Boxing Day when go head to head at the Poundland Bescot Stadium in round 22 of the League Two on Thursday.
While victory could send the visitors into second-place, the Saddlers set out in search of a fifth league win on the bounce as they look to open up a nine-point lead at the top of the table.
Match preview
© Imago
High-flying Walsall pulled six points clear at the top of the League Two standings last Saturday when they picked up a 2-0 victory over 10-man Harrogate Town at the Exercise Stadium.
With Josh March receiving an early bath after two quick-fire bookings, the visitors took advantage of their numerical upper hand as Albert Adomah doubled the lead after Nathan Lowe put them in front with a 34th-minute strike.
Walsall have now won five games on the bounce, picking up four back-to-back victories in the League Two and seeing off League One outfit Reading on penalties in the second round of the EFL Trophy on December 10.
Matt Sadler's men are also unbeaten in 11 straight league matches, claiming seven wins and four draws, and have lost just one of their most recent 15 matches across all competitions, which came on November 30 when they suffered a 4-0 thrashing at the hands of Charlton Athletic in the FA Cup second round.
Having guided the club to an 11th-placed finish last season after taking over at the helm of affair in January, it has been an impressive first full season for Sadler as Walsall currently lead the way at the top of the League Two table with 43 points from 20 games, six points above second-placed Port Vale.
The Saddlers' solid first half of the season has been owing to their strength at both ends of the pitch as they have scored a league-high 37 goals and currently boast the joint-most clean sheets in the division (9).
Doncaster Rovers, meanwhile, ensured they remain within touching distance of Walsall in the upper echelons of the table as they cruised to a 3-1 victory over Tranmere Rovers at the Eco-Power Stadium last Saturday.
After Joseph Olowu opened the scoring in the 38th minute to hand the hosts a first-half lead, Patrick Kelly and Kyle Hurst scored after the break to make sure of the result before substitute Sol Solomon netted in the 83rd minute to give Tranmere something to cheer.
Before that, Doncaster saw their nine-game unbeaten run come to an end on December 10, when they were fell to a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Port Vale in the EFL Trophy second round, four days before losing 1-0 against AFC Wimbledon in the league.
Having secured a fifth-placed finish before a gruesome penalty-shootout loss to Crewe Alexandra in the playoff semi-finals last term, Grant McCann's men have picked up 10 wins and six draws from their 21 League Two games to collect 36 points and sit third in the table, one point off second-placed Port Vale.
While Doncaster will be looking to continue from where they left off Tranmere last weekend and leapfrog Port Vale in the table, they will need to show their mettle at the Poundland Bescot Stadium, where they have lost five of their last six league visits since September 2014.
Team News
© Imago
Walsall will head into the Boxing Day showdown without the services of experienced forward Joshua Gordon and 18-year-old midfielder Dylan Thomas, who are recuperating from injuries.
Brandon Comley is also set to sit out his sixth straight game while English defender Priestley Farquharson continues his lengthy spell on the sidelines since coming off injured against Tranmere in August.
Jamille Matt missed the game against Harrogate due suspension after crossing the yellow card threshold but the 35-year-old forward, who has six league goals, is eligible to return to action on Thursday.
As for Doncaster, veteran defender Richard Wood has been ruled out since picking up a severe injury against Newport County on August 17 and the 39-year-old is out of contention for the trip to the Poundland Bescot Stadium.
He is joined on the club's injury table by fellow defender Thomas Nixon, who has missed each of the last six games since coming off injured against Carlisle United back in November.
Walsall possible starting lineup:
Simkin; Okagbue, Williams, Allen; Barrett, Jellis, Stirk, Lakin, Gordon; Adomah, Lowe
Doncaster Rovers possible starting lineup:
Sharman-Lowe; Emmanuel, Olowu, McGrath, Fleming; Bailey, Kelly; Molyneux, Broadbent, Gibson; Sharp
We say: Walsall 3-1 Doncaster Rovers
Looking at recent meetings between Walsall and Doncaster, we anticipate a thrilling matchup at the Poundland Bescot Stadium with plenty of goalmouth action.
While we expect McCann's men to put up a fight, home advantage gives Walsall an edge here and we are backing them to make it a cheerful Boxing Day for their supporters.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Joshua Ojele
