The Saddlers

Walsall are currently sitting top of league two with a seven point lead despite their 2-0 home defeat last weekend to second placed Swindon. This was their first defeat in the league since the beginning of September and it ended a run of thirteen games unbeaten, which included ten wins.

Despite only being defeat once away from home, the Saddlers are only ranked fifth overall in the away league with five wins and four draws in the ten games they have played away from the Bescot Stadium. They do have the best defensive record in the whole league with only twelve goals conceded and nine of them have come on their travels this season.

Top goal scorer for Walsall is Martin Butler who has found the back of the net seven times this season. Butler has always enjoyed a good scoring record with Cambridge, Reading and Rotherham, and is now back at the club where he started his career as a trainee.

Walsall also have former Wrexham striker Hector Sam in their ranks and he has scored four times this season since his free transfer move from Port Vale in the summer.

In charge of the Saddlers this season is Richard Money and he is making a good job of steering them back into league one following their relegation last season. The relegation cost Paul Merson and later Kevin Broadhurst their jobs at the end of the last campaign with Money replacing him during the summer. This is his second job in management but his previous job was over ten years ago when he was in charge of Scunthorpe United between January 1993 and July 1994.

Walsall's form during November, when they won all three league games, earned Money the management award for November although the curse struck in the first game against Swindon last weekend.

Walsall did lose the services of Mark Kinsella from their back room staff earlier on this month with the reserve team manager and first team coach exercising a clause in his contract to rejoin his former club Charlton in a coaching capacity.

Past Encounters

Last 5 Meetings

Feb 05: Walsall 2 Wrexham 2

Jan 04: Wrexham 1 Walsall 1

Feb 01: Walsall 2 Wrexham 3

Sep 00: Wrexham 0 Walsall 1

Apr 99: Walsall 1 Wrexham 0

The teams last met in the 2004/05 season in league one with both games ending in draws.

The first game at the Racecourse started off well for Wrexham with Dennis Lawrence opening the scoring in the first half only for Walsall to equalise with sixteen minutes left.

Wrexham again started brightly in the return game with Darren Ferguson opening the scoring only for Walsall to equalise but Chris Llewellyn restored Wrexham's lead midway through the first half. Walsall again equalised before half time and with no goals coming in the second period, the game ended two apiece.

Wrexham lead the head-to-head with twenty eight wins to Walsall's nineteen and there have been thirteen draws in the sixty league games played.

League Form Guide

Walsall's defeat against Swindon last weekend was their first at home in the league this season and ended a run of four straight victories although they remain unbeaten away from home since they lost at Grimsby in early September.

Where as Walsall lost to a second placed team, Wrexham lost at Boston who started last weekend second bottom of the league. Despite this poor result, Wrexham are a different team at home and have currently gone five games without a defeat in all competitions if you exclude the penalty shoot exit in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy against Rochdale.

Team News

Wrexham Team News: Wrexham's injury jinx has returned for the visit of Walsall and matters have not been helped with the red card for Steve Evans last weekend. He starts a four game suspension and Wrexham are also without Mark Jones (knee), Neil Roberts (ankle) and Juan Ugarte (hamstring) but Lee McEvilly has recovered from his illness.

Walsall Team News: Walsall's main doubt is midfielder Dean Keates who has missed the last two games with a thigh injury but defender Allan Picken is still ruled out with a knee injury.

Man in the Middle: Colin Webster from Tyne and Wear. Colin Webster has so far sent off 5 players in 16 games and has booked 46 at an average of 2.88 per game. Colin Webster's last Wrexham game was back in February 2005 when Wrexham won 5-3 at Oldham in the LDV Area Final.

Other Games

Swindon will be looking to build on their 2-0 victory at league leaders Walsall last weekend when they entertain West County rivals Bristol Rovers.

Macclesfield will fancy their chances to close the gap at the bottom of the table and build on three straight victories when they play twentieth placed Accrington Stanley at home.

Elsewhere, there is another six pointer at the bottom when Torquay take on Boston at home after Boston climbed out of the relegation zone last weekend at the expense of Torquay.

Venue Guide

Address: Racecourse Ground, Mold Road, Wrexham, LL11 1AH

Telephone Number: 01978 262129

Fax Number: 01978 357821

Web Site: www.wrexhamafc.co.uk

Walsall Websites

• Official Web Site
• Express and Star
• Saddlersnet
• Walsall MAD

How to get there?

By Car: Leave the M6 at Junction 10a to join the M54 and continue on this road as it becomes the A5 past Shrewsbury and Oswestry. When you reach Oswestry turn right at the roundabout (An ESSO Service Station will be on your left), staying on the A5. Continue straight through the series of roundabouts to join the A483 and leave this road at junction with the A541. At the roundabout turn right towards Wrexham and after going straight over the next roundabout the ground is ahead of you on your left.

By Train: Wrexham General is next to the ground and there is a service every two hours between Chester and Shrewsbury. There is also an hourly service between Wrexham and Liverpool. Click here for the Rail Track Online Timetable or call national enquiries on 08457 484950.

Beer and Grub: The Turf is right next to the Kop but it gets very busy in the hour leading up to kick off, so arrive early. The Official Supporters Club has use of the Centenary Club on matchdays and this is located behind the Sainsburys Stand with the entrance off the club car park. The Plas Coch Retail Park has a pub and is normally a favourite for away supporters. The Railway is located down the side road along the Remploy factory at the opposite end of Crispin Lane to the ground. There are plenty of pubs in the town centre and the closet to the ground is a Wetherspoons Pub by following Mold Road into the town centre and is found on your left hand side. If you continue into the town centre McDonalds will be on your left and the next pub you reach is The Horse and Jockey and opposite that under the archway is a good chip shop. There are more pubs on High Street and to find them continue pass the Horse and Jockey, passing Burger King on your left, and High Street is the junction with Burtons.

Cash Machines: The Shell Garage on Mold Road with further machines at Sainsburys and Boots on the Plas Coch Retail Park. If you are heading into the town centre you will pass a number of banks on your way to the pubs.

How much to get in?

Family Tickets:

1 Adult & 1 Children: £21 all areas

1 Adult & 2 Children: £26 all areas

2 adults & 2 Children: £42 all areas

Must be purchased in advance from the ticket office and the Trust Shop.

Young Persons: Only available to members with ID card and tickets must be purchased in advance from the ticket office.

Disabled Facilities

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